Latin America

From the extreme deserts west of the Andes to the Amazonian jungles on their eastern slopes, from monkeys bounding across Costa Rican surfs to elephant seals trumpeting beneath the jagged cliffs of Patagonia, and from Incan ruins to world-class cities, Central and South America are exotic and accessible regions offering something for everyone. Travelers from the U.S. will appreciate direct, overnight flights to several southern capitals with little or no time change (adiós jet lag!). 

Peru•Ecuador & Galapagos•Costa Rica•Argentina•Bolivia•Chile•Brazil•Cuba

Peru

What We Love

• Lima’s culinary scene has been earning major props on the international stage. Eating one’s way through the country’s cultural capital is the perfect way to start a Peruvian adventure for good reason. The food represents a fusion of cultures and climates spread across the mountains, the coastline, and the rainforest.
• A trekking capital of the world, ascending Peru’s Andes through the terraced hillsides and verdant peaks has no end of natural and cultural rewards.
• Visiting the most famous Andean mecca, Machu Picchu—a true wonder of the world—with a former resident archaeologist.

What To See & Do 

• Witness the incredible horsemanship of the Peruvian Passofinos while gently acclimating to the Sacred Valley.
• Ascend to Cusco, the cobbled colonial capital in the interior of the country, and stock up on Andean artisanal crafts.
• Take the train through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu.
• Raft down the mighty waters that carved the incredible Colca Canyon, which is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.
• Starting in Iquitos, go deep into the rainforest that spreads out over the Amazon Basin into Brazil.

Combine With

After trekking through the unique flora and fauna of the highest tropical forests in the world, why not check out another kind of biodiversity in the Galápagos Islands? An adventure at sea and with exotic wildlife nicely complements a tour of the mountains and jungles of Peru.

Alternatively, continue further into the interior of the continent to Bolivia and sail the highest lake in the world, Titicaca.

Ecuador & Galápagos 

What We Love

• Quito is the entry point to catch a ship to the Galápagos Islands—Ecuador’s main attraction. But with a new airport and many intriguing new hotels, visiting this old colonial town has become a destination in and of itself.
• Shopping for Panama hats (originally from Ecuador, not Panama) in the cobblestone plazas of Cuenca, Ecuador’s third-largest, and arguably loveliest, city.
• When one arrives in the Galápagos, a childlike sense of curiosity takes over as one catches a glimpse of the natural world at its most isolated. Untouched by humans and the outside world, the reefs, rocky beaches, and jagged calderas of this volcanic archipelago still protect the same fascinating creatures that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
• The best way to reach the Galápagos is on a sailboat, as Darwin did. Hop from island to island feeling the thrill of discovery.
• Launching a sea kayak or small skiff to get close enough to explore the nooks of each island’s coastline. Landing on the lava-caked shores amidst giant marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and penguins. Surprisingly, the wildlife are unperturbed by the presence of humans and thrillingly allow spectators to get a close look. 

Things To See & Do

• Roughly the size of Colorado, Ecuador packs a biodiverse punch with the Pacific coast, towering Andes, and, of course, La Selva (That would be the jungle to us gringos.) 
• Visit a traditional shaman of the northern Amazonian rainforest who still practices the ancient medicine of his ancestors.
• Wave to humpback whales from laid-back surfing villages on the north coast.
• On the Galapágos, scuba dive and snorkel in the collapsed volcanic craters, like that of Genovesa Island, to swim with sea lions (who swirl around you!) while turtles, dolphins, and whales play nearby.
• With a naturalist guide, hike past thousands of spectacular seabirds—including the famous blue-footed boobies—to the island’s summit and take a gander out over the shimmering Pacific.

Combine With

Ecuador and the Galapágos Islands are easily combined with a trip to its neighbor to the south, the ancient Incan territory of Peru. Or head down into the northern Amazon to search for river dolphins and caiman crocodiles. 

More Wildlife Destinations

Costa Rica

What We Love

• Waking up to a gang of howler monkeys calling to each other through the jungle canopy, announcing the start of each new day.
• World-class surfing up and down the coast of the Osa Peninsula.
• Accommodations as varied as the country’s biodiversity, from boutique yoga retreats to five-star luxury hotels. This is one of our favorite family trips. 

Things To See & Do

• Search the rivers and beaches of Tortuguero National Park and the Osa Peninsula for jaguars, sloths, and poison dart frogs.
• Ascend into the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on suspended bridges with an expert naturalist who can identify 400 species of birds, thousands of plant genus, and the rarely seen tapir.
• Zip-line through the jungle.
• Ride horses down an empty beach
• Relax in volcanic hot springs or on breathtaking Pacific and Caribbean beaches.

Combine With

A Costa Rican adventure pairs well with a visit to another biodiverse wonder of the world—the Galápagos Islands—or to other hot destinations in Central and South America.

Argentina 

What We Love

• Enjoying arguably the best beef in the world while sipping native Malbec in Buenos Aires, the distinctly European-style world capital.
• Roaming the rugged beauty of Patagonia in the southernmost part of the continent.
• Riding through the pampas, paying homage to the horsemanship of Argentina’s gauchos.
• Getting lost in “The New World’s” wide-open spaces.

