2024 Travel Guide To South America

Are you considering planning a trip to South America? Home to incredible natural wonders, including some of the oldest rainforests, the largest waterfall and the driest desert in the world, along with glaciers and the biodiverse Galapagos Islands, this continent has an allure all its own. 

Add to that a rich tapestry of cultures influenced by Indigenous, Spanish, African and other cultures, and you have a remarkable wealth of offerings for travelers to discover, ranging from ancient wonders to culinary traditions and more. 

Best Destinations in South America

South America offers plenty of things to do no matter where you visit, but we love the Galapagos Islands for its environmental importance. Chile is an unexpected gem, home to several different environments, from the Atacama Desert to the Andes Mountains in the north to the rainforests, volcanoes and glaciers in its south. We also adore Argentina for its cultural offerings, home to gauchos, with their centuries-old equestrian culture, and for the cultural capital of Buenos Aires. 

Best Attractions in South America

Travelers will often visit South America to see some of the world’s most amazing wonders, both man-made and natural: the ruins of Machu Picchu, the celebrations of Carnival, Iguazu Falls, the Atacama Desert, the Amazon Rainforest, Patagonia and the Galapagos Islands.

The night sky above Tierra Atacama in Chile.(photo via Journeysmiths) ((photo via Journeysmiths))

These are all popular for a reason, but we also recommend Chile’s wine region near Santiago; Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat; and Argentina’s scenic pampas region. 

Must See 2024 Events in South America

South America is home to a wide variety of celebrations that have religious importance, which are celebrated annually in destinations across the continent. The most popular, of course, is Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival. Yet other destinations, such as Barranquilla in Colombia, also offer similarly festive and lavish Carnival celebrations, too. 

Besides Carnival, South America offers a wealth of celebrations and cultural events, such as the Festival of the Flowers in Medellin, Colombia; Oktoberfest in the German area of Blumenau in Brazil and many more. 

Best Places for Families in South America

South America can be an educational experience for cultural immersion and its many natural wonders for families. Whether it be a cruise in the Galapagos Islands or a trip to see the ruins of Machu Picchu, travelers with children can find no lack of destinations that are great to visit with children. 

As always, we encourage travelers with kids to research the activity requirements of the destinations they are interested in to ensure that younger kids or those with mobility differences can get around easily. 

Best Places for Couples in South America

Lovers will love the opportunities for exploration and reconnection in South America. Laid-back couples looking to rejuvenate themselves will love a cruise along Colombia’s Rio Magdalena, or a visit to the Chilean wine country, followed up with a stop at the country’s hot springs or beaches.

Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, is a city of historical heritage for its great cultural and architectural richness. (Photo via Charly Boillot/iStock/Getty Images Plus). (Photo via Photo via Charly Boillot/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

More adventurous couples can find hiking through the Ecuadorian or Brazilian Amazon a wondrous experience, or they can view some of the best night skies in the world at Chile’s Atacama Desert — or visit the breathtaking region of Patagonia. 

Best Places for Group Travel in South America

Travelers in groups, whether they be extended family networks, friends, or something in between, will find it hard to choose just where to go in South America. We recommend using a travel advisor to help the travel planning process. We also recommend booking tours or excursions through reputable tour companies

To ease it even further, we recommend cruising! It may seem strange at first, but there’s actually no lack of cruises in South America. Travelers can leave from Chile or Argentina on Antarctic cruises; island-hop through the Galapagos Islands together; travel through the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil on river cruises, or be one of the first to take a river cruise along the biodiverse Rio Magdalena. Longer cruises will sometimes even circumnavigate the entire continent! 

Best Places for Solo Travel in South America

Solo travel may be a frightening concept, but it’s possible to travel safely in regions of South America alone, provided you do your research. We recommend traveling within popular destinations, such as Buenos Aires or the Galapagos, and to remain in contact with loved ones throughout the duration of your stay. 

If safety is the number one concern about traveling in South America, we recommend taking a tour specifically for solo travelers, so you feel the freedom of traveling on your own without a dedicated companion, but have the safety of numbers. Cruising is also a great way to travel on your own, but it may come with an added expense, called a solo supplement.

Best Foodie Destinations in South America

Let it be known that not every South American country has the same culinary culture. In Peru, you’ll find potatoes in every color imaginable. In Argentina, you’ll find no lack of grilled meats, called asado, along with the popular tea called mate. In Brazil, you’ll find Portuguese foods with African influences. In Chile, you’ll find coastal towns stocked well with seafood dishes and plains regions known for their wine production, while in Colombia, you’ll find some of the best coffee and chocolate around.

A coffee farm in Colombia's Coffee Region. (Photo Credit: Adventures by Disney)

No matter where you go, you’ll find new flavors to discover. We recommend that travelers with dietary restrictions or allergies research their destination’s food to ensure there are no complications, and that they can try as much as they can without fear. 

Best Places for Adventure Travel in South America

Adventure is out there! Just like in the beloved Pixar movie Up, the real South America is brimming with adventure activities: surfing along its coasts, scuba diving in the Galapagos, skiing in Ecuador, hiking in the continent’s deserts, jungles, glaciers, volcanoes…

No matter where you travel in South America, you will discover a natural wonder and an opportunity for adventure travel: it’s up to you to pick which adventure you want to have.

Best Places for Sports Enthusiasts

While South America is home to many different sports, including car racing, surfing and horseback riding, there’s one that takes the cake, one you can find people playing in large stadiums and small streets across the entire continent: soccer.

PHOTO: Brazilians playing soccer. (Photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / MesquitaFMS)

Chances are, you’ll be able to travel anywhere and join a pickup game, but if you want to see some of the best of the best in action, head to Argentina: Buenos Aires and Córdoba, to be exact. The country’s national soccer team, renowned for winning the FIFA World Cup and for having stars like Lionel Messi in its roster, plays in both cities’ stadiums. 

Unique to South America

South America is home to incredible natural wonders you won’t find anywhere else in the world; ancient Indigenous cultures that survive to the present day; and a melting pot of culinary heritages that each offer something different to the foodie traveler. 

In short, it’s a continent for adventure travelers, the ones who want to explore and discover, to be challenged by the world around them. We hope you’ll choose to explore it this year, too. 

 

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