Norte Grande
In the world of high-powered telescopes, where rival institutes jostle to claim the 'biggest,' 'most powerful' or 'most technologically advanced'…
Norte Grande
In the world of high-powered telescopes, where rival institutes jostle to claim the 'biggest,' 'most powerful' or 'most technologically advanced'…
Buenos Aires
In colonial times, the Manzana de las Luces was Buenos Aires’ most important center of culture and learning, and today the block still symbolizes…
The Galápagos Islands
Northwest of the tiny settlement of Tomás de Berlanga lies the massive Volcán Sierra Negra (1490m), which last erupted in late 2005. An 8km trail leads…
Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael
Northern Patagonia
Awesome and remote, this national park brings visitors face to face with the 30,000-year-old San Valentín glacier in Chile's Campo de Hielo Norte…
Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades
Piauí
Sete Cidades is a small 62-sq-km national park with bizarre rock formations that some have claimed are sete cidades (seven cities) left behind by some…
Chiloé
Created and owned by Chilean business magnate and current president Sebastián Piñera (and run by his foundation, Fundación Futura), this private nature…
Bogotá Region
Zipaquirá's stunning Catedral de Sal, 190m underground, was carved by removing 250,000 tons of salt; the resulting space is cinematically lit and packs a…
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
At the eastern end of the island, this high plateau is crowned by the extinct volcano Maunga Pu A Katiki (400m) and bound in by steep cliffs. There are…
Reserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas
Sur Chico
Serving up one of the most dramatic landscapes in all of Sur Chico and easily the jewel of northern Araucanía’s protected reserves, the 303 sq km Reserva…
Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali
Cali & Southwest Colombia
This 1500-sq-km national park protects the headlands around Cali. During the height of the armed conflict it was closed and it has yet to be officially…
The Galápagos Islands
Most groups spend several perfunctory minutes on the north coast at Post Office Bay, where scraps of wood covered in graffiti surround a a few gone-to…
Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve
Sur Chico
This conservation project, begun in 2000, encompasses 1000 sq km of private land that has been developed for low-impact ecotourism and falls within a much…
Parque Nacional Archipiélago Juan Fernández
Middle Chile
This national park covers the entire archipelago, a total of 93 sq km, though the township of San Juan Bautista and the airstrip are de-facto exclusions…
Central Highlands
The centerpiece of Ecuador's most popular national park is the snowcapped and downright picture-perfect Volcán Cotopaxi. At 5897m, it's Ecuador's second…
Amazon Basin
Thanks to the efforts of the conservation NGO Armonía, the endangered blue-throated macaw or barba azul has become something of a regional celebrity in…
San Pedro de Atacama Region
Around 3.5km west of San Pedro, this striking valley should figure high on any itinerary to the region, with jagged rocks, a towering sand dune and…
Sur Chico
Towering over the adventure capital of Pucón, Volcán Villarica is the centerpiece of Parque Nacional Villarrica, one of the most popular parks in Chile…
Iguazú Falls
From the end of the Paseo Inferior, a free launch takes you across to this island with a trail of its own that gives the closest look at several falls,…
Parque Nacional Bernardo O'Higgins
Southern Patagonia
Virtually inaccessible, Parque Nacional Bernardo O'Higgins remains an elusive cache of glaciers. It can be entered only by boat. From Puerto Natales, full…
South Coast
A 4km boardwalk loop leads to the petrified forest (take the trail behind the toilet block; another dirt road to the left leads to private land). The dry…
Zona Cafetera
Armenia's excellent 15-hectare botanical garden has the best mariposario in the Zona Cafetera. The 680-sq-meter butterfly house is shaped like a giant…
Lima
Lima’s 140-sq-meter Plaza de Armas, also called the Plaza Mayor, was not only the heart of the 16th-century settlement established by Francisco Pizarro,…
Cajón del Maipo
A mix of Andean forest and scrubland make up this hilly, 100-sq-km nature reserve in a scenic tributary canyon of the Cajón del Maipo, 18km southeast of…
Norte Grande
The influence and wealth of the nitrate boom whisper through the deserted ghost town of Humberstone. Established in 1872 as La Palma, this mining town…
Santiago
Chile's presidential offices are in the Palacio de la Moneda. The ornate neoclassical building was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in the…
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Isla Gorgona
Pacific Coast
Covering the entirety of remote Isla Gorgona, this rarely visited national park is a fine escape for nature lovers. Once a national prison, the island has…
Norte Grande
El Tatio is ringed by volcanoes and fed by over 80 gurgling geysers and a hundred gassy fumaroles. Contrary to popular opinion it is not the world's…
Norte Grande
San Pedro has its own mini version of the Dead Sea, a mere 22km south of the village. This topaz-colored lake allows you to float effortlessly because of…
Catamarca & La Rioja
The focus of a visit to Parque Nacional Talampaya is this spectacular, (usually) dry watercourse bounded by sheer sandstone cliffs. Condors soar on…
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Ahu Tahai is a highly photogenic site that contains three restored ahu (ceremonial platform). Ahu Tahai proper is the ahu in the middle, supporting a…
Bariloche & the Lake District
The star of the show at this museum, 116km west of Neuquén, is a full-size reconstructed skeleton of the Argentinosaurus huinculensis, believed to have…
The Pampas & the Atlantic Coast
Founded in 1884, this excellent museum features the paleontological, zoological, archaeological and anthropological finds of famous Patagonian explorer…
Reserva Faunística Península Valdés
Coastal Patagonia
Lying on Argentina's barren eastern Patagonian coast, this oddly shaped peninsula is home to some of the country's richest wildlife. Elephant seals,…
Minas Gerais
Already an old man, sick and crippled, Aleijadinho sculpted The Prophets between 1800 and 1805. Symmetrically placed in front of the Basílica do Bom Jesus…
Elqui Valley
You won't get far in the Elqui Valley without someone offering you a Guayacan, and if you're even vaguely interested in beer, you should accept. This…
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Los Nevados
Zona Cafetera
One of Colombia's most awe-inspiring national parks, PNN Los Nevados encompasses 583 sq km of rugged terrain in the heart of the Colombian Andes. Its…
The Galápagos Islands
Some 7km west of Puerto Villamil is the Muro de las Lágrimas (Wall of Tears), a 100m-long wall of lava rocks built by convicts under harsh and abusive…
Santiago
This striking shell-shaped temple in the Andean foothills is a tranquil spot to relax – even for those who don't ascribe to the Baha'í faith – with an…
Parque Provincial Volcán Tupungato
Mendoza & the Central Andes
Tupungato (6650m) is an impressive volcano, partly covered by snowfields and glaciers, and serious climbers consider the mountain a far more challenging,…
Zona Cafetera
This slow-paced working coffee farm near Chinchiná is a great place to come and unwind while surrounded by cafetero culture. It runs an excellent tour…