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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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…
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…
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…
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…
Pão de Açúcar

Rio de Janeiro

Seen from the peak of Pão de Açúcar, Rio is undoubtedly a Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City). There are many good times to make the ascent, but sunset on…
Glaciar Perito Moreno

Inland Patagonia

Among the Earth's most dynamic and accessible ice fields, Glaciar Perito Moreno is the stunning centerpiece of the southern sector of Parque Nacional Los…
Los Seismiles

Catamarca & La Rioja

West of Fiambalá, the paved road winds through the high desert, past picturesque red rock escarpments known as the Quebrada Angosturas, and into some…