Things To See & Do

• Explore Patagonia from the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier to the coast of Cape Horn, thronged with marine wildlife.
• By helicopter or boat, get close to the spectacular Iguazu Falls between Argentina and Brazil. Tour the country’s private vineyards that produce world-famous Malbec.
• Visit the mountain and lake country of Bariloche, Argentina’s answer to the Alps.

Combine With

Hop the border to Chile, Argentina’s inimitable cousin to the west. Or head north to the beaches, Amazon jungles, and wonders of Brazil.  

Bolivia 

What We Love

• Until AK Taylor offers trips to other galaxies, Bolivia will just have to do. This interior South American gem has a stark high altitude landscape filled with alpine lakes, salt flats and Amazonian jungle that will satisfy anyone's extraterrestrial fantasies.
• The spectacular Laguna Colorada blood red waters attract three types of native flamingos while reflecting the surrounding golden peaks.
• Titicaca, the world’s highest lake, must be crossed by boat to reach the ancient Incan temples and palaces on the Islands of the Sun and Moon.

Things To See & Do 

• Take a "deep dive" into Bolivia’s archaeology with a visit to Tiwanaku. New discoveries about this pre-Incan civilizations happen on a regular basis.
• Visit the largest salt flats on Earth and learn a new appreciation for the one-point perspective. Drive out and pay a visit to the community that lives out there. 
• Descend into Bolivia’s Amazon Rainforest where tributaries of the Amazon River are teeming with river dolphins and caiman crocodiles.

Combine With

Given Bolivia’s central location on the continent, it is easy to extend a trip to another South American country such as Peru, Brazil or Chile. A visit to the marine wildlife haven of the Galápagos Islands would provide an especially fascinating complement to Bolivia’s striking high altitude geography. 

Chile

What We Love

• The geographic and climatic diversity of this long, skinny country from the Atacama Desert in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south.
• Chile is home to at least seven major climatic subtypes, including Mediterranean, alpine tundra, and subtropical. Translation: Each region is a unique world unto itself, or pack lots of layers!
• Isolated by the impenetrable Andes to the east, Chile has a distinct culture apart from its Latin American siblings. Perhaps due to its physical isolation, Chileans are charming and inviting to visitors—eager to share their diverse cultures, food, wine, and seriously epic landscapes.
• Long, glorious hikes or horseback rides that let one enjoy all the cheese and wine one desires.  

Things To See & Do

• Traverse the wild, jagged peaks of Patagonia’s Torres del Paine by foot, by vehicle, or on horseback.
• Trek through Chile’s famed Lakes District to reach soaring, snow-capped volcanoes.
• Star-gaze in the Atacama Desert—the driest place on earth with the clearest skies. Tour private vineyards in the bountiful valleys surrounding Santiago

Combine With

2,300 miles west off the coast of mainland Chile lies Easter Island, a remote volcanic island in Polynesia. Wonder at the mysteries of its ancient inhabitants who vanished, leaving only cryptic stone statues (the Moai) as clues to their demise. Or head north across the desert to Peru, Chile’s brother from another mother, and engage in their national rivalry. Which country really does make the best pisco sour?   

Brazil

What We Love

• The melting pot of Rio de Janeiro that blends European, African, and indigenous influences into a one-of-a-kind urban culture
• Recovering from Rio’s iconic Carnival in one of the picturesque beach hamlets outside of town. Traveling by boat up the mythical Amazon River searching for jaguars.

Things To See & Do 

• Navigate the second-longest river in the world to the enchanting Anavilhanas Islands.
• Visit a remote native tribe to see how a culture can thrive in the largest rainforest on earth.
• Hike beneath the dripping boughs and vines with an expert naturalist.
• Soak up the beautiful architecture of Rio by day and dance the samba by night.

Combine With:

Easily cross the border to Argentina to behold the incredible Iguazu Falls and the glaciers of Patagonia. Or—venture further into the Amazon and up the slopes of the Andes to Peru.

Cuba

What We Love

• The reopening of U.S. tourism to Cuba after fifty years means now, more than ever, Cuba is an extraordinary place to experience.
• It is all about the people. We work with the best local guides to make once-in-a-lifetime connections possible.
• The architecture, the colors!, the cars, the sunsets, the cigars, the rum, the salsa dancing… Cuba is a wonderland of intrigue and delights.

Things To See & Do

• Engage in a stimulating discussion of the history of U.S.-Cuba relations, from the colonial era to today, with a Cuba policy expert in Havana.
• Stroll through Old Havana with a local architect, discussing the challenges and successes of city reconstruction projects. After 400 years of Spanish rule, the architecture is an eclectic mix of Cuban baroque, Neoclassical, and Moorish influences.
• Stop by the historic Hotel Nacional for a mojito.
• Enjoy dinner at a private paladar.
• Visit Finca La Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s former home, where “The Old Man and the Sea” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” were penned.
• Attend a Tropicana show—an energetic Cuban cabaret.