Catedral de los Santos Pedro y Cecilia
Mar del Plata
Facing the leafy Plaza San Martín, this neo-Gothic building features gorgeous stained glass, an impressive central chandelier from France, English tiled…
Must-see attractions in South America
Coastal Patagonia
Adjoining the tourist office, this small visual-arts museum features works on loan from the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, as well as…
The Galápagos Islands
Around the corner from the main square, this small lagoon has a boardwalk along the edge, which makes a fine viewing spot for taking in the pink flamingos…
Caribbean Coast
Mompós' cemetery is a striking spot; whitewashed graves and slots for remains are stacked high atop each other, sometimes six together, forming a wall of…
Paraty
In a beautiful colonial mansion, Paraty’s Casa da Cultura hosts rotating exhibitions and events, with a focus on local culture. There are nice views of…
Arica
Atop Morro de Arica, this museum recounts a key battle that took place on this hillside in 1880 during the War of the Pacific. There'a a collection of…
Cuenca
This church, two blocks northwest of Parque Calderón, sports some fine carved wooden doors and colonial paintings. Although it looks older, the church was…
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa
Baños
This Basilica is dedicated to the Virgin of the Holy Water, who is credited with several local miracles. Inside there are several artworks by Father…
South Coast
The town's beautifully decorated church, with a white, mint green and gold interior, dates back to 1912, and is worth a look. It's located in the main…
Museo Nacional de Arqueología Tiwanaku
La Paz
Two blocks east of El Prado, this small but well-sorted collection of artifacts illustrates the most interesting aspects of Tiwanaku culture – those that…
Museo del Cuartel de la Villa Real
Paraguay
The museum in the beautifully restored barracks exhibits historical and war paraphernalia. The attack on Mato Grosso, Brazil, was launched from here…
Bariloche & the Lake District
On a ridge 7km west of town is Cabeza del Indio, a rock outcrop resembling a man’s profile; the trail has great views of the Río Azul and Lago Puelo. The…
Museo Unión Vecinal Calingasta
Mendoza & the Central Andes
Calingasta’s small archaeological museum, 100m from the main plaza, has one of several 500-year-old mummies found at an indigenous cemetery at Cerro El…
Caribbean Coast
Mompós' main museum is a decent collection of religious paintings, gold and silver crosses and other religious objects, all displayed in several rooms of…
Mirador de la Virgen del Calvario
Central Highlands
On a clear day, this lookout east of town offers views of several distant volcanic peaks. Follow Maldonado up the stairs, go left on Oriente and follow it…
Guatapé
The Iglesia del Calma features a Greco-Roman exterior and a polished wood interior. It was built in 1811 as a form of penance, or so the story goes, by a…
North Coast & Lowlands
This new walkway along the bay features cell-charging stations, a skate park, a dozen food stands and the largest Ecuadorian flag you will ever see. A…
Porto Alegre
On the northern side of Praça da Matriz, you’ll find the elegant mid-19th-century Teatro São Pedro, inaugurated in 1858.
Loja
This narrow lane is the oldest colonial street in Loja. There are some nice art galleries here (if only the street were pedestrianized, they would be much…
Coastal Patagonia
In a former train station, this small museum displays historical photographs, clothing and period furnishings of Welsh settlers, along with relics from…
Rio de Janeiro
This tiny hidden beach is located between Copacabana and Ipanema. Reach it by heading to the rocky outcropping of Arpoador and turning left. You'll see it…
Santa Catarina
The Museo Pomerano explores the town’s history through household objects, furniture, wooden sculpture, agricultural tools and an impressive collection of…
The Amazon
Palmas' main cathedral has a modern look, with a low sloping exterior and a long interior nave. It lacks the gravitas of Brazil's older houses of worship,…
Minas Gerais
The park entrance is 2km steeply uphill from the nearest town, Alto do Caparaó. There's a staffed ranger booth here offering general park information, but…
Foz do Iguaçu
If you are wondering how construction of the Itaipu Dam affected the area’s flora and fauna, check out the Ecomuseu, which also includes a large model of…
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
About 100m off the coastal road (look for the sign), you'll find a couple of massive basaltic slabs decorated with carvings featuring a tuna, a shark, an…
Brazil
At the colorful Mercado Municipal, locals sell and barter a wide range of goods; if you're passing through downtown around lunchtime, stop in for a casual…
São Luís
São Luís' 17th-century cathedral looks along Av Dom Pedro II from its top end. Inside are ceiling frescoes decorated with babaçu (palm) motifs and a fine…
Choquequirao
On the truncated peak, follow the water channel up from the lower plaza to these ruins that include a niche house and carved upper fountain.
Bariloche & the Lake District
This small but interesting museum showcases Mapuche pottery, pipes, piñon (araucaria tree nut) grinders and musical instruments. Another display features…
Sur Chico
Parque Saval on Isla Teja has a riverside beach and a pleasant trail that follows the shoreline of Laguna de los Lotos, covered with lily pads. It's a…
Museo de Arte del Banco de la República
Bogotá
Though indistinguishable as its own museum, this is the space inside Banco de la República's museum complex used for temporary exhibitions. Its auditorium…
La Paz
Founded in 1549 and finished at the end of the 18th century after the siege of La Paz by Tupac Katari, the ‘Indigenous Church of San Pedro’ has baroque…
Belo Horizonte
This art museum, with its cute garden designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, originally served as a casino and shows the obvious modernist…
Salta
Displays the work of contemporary artists from Salta and further afield. The space is well lit and usually exhibits high-quality canvases, multimedia…
Museo Municipal Mario Brozoski
Coastal Patagonia
Displays relics of the English corvette Swift, sunk off the coast of Deseado in 1776. Divers continue to recover artifacts from the wreck, which was…
French Guiana
A fun museum featuring lots of insects, dead and alive. Myriad species of butterflies flutter around the butterfly garden, and you can even hold a live…
Bolivia
Starting from the western side of Plaza del Folklore, a stairway takes you huffing and puffing to a handful of interesting murals depicting Carnaval…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Just in from the boat docks and picturesquely framed by the parrot-shaped form of Pico do Papagaio, Abraão's village church is an Ilha Grande icon, right…
Museo del Hombre y la Tecnología
Uruguay
Housed in a historic market building, this museum features excellent displays on local cultural development and history upstairs, and a small…
