43 Best Places To Visit In South America
I always wanted to visit South America and wanted to see what makes it different from North America. South America is very huge and diverse and I did not want to miss out on my favorites, so after careful and deep thought I came up with the best places that I wanted to visit in South America.
South America is a combination of cosmopolitan cities, amazing jungles, volcanoes, pristine beaches, huge mountains, and beautiful people. So I made sure I will make the best out of this journey.
April-June is the best time to visit South America as it is less crowded.
Let’s find out the
Best Places In South America
1.Machu Picchu, Peru
It is an Inca Citadel located in Southern Peru. Every year more than a million people visit this place and quite understandably.
It is famous for archaeological history built with stone walls. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. This site looks spectacular in sunrise and sunset.
I spend two days here, no wonder it was included in the new seven wonders of the world. It is 80 km from Cusco. We had delicious food in the Alpakitay resto bar.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Macha Picchu Lost Citadel Official Ticket
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2.Cusco, Peru
The city is known for its amazing Spanish architecture. One of the most famous temples is Coricancha. San Blas has some amazing restaurants and coffee shops. San Pedro market is popular here. When you visit Cusco you must see Sacred Valley also which is just 25 km from Cusco. You will learn about old traditions. Another interesting place is Saqsaywaman which is a renowned citadel.
3.Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia
It is the world’s biggest salt flat spans approximately 11000 kilometers. You will certainly enjoy the bike tour here. The place is also known for its archaeological ruins. Tunupa volcano looks surreal.
4.Jardin, Colombia
Known for the colorful houses this Andean town has beautiful art museums. It is 3 hours drive from Medellin. Cueva del Esplendor is a beautiful cave. The coffee is really special here. I saw the beautiful cock-of-the-rock in the observatory here which is just five minutes from Jardin. You will love the experience of cable cars here. It is one of the most underrated places In South America.
5.Atacama Desert, Chile
This desert plateau is the world’s driest place. I visited here in September as September to November is considered shoulder season. It is best to hire a vehicle to reach there as you will be able to explore even the remote locations. Piedras Rojas are red rock formations and looks spectacular. I would suggest you view the Atacama Desert from a hot air balloon. The view is surreal.
6. Florianopolis, Brazil
The place is known for its beautiful beaches. A lot of tourists come here for surfing. It is also the party hub. The Historic Center is a well-known place here.
It has a beautiful park called Serra do Tabuleiro State Park. There are some amazing restaurants here.
7.Quito, Ecuador
The Capital of Ecuador, Quito is known for its beautiful wildlife. One of the most iconic landmarks is the Virgin Of El Panecillo. Plaza Grande is also one of the most popular tourist spots. To experience the architectural beauty of Quito you must visit the Basilica Of The National Vow. If you want to view the scenic beauty then you must see Guapulo.
8.Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
I had about this place from a couple of my friends and they had great stories to tell about this place and when I reached here I knew why they were praising it, truly spectacular.
It is a perfect place for hikers and mountaineers and I had a great time hiking. It is one of the biggest attractions for visitors because of active volcanoes. You can take a tour of this place through a private vehicle and trust me you will be tempted to take pictures every two seconds because of the beauty of the area.
In the national park, there is a beautiful lake and I did horseriding and mountain biking too. We had dinner at Route Of The Volcanoes. The food was outstanding.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Cotopaxi National Park Full-Day Tour from Quito
Related:
Find Out The Best Places To Visit In Ecuador
9.Angel Falls, Venezuela
With a height of 979 meters, it is the highest waterfall in the entire world. It is located in Canaima National Park which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The view of the waterfall is simply spectacular. It is located in Guiana which is in the southeastern part of Venezuela. It is one of the best places to visit in South America.
10.Buenos Aires, Argentina
The capital of Argentina is the hub of big shopping malls, theatres, nightlife, vibrant culture, and amazing restaurants. San Telmo is a major shopping area. MALBA museum is perfect for art lovers. Don’t miss tango dancing here.
11.Punta Arenas, Chile
It is also called the city of red roofs. Munoz Gamero plaza is popular here. You must see the beautiful Magdalena Island and you may spot penguins. For history lovers, Lords Lonsdale Shipwreck is a major attraction.
12.Laguna Verde, Bolivia
Because of its green color, this lake is one of the most sought-after spots in Bolivia. It is a high altitude lake. You will see a Licancabur volcano in the background. It is best to go there between April and September.
13.Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
It is such a wonderful national park, so beautiful and pure. I really loved Lake Pehoe as it has bright blue water. Grey Lake was so fascinating, I spend the entire day there, the grey glacier just made my day.
There are a lot of visitors who just come here for hiking and camping. I joined Torres W Trek and loved every moment.Chile has a great vibe and no wonder it is one of the safest countries to visit in South America.
Read:Chile-Epic Places
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Torres Del Paine Full-Day Tour
14. Easter Island, Chile
This UNESCO world heritage site is mostly known for 1000 monumental statues. People come here especially to see Moai statues. It is also a great place for outdoor activities like surfing, biking, scuba diving, snorkeling. Tongariki is another beautiful place.
