Ten Places to See in South America
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil: Located in northern Brazil, this park is a bit out of the way but well worth the trip just to make your friends incredibly jealous with your amazing photos. Drive through fields of white sand dunes that will beg you to jump and tumble down them before landing in nearby aqua blue lagoons. Heaven.
El Chaltén, Argentina: While the majority of Argentine Patagonia is flat grasslands, in El Chaltén incredible mountains suddenly puncture the horizon like a ferocious puma´s two front teeth. The sheer vision of these granite giants will knock you off your feet. So lace up your hiking boots and let yourself be awed by Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia: This space is nothing but 4,000 square miles of cracked salt desert sprinkled with the occasional dormant volcano, reflecting lakes and light pink flamingos. The immense flatness of this blindingly white salt field will make you think deep thoughts while traveling in the standard South American adventure vehicle, the Toyota 4Runner.
Parque Tyrona National Park, Colombia: Stretches of white sand beaches, palm trees, and cloud forests make this the most desirable stretch of Caribbean coastline in Colombia. Trek through the tropical forest while listening to the deafening sounds of cicadas–and be sure not to step on the giant leafcutter ants that cross your bath. Once you reach the beach, sling your hammock and relax to the sounds of the sea. Ahhhh.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Chances are you have already heard everyone else rave about the delicious meat, the flowing rivers of Malbec, tasty empanadas, attractive residents, gay-friendly vibe and the clubs that don´t open until 2am. So I guess the real question is: che, what are you waiting for?!
Machu Picchu, Peru: Would you like to visit an ancient city hidden on the top of a verdant mountain range where llamas roam freely? Um, yes please. Truth be told, everyone and their mother goes here. And you know why? Because it´s freaking amazing, that´s why.
The Amazon River: This great flowing soul of South America radiates from the center of the amazingly diverse continent to touch over nine countries. While the vast majority of the Amazon lies in Brazil, many visitors head to wild west frontier towns and eco-villages in Peru, Colombia or Ecuador to explore the jungle. Remember, rainforests have lots of animal life but also GIANT bugs. Pack smart.
Rio de Janiero, Brazil: A geographically breathtaking city, Rio offers visitors its beaches, limestone rock formations and absurdly friendly locals. Take a picture with the Jesus statue, go to a Brazilian soccer match, drink too many caipirinhas, dance any way you know how and then recover on the beaches of Ipanema with fresh coconut juice. Muito bom!
The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Darwin would be proud of these islands for maintaining their biological diversity with Jurassic Park-era wildlife. While a 200-year-old tortoise is not as intimidating as T-Rex, the spiny iguanas and giant sea lions may make you run for cover until you realize that they are absolutely oblivious to you.
