Ideas for July travel
 

Good day everyone

What places have you enjoyed visiting, in South America, in July? I have so many places I wish to see, and only certain times of the year that I can easily take time off work and July is one of them.

I am OK with mild heat but not at all humidity. I'm also not a fan of very cold, either. This has me considering for July places nearer the Equator rather than too far south.

Bolivia is pretty high on my list of places to see, especially the salt flats. I understand it's a less-rainy time to be there, but may be a bit cold especially at night. That might be better saved for October some year, possibly.

Any ideas welcome! Thanks!

If cities and culture interest you, have a look at the Colombian Andes (Medellin, Bogota) as well as the coffee country nearby. Medellin in particular has moderate temps year round, but rain is possible (the wet season is "bimodal" with peaks in May and October). Bogota is somewhat drier and cooler.

I would agree that the Bolivian altiplano is very cold in July. It never gets very warm, especially at night. I went in early December and it was still cold!

I would avoid Peru in July, peak season in the Andes where it is also cold at night, and too foggy on the coast.

We have spent a lot of time travelling around South America over the last 15 years and have often visited in July. If you are not a fan of humidity the I would avoid the Amazon basin at any time of the year. Lima is cold and damp with high humidity in July Temperatures vary as much, if not more, by altitude as by latitude. The Bolivian altiplano is possibly the coldest place I have ever experienced, one night it hit minus 20c in July. It is stunningly beautiful, but if the cold really is a deal breaker, avoid.

Unlike mlgb, I wouldn't avoid Peru in July in the Andes. we spent several months there in Cusco and the sacred valley . Definitely cold at night but great temps and low humidity in the day. The mountains look great against the clear blue skies. Given the current unrest there, I would probably avoid Peru this year until the political situation is resolved.

Agree that Colombia warrants serious consideration, we spent June- August there a few years ago and loved it. Enjoyed cities like Medellin, Bogota and Cartagena (esp. Bogota) but it was mainly the smaller towns and villages we like the best . Some details and our photos of our time there @ https://accidentalnomads.com/category/colombia/

July would also be a good time for Argentina, especially the northwest around Salta which, in some respects has similar landscapes f=to part of the Bolivian altiplano. Iguazu and Buenos Aires would work nicely. The climate is decent at that time apart from Iguazu which is always hot and humid.

On the other hand, it might be a better year to go to Machu Picchu, since a lot of people cancelled their trips for this year especially if you can live with the remaining uncertainty of travel delays (but I think with about 7-8 days or more, you should have enough leeway). Plan to head straight to Cusco, transfer to Ollantaytambo for a few nights, day trip to Machu Picchu, few nights in Cusco, fly back to Lima a few days before you need to depart. The airports in Lima and Cusco have remained open for the last month and there has been a meeting to agree to allow tourism to reach Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. Of course July is still far away, but it might work.

Because July is the time when it doesn't rain much, and the skies are clear, it is often quite cold at night. Be sure your lodging has at least a space heater (many don't). They usually offer lots of thick blankets.

Although Lima is usually foggy in our summer (kind of like San Francisco used to be), it does have good (great) food and museums. A few museums such as the Larco are located away from the center where most of the protests have been.

For Colombia, you definitely don't want to go to Cartagena. One of the most humid hot places I've ever been.

I loved Colombia but I went in January. Even then it was quite cloudy and stormy in the Andes. It could be worse in July. What about Peru or Brazil where it would be dry season. The best time of year to go to the Pantanal.