Watch the sunrise from here and you will be flattered. Anakena is a beautiful beach on this island. Ana Kakenga is a beautiful small cave and you will love to see the sunset from here.
15.Chachapoyas, Peru
This town is one of the hidden gems in Peru. Kuelap is one of the major tourist attractions. The other beautiful attraction is Gocta Waterfall. If you want to see something unique then visit Sarcophagi Of Carajia. You will love the farmers market here. For history lovers, Leymebamba Museum is the best place.
16.Sao Paulo, Brazil
It is known for its rich architecture. To know the beautiful Brazilian art culture you must see Pinacoteca do Estado Museum. Ibirapuera Park is also popular here. Avenida Paulista is a major cosmopolitan area in Sao Paulo with amazing malls and restaurants. It is one of the best places to visit in South America.
17.Iguazu Falls, Argentina
If you are visiting Argentina Iguazu Falls has to be in your bucket list. It is in the middle of Argentina and Brazil.
UNESCO has considered it a national park and it attracts millions of visitors every year. There are so many waterfalls in this area. You will get easy transport to reach this waterfall.
If you want to view the waterfall from the top visit it from the Argentinian side. If you want to do a boat ride, do it from the Brazilian side, from here you can do a helicopter tour also. For me, Argentina is the best country in South America.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour-Gran Aventura Boat and Argentinian Falls Tour
18.Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Brazil
A lot of tourists come here to see the beautiful Jericoacoara beach. Jericoacoara National Park is a great place to spend time. The place is known for its beautiful lagoons.
19.Tarija, Bolivia
The city has the beautiful Casa Dorada museum. You will taste the best Bolivian wines here. Tarija is also known to serve amazing steaks. There are beautiful wineries and vineyards.
20.Huacachina,Peru
This village looks very impressive. It is a desert oasis. The experience of boating in a place surrounded by sand dunes seems like a fantasy. The experience of driving a dune buggy here is really amazing. You will love to do sandboarding here. Tacoma is a great vineyard nearby.
21.Los Roques, Venezuela
Consisting of 350 islands, Los Roques national park is located to the north of Caracas. There a lot of fun things to do in Los Roques like windsurfing and surfing. It is a very popular area for scuba divers and snorkellers.
El Gran Roque is the only island here that has some population and has a small airport. I loved diving and kitesurfing. It is one of the best places to visit in South America with family.
Where To Stay
Read:33 Best Travel Tips
22.Fernando De Noronha, Brazil
It is one of the best places for snorkeling and scuba diving. Consisting of 21 beautiful islands, there are some great beaches with turquoise water here. Atalia beach is beautiful and Atalia hike is great for hiking. You will love the boat trip here. The view is simply surreal. The Shark Museum is something to watch out for.
23.Cordoba, Argentina
This is one of the most underrated places in South America. The Cathedral of Cordoba is one of the popular places here. There are beautiful bars and amazing restaurants. Evita Fine Arts Museum will be loved by art lovers. Sarmiento Park is the biggest park in Cordoba.
24.Santiago, Chile
The capital of Chile, Santiago has beautiful snow-capped mountains and beautiful shopping complexes and skyscrapers. Valle Nevado is an amazing place for skiing and it takes only 90 minutes to reach here from Santiago. The scenic beauty is surreal. To visit the natural beauty of Santiago you must visit the beautiful Maipo river.
25.Serrania de la Macarena,Colombia
The natural beauty is surreal here especially the Cano Cristales river.It is also called River Of Five Colors. Another big tourist attraction here is Raudal de Angosturas I.
26.Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
It is most famous for the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. I really liked the lifestyle here.It is one of the best cities to visit in South America.
I had a good time visiting Sugarloaf mountain, my first experience in the cable car and the beaches were amazing and surrounded by mountains. Mount Corcovado is also a must-visit.
Copacabana is my favorite place and has a museum, cafes, and beaches. Jardim Botanico is a botanical garden and it is a must-see. Rio De Janeiro is definitely one of the most famous places in South America.
It is definitely one of the top ten must-see places in South America.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Full-Day tour with Christ, Sugarloaf, Selaron and BBQ lunch
27.Asuncion, Paraguay
The capital of Paraguay is known for the iconic Palacio De Lopez. Museo del Barro is a popular museum here. You will see some great pottery and contemporary art collection. There are a few other museums, churches and the famous Mercado Cuatro market.
28.Amazon Canopy Walkway, Peru
It is great way to experience Amazon rainforest and wildlife from treetop.
29.Bogota, Colombia
The capital of Colombia, Bogota is known for its varied culture and beautiful museums. Museo del Oro is a popular museum here. La Candelaria is one of the most famous historical landmarks in Bogota.
30.Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
It is a very big lake between Bolivia and Peru. Isla Del Sol is the biggest island on Lake Titicaca and it is very calm. It is a very nice place to have a good time. A lot of tourists visit this place to view the Milkyway.
You can take a boat to visit Uros island, it is really mind blowing and a perfect place for people who like photography as the surrounding is spectacular.
