Bolivia
This vertigo-inducing lookout 3035m above Sorata is, quite literally, breathtaking. To reach it, walk (or hire a taxi, B$80) up the road to Laripata. Just…
Must-see attractions in South America
Machu Picchu
The ‘temple’ derives its name from the massive solidity and perfection of its construction. The damage to the rear right corner is the result of the…
Rio de Janeiro
Beneath Morro da Urca, narrow Praia Vermelha has superb views of the rocky coastline from the shore. Its coarse sand gives the beach the name vermelha …
Ciudad Perdida & Cañón Arco Iris
Catamarca & La Rioja
In Parque Nacional Talampaya, accessed from the road 14km before reaching the main park entrance, these impressive formations are visited via guided 4WD…
Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos
Recife
The 18th-century baroque Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos has been totally renovated and contains incredibly fine stonework and wood carvings…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
About 1.7km northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Cerro de las Tijeretas provides good views and can be reached on a trail. You'll pass a national park…
Santiago
The stimulus is intellectual – but so much fun – at the Museo Interactivo Mirador, one of Santiago's best museums. Forget ‘do not touch’: you can…
Rio de Janeiro State
In the upper section of Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, this jumble of massive boulders is one of the park's highest peaks (2548m) and a favorite climbing…
Medellín
This public space in front of the Museo de Antioquia is home to 23 large, curvaceous bronze sculptures by renowned local artist Fernando Botero, including…
Rio de Janeiro State
Parque Nacional do Itatiaia's highest peak, Agulhas Negras (2791m) gets its name – meaning 'Black Needles' – from the serrated form of its imposing…
Machu Picchu
Just above and to the left of the ceremonial baths is Machu Picchu’s only round building, a curved and tapering tower of exceptional stonework. This…
Santa Catarina
Santinho is the north island’s best surfing beach, acclaimed for its consistent waves and uncrowded conditions.
Inland Patagonia
This private 56-sq-km reserve protects the endangered huemul deer. There's 25km of marked trails. Stop by the visitor center to check in. It’s 17km beyond…
Parque Nacional de Monte Pascoal
Bahia
Experience wild flora and fauna and the culture of the Paxato, one of the largest indiginous communities in Brazil, at this stunning park. It's free to…
Islas del Rosario
The most developed of the islands, Isla Grande is indeed also the biggest. There's a large lagoon perfect for swimming in the unbelievably blue waters,…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Scoring high on novelty, the Casa del Ceibo is a small shed built halfway up an enormous ceiba tree. It’s possible to spend a night in the treehouse or…
Zona Cafetera
On a hill just outside town, this impressive 19m-tall wooden structure offers breathtaking views over three departments and, on a clear day, Parque…
Machu Picchu
Important buildings flank the remaining three sides of the Sacred Plaza. The Temple of the Three Windows features huge trapezoidal windows that give the…
The Inca Trail
The Inca Trail descends to the ruin of Sayaqmarka, a tightly constructed complex perched on a small mountain spur, which offers incredible views.
Puerto Ayora
Among the various statues of prominent Galapagos wildlife around Puerto Ayora, this is probably the most photographed of them all.
Norte Grande
A patch of green among the desert landscape, this long, narrow gorge is a favorite for hikers, swimmers and rock climbers.
Curitiba
On Sundays, Largo do Ordem and Praça Garibaldi host a lively art and artisan market with more than 1000 stalls.
North Coast
Houses many objects excavated from Huacas del Sol y de la Luna and has descriptions in Spanish and English.
Amazon Basin
A lovely lake enfolded within Parque Nacional Manu, with an observation tower to aid wildlife-watching.
Amazon Basin
Preferred over Cocha Juárez these days as a lake to spy wildlife such as the giant river otter.
Amazon Basin
A stunning waterfall close to Puerto Yurinaki, about 50km northeast of La Merced.
North Coast
Built around AD 1300 and covering 20 sq km, Chan Chan is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas and the largest adobe city in the world. Although…
Lima & Around
Situated about 31km southeast of the city center, the archaeological complex of Pachacamac is a pre-Columbian citadel with adobe and stone palaces and…
Bolivia
The nearest thing Bolivia has to Peru’s Machu Picchu is this remote, rarely visited site (meaning ‘Land of the Inca’), 132km east of Cochabamba on a flat…
Ollantaytambo
Both fortress and temple, these spectacular Inca ruins rise above Ollantaytambo, making a splendid half-day trip. (Admission is via the boleto turístico…
Cartagena
The Palace of the Inquisition may today be one of the finest buildings in the city, but in the past it housed the notoriously grisly Inquisition, whose…
Iguazú Falls & the Northeast
On the west bank of the Río Uruguay, midway between Colón and Concordia, 8500-sq-km Parque Nacional El Palmar preserves the last extensive stands of yatay…
Reserva Ecológica Chaparrí Wildlife
North Coast
This 34,000-hectare private reserve, located 75km east of Chiclayo, was established in 2000 by the community of Santa Catalina and the famous Peruvian…
Lake Titicaca
Sitting on rolling hills on the Lago Umayo peninsula, the chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani stand out for miles against a desolate altiplano…
Bolivia
The prominent rock outcrop known as the Devil’s Molar (3825m) is actually an extinct volcanic plug that rises between the Río Choqueyapu and the suburban…
Convento & Iglesia de San Pedro Claver
Cartagena
Founded by Jesuits in the first half of the 17th century as Convento San Ignacio de Loyola, this convent later changed its name to honor Spanish-born monk…
Arequipa & Canyon Country
A fascinating, mystical site in the high desert, Toro Muerto (meaning ‘Dead Bull’) is named for the herds of livestock that commonly died here from…
Cartagena
On a 150m-high hill, the highest point in Cartagena, stands this convent. The views from here are outstanding and stretch all over the city. The convent's…
Bogotá
Most of Banco de la República's permanent art collection, which features 800 pieces by 250 different artists spread over 16 exhibition halls at two…
Área Natural Protegida Punta Tombo
Coastal Patagonia
Continental South America’s largest penguin nesting ground, Área Natural Protegida Punta Tombo has a colony of more than half a million Magellanic…
