A continent of captivating beauty, layered history and plenty of rhythm, South America is a must-visit destination.
Machu Picchu
This 15th-century Peruvian marvel is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and is pretty much on everyone’s bucket list. Don’t let that deter you; there’s a reason so many flock to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Set in the Andes Mountains, its location would be spectacular on its own – however, the ruins of this Incan citadel will leave you awestruck.
Cartagena
Colombian, Caribbean and colonial, the 16th-century port city of Cartagena is a delightfully intoxicating mixture of heat, heritage and hedonism. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Cartagena is a city to get lost in. Plans are futile, so give in to the rhythm of this charming port and discover why it has captivated so many travellers.
The picturesque city of Cartagena.
Patagonia
Glaciers don’t generally come to mind when you think of South America, but they should. Patagonia, a geographical area at the southernmost tip of the continent, spans both Argentina and Chile and is a seemingly limitless wilderness of ice and rock. On the Argentinian side is El Calafate, the ‘National Capital of the Glaciers’, home to the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier.
Baby blues, the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Iguacu Falls
The waterfalls of the Iguacu River, which lie on the border of Argentina and Brazil, are nothing short of spectacular. Dramatic and captivating, the 275 cascading falls span a three-kilometre stretch within the lush Iguacu National Park. Watch this thundering display of Mother Nature’s might and feel very, very small.
The many faces of Northern Argentina
Rio De Janeiro
It’s virtually impossible to travel to South America and not swing into Rio. This Brazilian metropolis is a high-definition riot of colour and carnivale, from the beaches to that lush mountainous backdrop and the frenetic energy coursing through the streets. Samba is the beat this city dances to and everyone’s invited to the party.
Bathed in sunlight.
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From camping along alpine meadows in Patagonia to cruising the Amazon, these are the best Latin America journeys to tick off your bucket list.
1. The Q Circuit in Patagonia
Travelling with: Emma Ventura
A turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks at Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park. (Image: Getty/ MBPROJEKT_Maciej_Bledowski)
Tolkienian peaks, pristine lakes and snow-bloated rivers are highlights for most visitors spending a couple of days in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. But for the more intrepid, the real rewards come from a 10-day solo circumnavigation of the Q Circuit, camping along tracks that become more sparsely trodden the further you head into the park’s astonishingly diverse landscape – think glacial passes and granite spires, alpine meadows and forest paths. Five-star lodges might provide a break from Patagonia’s infamously feisty weather, but there’s nothing like carrying your own kit, a chance encounter with an elusive puma, and a crackling wood stove in a remote refugio for delivering the kind of fulfilment that money just can’t buy.
2. The jungles of Central America
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
The Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna are perched above the forest floor.
Emerging from the seas millions of years ago, the isthmus that is Central America is a tropical sanctuary of jungle-clad volcanoes, thunderous waterfalls and mist-shrouded rainforests, fringed by coral reefs. At its heart, Costa Rica is the land of pura vida (pure life), a tiny country that is home to six per cent of the world’s biodiversity – think toucans, macaws, anteaters, tapirs, jaguars, sloths – with verdant rainforest carpeting more than half the country. It’s a land to explore on two feet, two wheels and with two paddles. Do all three on Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Costa Rica: Hike, Bike & Raft tour and G Adventures’ 16-day Costa Rica Adventure.
A rainbow-billed toucan in the rainforest of Costa Rica. (Image: Getty/Freder)
3. Dance across Latin America
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
Put on your dancing shoes in Latin America. (Image: Getty/Pollyana Ventura)
Don your tassels and get flirty cha cha-ing in Havana. Feel the heat dancing Argentine tango at a milonga in Buenos Aires. Hear the pulse of percussion as you samba in Rio. In Latin America, movement is an expression of culture, celebration and passion. You don’t have to be a professional to partake, and there are plenty of dance schools where foreigners can learn the basics. It’s easy as one-step, two-step, cha-cha-cha.
4. Hike to Colombia’s Lost City
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
The Lost City is Colombia’s best-kept secret. (Image: Getty/Charly Boillot)
Reaching the ancient ciudad perdida (‘Lost City’) of Teyuna hidden within the steamy jungles of northern Colombia is a surreal moment, amplified by the challenging three-to-five-day return trek to get there. Built by the Indigenous Tairona People around 800 CE, this labyrinthine complex of stone staircases and circular platforms has only been partly excavated since treasure looters stumbled upon it in 1972. Limited tourism infrastructure adds to the Indiana Jones vibe. Intrepid Travel’s new Lost City Trekking in Colombia tour includes a respectful visit to a Wiwa community to learn more about their Tairona Ancestors and traditional way of life.
5. The Galápagos Islands
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Visit the remote Galápagos Islands on a Silversea cruise.
Expect the brackish air around the Galápagos Islands to be mixed with the gritty odour of bird droppings and pungent tang of sea lion BO. Twist your binoculars until the black eye of the giant Galápagos tortoise fills the other end, and you might imagine yourself to be quite the adventurer centuries after the inhabitants of these islands inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Get onboard a cruise with operators like Silversea, HX Expeditions, Celebrity Cruises and Metropolitan Touring to see the remote archipelago of 19 islands loom into view just 900 kilometres off the coast of mainland Ecuador.
A blue-footed booby on the Galapagos Islands. (Image: Getty/Bruce Campos)
6. Pantanal, Brazil
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Spot a jaguar in the world’s largest tropical wetland. (Image: Getty/ Dgwildlife)
Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is reportedly one of the best places on Earth to spot jaguars. This vast landscape of flooded plains and savannahs also shelters more than 650 species of birds (such as the toucan and hyacinth macaw) as well as various reptiles including the yellow anaconda and cold-blooded caiman (a type of crocodilian). Add capybaras, giant anteaters, maned wolves, giant river otters and South American tapirs to your wildlife bingo card, too. And find a tour that includes piranha fishing, if you dare.
7. Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Immerse yourself in the world’s largest salt flats. (Image: Getty/ Olga Gavrilova)
Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni covers more than 10,500 square kilometres, making it the world’s largest salt flats. The salt flats of Uyuni were formed more than 40,000 years ago when several prehistoric lakes dried up and left a bed of rich minerals behind. Stay at Luna Salada, where the walls and furnishings are made from dense bricks of packed salt, so you can immerse yourself in this ethereal landscape. Visit southern Bolivia during the dry season when the salt crystallises into mesmerising shapes and patterns.
8. The iconic sites of Peru
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
The Amazon is home to diverse birdlife such as wild scarlet macaws.
Hiking the Andes. Cruising the Amazon. It’s the stuff of legends. From the vast expanses of Lake Titicaca to the archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu to the Amazon Basin, one of the greatest remaining wildernesses on Earth, you can stitch Peru’s epic sites together on tour with andBeyond or Abercrombie & Kent. To sweeten the experience, both luxury operators are launching new state-of-the-art vessels on the Amazon River in September 2025 and July respectively.
Stay in a superior suite onboard andBeyond Amazon Explorer.