I saw giant frogs for the first time. It has some amazing restaurants and I loved the food here. Bolivia is one of the most underrated places to visit in South America. I would love to come here again.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Lake Titicaca, Uros, and Taquile Full-Day Tour
Read:14 Best countries to visit in South America
31.Valparaiso, Chile
This port city is also known as Jewel Of The Pacific. It is known for beautiful graffiti art. Bar Cinzano is a popular bar here. If you want to know the history of Nobel Prize winner for literature, Pablo Neruda then you must visit the La Sebastiana house museum. Playa Torpederas is a beautiful beach here. There are beautiful ski resorts here.
32.Mendoza, Argentina
This is a major wine region in Argentina. If you like hiking then you must go to Mount Aconcagua. There are some amazing restaurants here. Trapiche is a beautiful winery in Mendoza. You will love rafting in the Mendoza river. General San Martin is a beautiful park in Mendoza.
33.Cartagena, Colombia
This port city, which is a UNESCO heritage site is home to a number of tourist spots. Ciudad Amurallada is a famous walled city. One of the most famous landmarks here is Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. If you want to experience the scenic beauty then visit Playa Blanca beach. For history lovers, Museo del Oro Zenu museum is a great experience. Palace of Inquisition is another museum t watch out for.
34.Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
It is a large glacier located in the southwest province of Argentina. El Calafate is the nearest town to the glacier and is a very popular tourist place in South America.
It is a perfect place for trekking. The Patagonia glacier looks amazingly beautiful and you can hear the glacial ruptures. The walking circuit helps to see the edge of the glacier. The region is known for beautiful glaciers. Perito Moreno Glacier in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is one of the most stunning places. El Chalten is an amazing place for hiking.
If you want to see whales then visit Puerto Madryn. Patagonia is an amazing place for kayaking. The other interesting places are the Argentine Lake District and Mount Fitz Roy which is a beautiful mountain near El Chalten village. Argentina is definitely one of the best countries to visit in South America.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour-Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trekking Experience
35.Las Lajas Shrine, Colombia
Also called Santuario De Las Lajas, it is a beautiful church on the bridge. Located in Lpiales, it is one of the most popular cathedrals in the city. The view is simply spectacular. It is certainly one of the best places to visit in South America.
36.Banos, Ecuador
It is known for beautiful trails and hot springs. Casa del Abrol’s famous swing is a major tourist attraction. You will love water rafting in Rio Pastaza.
37.Lima, Peru
The capital of Peru, Lima is known to serve amazing dishes. Maido is one of the world’s most reputed restaurants. Punta Roquitas is a beautiful beach known for surfing. Larco Museum is another hot spot for tourists.
38.Galapagos Island, Ecuador
Located in Ecuador, Galapagos Island is one of the best places to visit in South America and certainly most beautiful too. The island is around 600 miles from main Ecuador.
It is a UNESCO world heritage site and known for diving and snorkeling. I saw unusual aquatic animals here and my favorite was Marine Iguana. You can hire a boat or go on a cruise and you will love the experience and will never forget this adventure.The food is just awesome here.
Where To Stay
Book Your Tour–Mini Galapagos Tour
39.Potosi, Bolivia
It is one of the most elevated cities. Obelisco Potosi is a beautiful park here. Cerro Rico mines is a great adventurous place. If you want to have the best view of the city then climb to the top of the San Francisco church. The view from there is surreal.
40.La Paz, Bolivia
It is a beautiful city in Bolivia. The cable car system is a major tourist attraction here. If you are looking for natural beauty then visit Calle de la Luna.
41.Amazon River
It is one of the world’s longest rivers at 4000 miles. You can hire a cruise to reach here.
42.Kaieteur Falls, Guyana
It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Potaro River, Guyana, and the biggest single drop waterfall in the world. You will also experience the wildlife beauty in Kaieteur National Park. If you are lucky you will see the amazing cock-of-the-rock bird.
43.El Tatio, Chile
Located in Andes Mountains, it is world’s third largest geyser field. It looks spectacular in the morning between 5 to 7.30 am.
Few other South American tourist places are Salvador in Brazil, Pantanal in Brazil, Ushuaia in Argentina, Tayrona National Park in Colombia, Colca Canyon in Peru.
I wanted to go to Antarctica also but I was running out of time.
Travel Essentials
Before we travel we make sure we have the things needed for our journey and every time I travel I have to buy something or the other. I choose to buy from amazon.com as I know I get anything from here.
Accommodation
I prefer Agoda.com, a part of world leader Booking Holdings to book hotels as I know I will get a lot of hotel options. You will certainly get the best places to stay in South America.
Flights
Trip.com is my favorite as I always get the best deals
Travel Insurance
When we travel anything can happen to us, we may lose our luggage or fall ill, or meet with an accident so I prefer Worlds Nomad travel insurance which gives complete insurance.
I can confidently say that these are the best places to visit in South America and I had a splendid time. I am planning to visit these places again, meanwhile, if you visit some of the other places let me know and share your travel stories. So what are you waiting for, pack your bags and book the tickets to South America.
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