South America is filled to the brim with history, culture, and natural beauty, making any excursion there unforgettable. Of course, if you’re looking to plan a trip of a lifetime to this most colourful of continents, you’re going to need to narrow down your options to ensure that you see the best of the best of what the continent has to offer. Let’s take a look at four essential places to visit in South America.
Who to travel with?
Before you go ahead and start planning your trip, you’re going to need to consider who you’ll be going with. Are you going to be travelling alone, with family, or on a group tour of South America? Naturally, each of these has their own pros and cons. For example, travelling alone gives you that freedom to explore at your leisure, but you may lack that shared experience. Travelling with family allows you to do just this, but conflicting interests can derail any attempts at designing a cohesive trip. Either way, you’re going to need to play the trip yourself, and therefore a structured group tour might be best. Tour companies can provide the best of both worlds, helping to design a trip that includes all of the highlights, while adding in that social element at the same time.
Of course, seeing those highlights will be the main focus of any trip, so let’s take a look at what these might be.
Machu Picchu, Peru
No extended tour of South America will ever be complete without a trip to Machu Picchu, the lost Inca city hidden along the world famous 33 km Inca Trail. It isn’t only the spectacular ruins that are of interest here: the surrounding area of the Sacred Valley also has a lot to offer, and stands as an absolutely must for lovers of ancient history.
Rio do Janeiro, Brazil
If you only visit one city in South America, make it Rio, one of the most topographically beautiful cities in the world. There is a lot to see and do in Rio, making it somewhere to stop for at least a week if you can manage the time. Watching the sunset from Corcovado next to the statue of Christ the Redeemer, the sunrise on Sugar Loaf Mountain, relaxing on Copacabana Beach, or simply dancing all night at one of the cities many nightspots: there really is so much to enjoy.
The Galapagos Islands, Equador
OK, so these islands aren’t strictly on the continent, but they sit under the banner of the nation of Equador, lying about 1,000 km off the coast. If you love nature, you can’t go far wrong at the Galapagos, the original setting for Darwin’s theory of evolution, with 100’s of different species of bird and a wealth of animals, land and marine based, to spot. Cruising around the islands on a boat tour is something you’ll never forget.
The Amazon Jungle, Peru
So we’ve looked at a wonderful historical site, the continent’s favourite city, and one of the world’s most diverse and wonderful islands groups. Last of all, you need to make sure you visit the Amazon, a jungle that dominated over two thirds of Peru. The most bio-diverse place in the world, you could easily spend months, or even years, trekking through this vast jungle. Find yourself a decent tour, though, otherwise you’ll never know where you might end up!
South America is a treasure trove of delights, of which the 4 above are just a snippet. If you really want to enjoy the best of what the continent has to offer, or just a single country within it, finding a suitable touring company is the best option.