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Cartagena, Colombia
The old part of Cartagena is a special place with horse-drawn carriages and
stylish architecture while the city is on the coast so has a real Caribbean
flavour. This is a natural starting place for many travellers with cheap flights
to/from Miami which is connected to cities all over Europe and North America.
- Ciudad Amurallada, Centro Histórico De Cartagena De Indias
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Mompós, Colombia
Totally unique town well off the beaten track, stuck in a time-warp with lots of
old furniture and rocking chairs!
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San Gil, Colombia
Adrenaline junkies paradise with cheap and excellent rafting, paragliding,
hydrospeeding and waterfall abseiling.
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Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Colonial town near the capital with a huge main plaza.
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Bogotá, Colombia
Cool and much improved capital city with an efficient transport system, cycling
Sundays, quirky districts and some of the best museums in South America
including the popular Museo del Oro. Read our rundown of fun things to do in
Bogota for a bit of inspiration as to how to pass your time in the Colombian
capital.
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Salento, Colombia
Small town, lots of travellers and some stunning surrounding countryside.
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Cali, Colombia
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Popayán, Colombia
Perhaps the most attractive of Colombia’s old towns with lots of churches and
pretty white buildings.
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Otavalo, Ecuador
Famous for its Saturday market, cock-fighting ring, friendly indigenous people
and lots of men sporting dresses and ponytails!
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Quito, Ecuador
Popular if at times unsafe capital city. The old town is large and interesting
but head to the Mariscal for an all action international area bursting with
backpackers, loads of hostels and a more lively westernised scene than you find
in many South American cities.
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Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Stunning national park with the giant and freezing cold 5900 metre Volcan
Cotopaxi at the centre of it.
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Banos, Ecuador
Touristy town but a very pleasant, safe place with its famous baths and
surrounded by green mountains. Take a trip into the Amazon which starts just a
few kilometres east of the town.
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Riobamba, Ecuador
Mountain town with some random buildings and shops. Starting point of the
ridiculously steep train ride down to Sibambe.
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Sibambe, Ecuador
End of the trainline, little to see but it’s only a short trip on to Cuenca.
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Cuenca, Ecuador
Popular riverside city full of colonial buildings and cool cafes. One of the
highlights of travel in Ecuador.
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Máncora, Peru
Popular beach resort full of drunk gap year students, backpackers and surfers
(or at least it was before the pandemic). Watch out for thieves on the beach!
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Trujillo, Peru
Truth be told Northern Peru has little in comparison to the south but Trujillo
is a decent stopover for a day or so.
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Huaraz, Peru
An altitude spot of natural beauty in Peru’s Central Sierra. Surprisingly lively
nightly entertainment including a decent choice of live music.
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Lima, Peru
Coastal capital of Peru perched on huge cliffs above the Pacific. Enjoy some of
Peruvian cuisine’s most famous dishes such as ceviche and lomo saltado.
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Huacachina, Peru
Not exactly the most historic destination in Peru but much fun to be had here
nonetheless in the giant sand dunes with options including sandboarding and
bumpy buggy tours.
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Nazca, Peru
Famous for its mysterious lines as featured in Indiana Jones. Unfortunately
fly-overs are out of the budget of most South America backpackers.
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Cusco, Peru
The ancient Inca capital is still a really impressive sight and great place to
hang around for a few days. It’s also the launching pad for the Inca Trail and a
visit to Machu Picchu.
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Machu Picchu Pueblo, Peru
The most famous of all the Inca ruins, an incredible place up in the clouds of
the Andes mountains. For many travellers this is the highlight of backpacking
around South America but depending on when you visit, guided trips up the
mountain can be very expensive and the usual cost of travel in Peru will shoot
up during these days. There are a variety of options from shorter one day trips
to four-day hikes taking in various ruins along the way.
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Puno, Peru
Lively town on the Peruvian banks of wonderful Lake Titicaca.
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Copacabana, Bolivia
The first town in Bolivia – enjoy the cheapness of the place and hop on a boat
to the magical Isla del Sol.
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Isla del Sol, Bolivia
This is the Inca birthplace, a beautiful island in the middle of Lake Titicaca,
the world’s highest freshwater lake.
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La Paz, Bolivia
One of the smallest and safest capitals on the continent. Street markets, the
Coca Museum and the infamous San Pedro prison are among popular visits with
backpackers here, although the latter is harder to access than it used to be.
