From some of the world’s best trekking in Patagonia’s national parks to exploring Costa Rican cloud-forests; venturing upriver in Ecuador’s Amazon to standing in awe of iconic Iguazu Falls – Latin America does nature on an unashamedly grand scale. Wherever you choose to go, getting up close with the Andes, Amazon, and Central American heartlands is an endlessly rewarding adventure, not just for the scenery but for the culture as well: that unique blend of old-world colonial splendour, Latin rhythms and fascinating Mayan and Incan ancient civilisations. That mix reaches its highpoint in Peru, where days spent on the beautiful, challenging Inca Trail lead you to Machu Picchu. And the cities: crossroads of a continent Cusco; unabashedly sexy Rio; soulful, tangoing Buenos Aires; boisterous, myth-laden Havana. Latin America’s melting pots move to a different beat, and captivate all of who visit.
South America has the most startling contrasts. With no recorded history before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, we can only make guesses about ancient civilisations which have left us with magnificent and mysterious monuments such as the lost city of Machu Picchu and the strange Nazca Lines in Peru. Modern Latin America also has some of the most sophisticated and wealthy cities in the world – Rio de Janeiro, Caracas and Buenos Aires, but along with the wealth there is appalling urban poverty, and in the heart of the huge Amazon jungles, stone age tribes live much as they did thousands of years ago.
GEOGRAPHY
South America also has incredible scenery – the longest continuous mountain range in the world (the Andes) is only a few miles from the world’s most arid desert (the Atacama); the vast Amazon rainforest covers one sixth of the continent; both the highest and the most spectacular waterfalls in the world are here, as well as some incredible glaciers and vast expanses of pampas.
CLIMATE
The southern hemisphere summer falls between December and February and is the hottest season, becoming very hot in Chile and southern Ecuador and with the onset of winter the coldest countries are furthest south including Argentina and Chile. A wet season does affect the continent sometime between February and December depending on which side of the Andes you are and at what latitude.
Highlights
Gallery
Video
From Our Blog
Countries
Our Favourite Trips
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South America in Depth
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Galapagos in Depth
- 10 days
- From USD $4,735
- Countries Visited: Ecuador, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
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Cuba & Mexico
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South America Circle
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Paine & Fitz Roy Adventure
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Rainforest Adventure
- 14 days
- From USD $2,095
- Countries Visited: Costa Rica
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Andean Nations
"All the guides and tour leaders were fantastic, and the staff that took us along the trip and supported us were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with and made the experience even more memorable. A huge "thank you" to all our guides for everything you did for us, we will never forget it."
