What does páramo mean to you?

Question

Our dictionary give the following translations:

1. moor los páramos -> the moors, the moorland

and,

1. Paramo, an Alpine plain open to the winds. (m)
2. Any place extremely cold. (m)
3. Waste land (descampado). (m)

However, I have been to places that people have referred to as 'páramo' and they are certainly not moorland and don't seem to fit any of the above descriptions.

If you post, please add where you are from and if poss, a picture.

Gracious.

Answer 1

In Venezuela, páramo is this high geographical area with cold weather, and scarce vegetation, typical of the Andean region.

The little shrubs you see here are the Frailejón that Usarenzo shows in his post. - Gekkosan, Feb 16, 2011

I guess then that that is what it 'should' mean here in Colombia, I'll go and look for some... - afowen, Feb 19, 2011

Answer 2

El frailejón es una de las vegetaciones típicas de los páramos andinos.

Funky little plant, all hairy. Lots of medicinal uses. - Gekkosan, Feb 16, 2011

Answer 3

Hello!

I'm from the north of Spain. In where I live there are no páramos.

Mi concepto de páramo se ajusta a la definición número tres: es una zona amplia, llana y casi desierta, árida, con poca o ninguna vegetación y cielo abierto. Páramo no es una palabra que se use mucho por aquí, porque no es un paisaje frecuente, la relaciono más con libros y películas que con el habla cotidiana.

Sería como esto:

Beautiful, cogumela! I want to go there. - Janice, Feb 15, 2011

That's how I imagine it to be too, like moor or heath. The last time I heard páramo I was at about 2,500 metres in the Andes surrounded by rolling hills and lots of green. - afowen, Feb 15, 2011