Steamy forests, snaking rivers and ice-clad volcanoes: it’s no surprise that outsiders have long been drawn to South America. This is a land of rich treasures, stretching from the frozen glaciers of Patagonia, through dense equatorial jungle and up into the northern hemisphere. Our map of South America will help you get your bearings.
With enough time to spare, you can marvel at the world’s highest waterfall, venture into the planet’s most diverse rainforests and road-trip across roof-of-the-world deserts that will – quite literally – take your breath away. Modern metropolises sparkle on the continent’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts, while further inland remote tribes observe traditions rooted in ancient history.
Dance the tango, seek spiritual enlightenment with a shaman, explore Inca ruins and see the plazas and churches built by the first Europeans. When it’s time to wind down, make a beeline for the beach – from Ecuador to Brazil, there’s no shortage of sandy spots to choose from.
written by
Rough Guides Editors
updated 23.10.2020
