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…
Must-see attractions in South America
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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French Guiana
Visiting the Centre Spatial Guyanais and (if you're lucky) seeing a rocket launch are two of French Guiana's biggest highlights. Both need to be arranged…
Medellín
Once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellín, the Comuna 13, which clings to the mountainside above the San Javier metro station, has…
Rio de Janeiro
A magnificent confluence of land and sea, the long, scalloped beach of Copacabana extends for some 4km, with a flurry of activity along its length: over…
Bogotá
Bogotá's most famous museum and one of the most fascinating in South America, the Gold Museum contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold and other materials…
La Paz
La Paz’s best-preserved colonial street is home to four small museums. They are all clustered together and can generally be bundled into one visit. Buy…
Buenos Aires
One of Buenos Aires' most beautiful monuments, this 22-story building has a unique design inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. Its structure is divided into…
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
Cartagena
The greatest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies, the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas still dominates an entire section of…
Iguazú Falls & the Northeast
Topped by twin towers and surrounded by elegant gardens, Justo José de Urquiza’s ostentatious pink palace is 33km west of Concepción. Set around an…
Buenos Aires
It was former president Néstor Kirchner who, in 2005, first proposed turning the abandoned former central post office into a cultural center. He died in…
Lima
In an 18th-century viceroy’s mansion, this museum offers one of the largest, best-presented displays of ceramics in Lima. Founded by pre-Columbian…
Northern Patagonia
Dubbed as the Serengeti of the Southern Cone, the 690-sq-km Parque Nacional Patagonia features Patagonian steppe, forests, mountains, lakes and lagoons…
Chiloé
Shrouded in folklore and Huilliche mythology, Chiloé's 'Dock of Souls' was built in 2007 by architect Marcelo Orellana. The curved boardwalk spans 17m…
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
Quito
Capped by green-and-gold domes, La Compañía de Jesús is Quito’s most ornate church and a standout among the baroque splendors of the Old Town. Free guided…
La Paz
The city’s most unusual market lies along Calles Jiménez and Linares between Sagárnaga and Av Mariscal Santa Cruz, amid lively tourist artesanías (stores…
Museo del Banco Central ‘Pumapungo’
Cuenca
One of Ecuador's most significant museums, Pumapungo houses great modern art downstairs, but the highlight is on the 2nd floor. Here begins a…
Bolivia
The world's largest salt flat sits at a lofty 3653m (11,985ft) and blankets an amazing 12,000 sq km (4633 sq miles). It was part of a prehistoric salt…
Quito
For spectacular views over Quito’s mountainous landscape, hop aboard this sky tram, one of the world's highest aerial lifts, that takes passengers on a 2…
Bogotá
Even if you've never heard of Fernando Botero, you'll probably recognize some of his highly distinctive paintings of oversized (read: chubby) characters,…
Valparaíso
Bellavista's most famous resident writer was Pablo Neruda, who made a point of watching Valparaíso's annual New Year's fireworks from his house at the top…
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Bolivia
As you might have guessed from the dinosaur figure in the plaza or the dinosaur head sticking out of city hall, Torotoro has become synonymous with…
Buenos Aires
The Casa Rosada was named for its distinctive color. It was from the balcony here, at the presidential palace, that Eva Perón famously addressed the…
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Nearly covered in a bog of floating totora reeds, the crater lake of Rano Kau resembles a giant witch's cauldron and is a wild greenhouse of endemic…
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Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgaos – Teresópolis Entrance
Rio de Janeiro State
About 6km south of Teresópolis, off the BR-116 Rio–Teresópolis highway, you'll find the main (and most accessible) entrance to magnificent Parque Nacional…
Guatapé
Also known as El Peñon de Guatapé, thanks to the fierce rivalry between the towns it straddles, this 200m-high granite monolith rises from near the edge…
Quito
In the former home of the legendary painter Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919–99), this wonderful museum houses the most complete collection of the artist's work…
Iguazú Falls
On the Argentine side of the marvelous falls, this park has loads to offer, and involves a fair amount of walking. The spread-out entrance complex ends at…
Mendoza & the Central Andes
The region's most famous park is Parque Provincial Aconcagua, home of 6962m (22,841ft) Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak outside the Himalayas and a…
Iguazú Falls
A 1.1km walkway across the placid Río Iguazú leads to one of the planet’s most spectacular sights, the 'Devil’s Throat.' The lookout platform is perched…
Lima
One of Lima’s most historic religious sites, the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and its expansive convent are built on land granted to the Dominican friar…
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Rio de Janeiro
Rio’s Maracanã stadium is hallowed ground among football lovers. The massive arena has been the site of legendary victories and crushing defeats. Maracanã…
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Salta & the Andean Northwest
Dating from about AD 1000, Quilmes was a complex indigenous urban settlement that occupied about 30 hectares and housed as many as 5000 people. The…
Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes
San Antonio de Areco
This sprawling museum in Parque Criollo dates from 1936 and is largely dedicated to Ricardo Güiraldes, author of the novel Don Segundo Sombra, and local…
Buenos Aires
Surrounded by the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the city’s main cathedral, Plaza de Mayo is the place where Argentines gather in vehement protest or…
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Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina
Lençóis
Spanning over 1520 sq km and containing within it innumerable species of plants and animals, deafening waterfalls and vast, rugged plains, Parque Nacional…
