15 Best Places to Visit in South America

It’s hard to escape the rat race these days. There are queues to reach the summit of Everest, direct flights to remote Pacific islands and luxurious hotels in the rainforest. We’ve tamed and colonised most of the world, but one vast stretch of the planet remains beyond our grasp: Antarctica. This frozen continent at the end of the Earth has never been permanently occupied by man. Accessible only from November to March, it has no towns or villages, no habitation bar the odd research station or expedition hut; just grand, icy, unpredictable wilderness. Even if you’re travelling there on a cruise ship, as most people do, the solitude and the emptiness will envelop you and bring you down to scale.

At the Southern tip of the Andes in Chile lies Torres del Paine National Park. The park is located in Chile’s southernmost and largest region, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, where the main economic activities are sheep farming, oil extraction and tourism.

Soaring almost vertically above the Patagonian steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) dominate the landscape of South America's finest national park. Part of Unesco's Biosphere Reserve system since 1978, this 1810-sq-km park is, however, much more than its one greatest hit. Its diversity of landscapes range from teal and azure lakes to emerald forests, roaring rivers and that one big, radiant blue glacier. Guanacos roam the vast open steppe while Andean condors soar alongside looming peaks.

Deep in the Ecuadorian wilderness is a seismic monitoring station in a tree, known as Casa del Arbol. Its purpose is observe Mt. Tungurahua, the nearby active volcano, from its precarious perch. While the treehouse itself is a sight to behold, the real attraction is the swing hanging from one of the tree’s skinny branches.

With only a lonely seat belt to hold you in, the swing arcs riders out into the air over the canyon. It is unclear where the swing came from—perhaps it was set up by a whimsical seismologist. 

The swing is part of a small park at Casa de Arbol, complete with three swings and a small zip line. Adventurous swingers of all ages are welcome to take a ride at the end of the world, but at their own discretion. Though the swing used to be completely unmonitored, today there are guides to help you buckle in and push you as you swing—and take your photo, of course.

ou might have seen the photos. Even read about it. You might have visited other great waterfalls before. But you probably still have no idea what to expect when you come face to face with the almighty Iguazu Falls, on the border of the Argentina province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana.

To describe the Iguazu Falls without gushing superlatives is a futile exercise. With water cascades as far as the eye can see -- some massive and powerful, some small and dainty -- the Iguazu Falls are a shock to the system.

The Amazon River of South America is the world's largest river and the lifeblood of the world's largest ecosystem, spanning two-fifths of an entire continent. It is home to a huge variety of animals and plants that dwell in its lush, evergreen environment. It is the mightiest river in the world by volume, with six times greater total river flow than the next six largest rivers combined, and the most extensive drainage basin in the world. Because of its vast dimensions it is sometimes called The River Sea.

The Amazon River is not only the greatest in the world, it is home to many other "extremes" of the natural world.

One of the greatest natural wonders of the world, magnificent Angel Falls, remains virtually masked to mankind in the rugged jungle and mountain of Venezuela. Today, Angel Falls is the greatest tourist draw in Venezuela.

Nestled deep in the recesses of Canaima National Park in the Venezuelan state of Bolivar, the towering waterfall drops from a height of 979 meters off the top of Auyantepui.

Known in Venezuela as "El Salto Angel," the waterfall is 19 times the height of Niagara Falls. Local Indian inhabitants named Angel Falls - Kerekupai-Meru, meaning “falls of the water to the deepest site”, in Pemon language.

The bustling city of Rio de Janeiro has been one of Brazil’s most popular and frequented tourist destinations for decades. Its vibrant city centre is bursting with culture and pulsating with a deep sense of history and heritage. Rio, as it is commonly known, is the second largest city in Brazil and the third largest metropolis in the whole of South America.

It is the most visited city in the Southern Hemisphere, which is no mean feat. This makes for an impressive, memorable attraction for visitors from all over the world.

Rio de Janeiro is hot for most of the year, and rain is frequent during the period between December and March. The coastal areas are cooler than those situated inland due to the cool breeze blowing off the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape and vegetation in and around this metropolis are magnificent, providing a visual feast that has inspired authors and screenwriters the world over.

Few areas in the world possess a more mystical pull than this tiny speck of land, one of the most isolated places on Earth. It's hard to feel connected to Chile, over 3700km to the east, let alone the wider world. Endowed with the most logic-defying statues on the planet – the strikingly familiar moai – Easter Island (Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants) emanates a magnetic, mysterious vibe.

Rapa Nui National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its residents rely much on the tourism and economic links to Chile and daily flights to Santiago. As with many native peoples, the Rapa Nui seek a link to their past and how to integrate their culture with the political, economic, and social realities of today.

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Embedded within a dramatic landscape at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere and the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization.

Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life – such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finch – that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.

The former world’s most dangerous highway (alternatively known as Death Road, Grove's Road, Coroico Road, Camino de las Yungas, El Camino de la Muerte, Road of Death, Unduavi-Yolosa Highway) climbs up a famous Bolivian mountain pass, La Cumbre, at an elevation of 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) above the sea level. This road was legendary for its extreme danger.

This road has humbled many egos. It’s not for the sissies and shouldn’t be attempted by novice drivers. It’s not hard to see why the road was so dangerous: It’s barely the width of one vehicle, with no guardrail to protect you from falls of up to 2,000 feet. Rain can make the road muddy and slippery, and rain or fog can reduce a driver to feeling blindfolded. The very good news about this dirt road is that you don’t have to take it. Back in the ’90s before an alternative and safer road was built, it was identified as the most extremely dangerous road in the world. The road is in dreadful condition and requires strong nerves to negotiate it. And just as a reminder that you’re not going on any regular road trip, some drivers pray before they begin their route.

Undoubtedly, this is a special mount from every point of view. Its height, its origin, its texture and its silhouette make it stand out from the rest. This is the way even the best climbers in the world see it. 

Reaching 3,405 meters of height, Mount Fitz Roy appears as one of the hardest mountains to climb in the whole world. It stands at Los Glaciares National Park and is one of the markers of the Chilean border.

The ancient dwellers used to call this mountain "Chaltén", a name that in the “ahónikenk” tongue means “smoking mountain”. This responds to the clouds that rest on its summit almost constantly, which made the old denizens of the area believe this was a volcano.

Caño Cristales (English: Crystal Channel) is a Colombian river located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta. It's a tributary of the Guayabero River. The river is commonly called the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow," and is even referred to as the most beautiful river in the world due to its striking colors. The bed of river in the end of July through November is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, the last caused by the Macarenia clavigera (Podostemaceae) on the bottom of the river.

Lake Titicaca is a large, deep lake in the Andes on the border of Bolivia and Peru. By volume of water and by surface area, it is the largest lake in South America. It is often called the "highest navigable lake" in the world, with a surface elevation of 3,812 metres. 

Lake Titicaca is famed for the prettiest sunsets and night skies in the world. Grab a blanket with your favorite drink and be stunned with the night sky, that’s because stargazing at Lake Titicaca can become something of an obsession – the night skies are adorned with thousands of sparkling stars and the elusive Milky Way here at the Peruvian border.

Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia. Photographers flock here to capture the unique landscape. It is often visited as part of a 3 or 4 day tour of South West Bolivia. It comprises over 10,000km² in the Potosi region. The salt is over 10 meters thick in the centre. In the dry season, the salt plains are a completely flat expanse of dry salt, but in the wet season, it is covered with a thin sheet of water that is still drivable.