Brazil
From the vast Amazon Basin in the north to the hedonism of the flamboyant city carnivals, seeing all there is to see in Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, would take a lifetime. Maybe two. Here’s a bite-sized sampling for starters.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Iconic & alluring with world-renowned landmarks & place names. Yes Rio is cool, Rio is beautiful, but it’s not the utopia it seems from elevated vantage points.
Porto Alegre, Brazil
The capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, a colourful European-influenced city renowned for its friendly gaucho hospitality.
Montevideo, Uruguay
”OK so there’s not a whole lot around here that will deter too many for too long, but there’s an unmistakably cool vibe on the straight grid of streets that is the Uruguayan capital, a riot of 19th-Century Neoclassical architecture and one of the best cities on the continent in which to tuck into a steak.”
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
“It gets all the Colonia attention, and rightly so. A grid of enchanting streets on a small peninsula jutting into the Rio de la Plata, this UNESCO-listed region is made for exploring. You won’t get lost (trust me, it’s too small for that), but you’ll have fun meandering from one plaza to another along cobbled & shaded streets, checking out pastel-coloured tile-and-stucco colonial houses, ye olde churches and ancient fortifications.”
Tierra del Fuego
It’s pretty remote down here, a desolate archipelago shivering off the southern tip of the South American continent, a burden jointly administered by Chile & by Argentina.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
A 2,400 km² protected wilderness of mountains, lakes, rivers and glaciers deep in Patagonia, a magnet for the outdoorsy type & the undisputed highlight of South America’s Southern Cone for many.
Chile (& Easter Island)
An exploration of the 4,300-kilometre-long, laid-back, colourful, hospitable, straitlaced, isolated & largely remote South American anomaly.
Argentina
Dual exchange rates, European influence, Che & Messi, border two-stepping, Lake District splendour, Patagonia steppe, the end of the world & tango. Criss-crossing Argentina before reaching the (very) bottom.
Easter Island
An exploration of Enchanting Easter Island, one of the most remote inhabited islands on the planet & universally famous as the home of the massive monolithic moai statues.