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Sucre, Bolivia
Relaxed town known as ‘la ciudad blanca’ (White City). It is probably the most
attractive city in the country.
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Potosi, Bolivia
Take a trip down the shockingly dangerous working mines in what is the highest
city in the world. A sadly depressing but unforgettable place.
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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world’s largest salt flat is a weirdly charming destination and an
increasingly popular stop on the South America backpacker trail. You will
probably need to do an organised tour here, which can last several days. In
Bolivia, you can even stay in a hotel made entirely out of salt, which makes our
countdown of weird places to stay around the world.
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San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Stunning desert landscape, which feels other-worldly, set around the laid back
but somewhat pricey (by regional standards) town. One of the best places in the
world for stargazing.
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Antofagasta, Chile
Unremarkable port offers an insight into life in a non-touristy Chilean city and
has good transport links going south.
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Copiapó, Chile
Sleepy town which burst into the global spotlight in 2010 with the dramatic and
very moving rescue of 33 trapped miners. Not much to see and some travellers opt
to skip this area altogether by taking a flight south from Calama or Antofagasta
to Santiago and then venturing onto Viña del Mar and Valparaiso.
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Viña del Mar, Chile
Some of the best beaches in the country with one of South America’s most famous
music festivals every February.
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Valparaíso, Chile
Colourful town with a vibrant bohemian culture. A real, unexpected gem with some
interesting museums and things to see including the former house of Chilean poet
Pablo Neruda. It is immediately adjacent to Viña del Mar and the two can easily
be combined into one visit. Read these 10 Questions answered on travelling to
Valparaiso & Viña del Mar to find out more!
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Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Colombia
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Santiago, Chile
Capital city with much to do in and around it. During the winter, there are even
opportunities to go skiing in the surrounding Andes.
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Mendoza, Argentina
Excellent wine produced here and it’s also not far from Mount Aconcagua, the
tallest on the continent.
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Córdoba, Argentina
Argentina’s second city is full of students and offers something of a
Mediterranean feel. It’s a big city but much more chilled out than Buenos Aires.
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Alta Gracia, Argentina
Small country town outside of Cordoba. The main attraction in Alta Gracia is Che
Guevara’s childhood home, which is now an excellent museum.
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Rosario, Argentina
Big city with riverside beaches and a slightly alternative vibe.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
One of the world’s largest cities and a hugely popular destination on any South
America backpacking route. Take in a football match to experience the national
obsession, soak up the vibrant streetlife, and party in lively bars and clubs
that stay open all night. Buenos Aires has perhaps the widest selection of
things to see and do of anywhere on this itinerary so plan to spend a bit longer
than usual here.
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Colonia, Uruguay
A short hop across Rio de la Plata from BA, this cobblestone town with lively
bars is a great if a little touristy introduction to Uruguay.
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Montevideo, Uruguay
Small and very pleasant by the standards of capitals in Latin America. Popular
with artists and architecture lovers.
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Piriápolis, Uruguay
Fun, budget beach resort with jet skiing, windsurfing and banana boating.
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Cabo Polonio, Uruguay
A tiny coastal village with sea lions, penguins, whales, rustic hostels and lots
of hippies.
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Porto Alegre, Brazil
Relatively large city with a modern feel, a number of interesting museums and
lively arts and music scenes.
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Punta del Este, Uruguay
Most popular beaches in the region and a big nightlife scene during the summer
months or at holiday times!
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Petrópolis, Brazil
Easy day trip from the heat of Rio but it’s worth crashing in this historic
mountain town for a night.
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Curitiba, Brazil
Historic buildings, arty vibes and a European influence give Curitiba a
different feel to other cities in Brazil.
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Ilha do Mel, Brazil
Enchanting island with top notch beaches, surfing and lively parties in the peak
season. Cars are banned!
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São Paulo, Brazil
The biggest city in the southern hemisphere is chaotic but worth a visit just to
get a feel for one of the world’s megacities. More on the monster that is São
Paulo here!
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Paraty, Brazil
Stunningly preserved 18th century colonial town with so many beaches and islands
nearby you are literally spoilt for choice.
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Ilha Grande, Brazil
More amazing Brazilian beaches, lush forests and island parties.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil