Discover the Best Places for Vacation in South America

There are many superlatives associated with South America: it’s the tallest, the driest, the most massive, the deepest, and the home of the most esoteric of species…. That’s about all I’ve got to say about the subject. Many superlatives can be found from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, making it easy for tourists to discover something to their liking while on the road.

The well-preserved Pantanal in Brazil will appeal to environmentalists, while shoppers may pick between luxury shops in major cities like Rio de Janeiro and colorful marketplaces in Andean towns. Lost towns of old civilizations may be explored, beautiful landscapes can be enjoyed nearly everywhere, or the food can be enjoyed.

You have a lot of options in South America to enjoy including the largest lake in South America. Here is a quick rundown of some of the most popular tourist destinations in South America:

• Cartagena (Colombia)

In Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the important city of Cartagena may be found. Spanish colonists established it in 1533 and called it after Cartagena, Spain. The city served as the political and economic hub of Spain’s colony in South America.

To date, Cartagena has been a modern city, yet you’ll discover a walled old core and a massive fortress that formerly guarded it. Attractive museums and art galleries may be found throughout Cartagena’s vibrant cultural landscape.

•  Salvador (Brazil)

One of Salvador da Bahia’s many positive attributes is its simple name. It’s one of the Americas’ first colonial towns, having been established by the Portuguese in 1548. Pelourinho, the historic centre called after the whipping post where enslaved people were whipped, is a great place to learn about the country’s colourful history.

In addition to being Brazil’s third biggest city, Fortaleza was formerly a slave port, and the African influence can still be seen in the local food today. With its yearly Carnival celebrations, Salvador hosts the world’s biggest party.

• Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina)

Los Glaciares National Park doesn’t do anything in a half-hearted manner. Furthermore, the park is Argentina’s biggest national park and is home to the world’s greatest ice cap, feeding 47 massive glaciers. Glacier Perito Moreno stands out because it advances while others recede; this makes it one of a kind among glaciers.

Lake Argentino, Argentina’s biggest man-made body of water, is located inside the park. The well-preserved Patagonian Steppe and Magellan Subpolar forest are among the park’s many ecological and biological highlights.

• Pantanal (Brazil)

Even though getting to the Pantanal is challenging (entry is only possible by air or boat), once you’re there… Oh! A tropical wetland the size of Washington State, the Pantanal may be found mainly in Brazil, although it also extends into Bolivia and Paraguay.

Even though the Amazonian Pantanal is more well-known, the Pantanal has a wider variety of fauna, from jaguars to capybaras.

• Ushuaia (Argentina)

Ushuaia should be at the top of your list if you like travelling to far-flung locales. Ushuaia, Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego capital, is often regarded as the world’s southernmost city. In fact, here is where the train that will take you to the world’s end. 

When it’s not overcast or windy, which is most of the time, Ushuaia’s harbour and mountains provide for a beautiful setting. Penguins, orcas, and seals may all be found in this old prison colony, which now houses a museum.

• Tayrona National Park (Colombia)

The Caribbean coast of Colombia’s Tayrona National Park is a great place to preserve the ecosystem and the people who live there while also taking in the spectacular scenery.

TAYRONA is Chile’s second most popular national park, including both the land and the water. The vegetation and animals have a lot of variety. In terms of wildlife, there are around 300 distinct bird and animal species, and 70 different types of bats.

Tayrona is most well-known for its stunning beaches, which are nestled in secluded coves and protected from the sun by towering mountains and coconut trees. However, because of the strong currents, swimming is not permitted at the majority of beaches.

7. Colca Canyon (Peru)

Colca Canyon is Peru’s third most popular tourist attraction for a reason: the scenery is breathtaking. One of the deepest canyons in the world, the canyon is not the deepest in Peru, but it is more than two times deeper than the United States’ Grand Canyon

If you’re bored with the scenery, you can always look up to observe Andean condors and the world’s largest hummingbirds. Local handicrafts may be found in abundance in villages.

8. Angel Falls (Venezuela)

Angel Falls, in Venezuela’s Guayana Highlands, is a show stopper. In terms of height, it’s 15 times taller than Niagara Falls, which is located in both Canada and the US. The Rio Kerepacupai Meru receives water that falls from Auyantepu Mountain, a 950-meter (3,200-foot) cliff face.

Jimmy Angel, an American pilot who flew over the falls for the first time in 1937, gave his name to the waterfall. To get there, you’ll have to take an aircraft and a river boat.

9. Lake Titicaca (Bolivia & Peru)

Bolivia and Peru share the largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca. There are smaller lakes higher than this one, but at little over 3,800 metres (12,500 feet), it is the world’s highest navigable lake.

Many of its forty one islands are populated, including the reed-made floating islands that the locals have built for themselves out in the middle of the ocean. The lake is home to about 500 different kinds of aquatic life, including a significant number of water birds. There’s a folktale that claims Lake Titicaca is where the sun was born.

10. Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon jungle has 390 billion trees, which if you lived long enough, you could count. The Amazon rainforest covers about 34 of the Amazon River basin, which is staggering in and of itself.

It’s the biggest tropical rainforest in the world, covering almost a third of the country. About 60% of the rainforest is found in Brazil, with sizable swaths also found in Peru and Columbia. The rainforest is sparsely distributed in the neighbouring nations. There’s no denying that the rainforest is home to a diverse range of plants and animals.