John Maier Jr

South America

Andean peaks, Amazonian rainforest, Patagonian glaciers, Incan ruins, white-sand beaches and vertiginous nightlife: the wonders of South America set the stage for incredible adventures.

Best Places to Visit

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Chavín de Huántar

Huaraz & the Cordilleras

In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most…
Caral

North Coast

Before metal or ceramic was invented and well before the Maya and Inca cultures ruled, there was Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas. Having…
Laguna Parón

Cordillera Blanca

The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca — a snowcapped range of the Andes in west central Peru — and a gorgeous natural reservoir, Laguna Paron is a…
Isla Amantaní

Lake Titicaca

Of the small remote islands dotted around Lake Titicaca, Isla Amantaní is the least visited. Its population is just 4000, is a few kilometers north of the…
Monasterio de Santa Catalina

Arequipa

This convent shouldn’t be missed, even if you’ve overdosed on colonial edifices. Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, it is one of…
Huacas del Sol y de la Luna

North Coast

If there's one must-see archaeological site in the region, this is it. The Temples of the Sun and the Moon, attributed to the Moche period, are more than…
Parque Nacional da Tijuca

Rio de Janeiro

The Tijuca is all that's left of the Atlantic rainforest that once surrounded Rio de Janeiro. This 39-sq-km tropical-jungle preserve is an exuberant green…
Cerro San Cristóbal

Santiago

The best views over Santiago are from the peaks and viewpoints of the Parque Metropolitano, better known as Cerro San Cristóbal. At 722 hectares, the park…