The GeoSUR Portal provides an entry point to the spatial data and metadata published by participating institutions in South America and Panama. The spatial data may be consulted directly by means of a spatial map viewer contained in the Portal that connects to national and regional map services; or may be consulted through the metadata available in the portal, since each metadata record enables consultation of its associated datasets in the portal map viewer.

The Portal does not directly contain spatial information. The spatial information is contained in the map services established by participating agencies. These services are operated and maintained by geographic institutes, environmental ministries and other participating institutions from South America and Panama. These institutions register their various geoservices and their metadata with the portal in order to make them available to the public.

Special technical skills or special software are not necessary to use the Portal. Users only need access to the Internet. The Portal is free and open to the public.

The Portal was developed with the technical support of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). At the present time it is being operated and maintained by the Andean Development Bank (CAF) and the Panamerican Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH).