Central & South America attractions

Barefoot Park (Parque Pies Descalzos) is a fun, interactive space where travelers and locals can quite literally kick off their shoes and play. This sensory experience for your tootsies consists of three separate zones—Sand, Forest, and Water—each with different surfaces and textures to provide a natural foot massage.

Presiding over the historic town of San Isidro in the northeast region of Buenos Aires Province, the San Isidro Cathedral is the crown jewel of suburban Buenos Aires. It is a popular pilgrimage site for those taking the famous Train of the Coast (Tren de la Costa) along the Rio de la Plata.

Located in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, Lake Todos los Santos is often referred to as Lago Esmerelda due to the vivid emerald color of its waters. Formed by both glacial and volcanic activity, the 69-square-mile (111-square-kilometer lake is ideal for kayaking, swimming, and fishing, and promises unobstructed views of the Osorno Volcano.

With a history dating back to 1969, El Viejo Almacen de Buenos Aires is one of the city’s oldest tango shows. An atmospheric 18th-century building, the intimate venue hosts nightly performances featuring a cast of 20 tango dancers, live musicians, and a variety of tango styles.

A sheltered strip of white-sand beach near Pedra Branca, Prainha Beach is surrounded by mountains and only reachable by a single access road. Although the 2,300-foot (701-meter) stretch of sand lies just outside Rio de Janeiro, it feels far away from the bustle of downtown.

Perched atop Santa Teresa Hill and set around the ruins of the 1920s Villa Lobos, Ruins Park (Parque das Ruínas) is one of Rio de Janeiro’s most unique spots. A park, café, and cultural center all rolled into one, it’s a popular hangout for the city’s artistic crowd, and offers impressive views over the city.

A rocky collection of small islets off the coast of Callao, Palomino Island is a premier destination for wildlife watching that’s within easy reach of Lima. While the islands are inhabited by birds, including guanayes, boobies, pelicans, red-legged cormorants, and Humboldt penguins, they’re most famous for the huge colony of sea lions that inhabits them, which is one of the biggest in Peru.

Not to be confused with the island of South Seymour, more commonly referred to as Baltra (the location of the main Galapagos airport, as well as a military base), North Seymour is a small island that is flat and uplifted, unlike many of its volcanic neighbors. The most intriguing aspect of North Seymour is the renowned blue-footed boobies that inhabit the island.

Part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, and its most easily accessible entry point, Chaxa Lagoon (Laguna Chaxa is situated in the middle of the Salar de Atacama. Its spectacularly beautiful setting is the best place in Chile to see flamingos; you can see three of the five known species (James, Chilean, and Andean at this salt lake.

Set in a wide valley in the Fuegian Andes, Esmeralda Lagoon (Laguna Esmeralda) is ringed by native coigue and lenga forests. Hiking to the lagoon is a popular afternoon and evening activity for those near Ushuaia. The out-and-back hike traverses several peat bogs, which cover much of Tierra Del Fuego’s low-lying lands, before arriving at the shore of the lagoon.

Tucked away near the base of the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain and overlooking the Guanabara Bay lies the intimate neighborhood of Urca. Known for its Brazilian celebrity sightings, restaurant scene, art deco and Spanish colonial-style homes, and affluent beach vibes, this tiny region is hidden in plain sight, and a great spot for a quiet beach day.

With its jagged cliffs and red-rock formations, Shells' Ravine (Quebrada de las Conchas) is one of Northern Argentina’s most impressive natural wonders. Located just outside Cafayate, the ravine is the star attraction of the Calchaquí Valley and is a must-see sight for first-time visitors and budding photographers.

A desert-like expanse of snow-white salt plains await you at the Great Salt Flats (Salinas Grandes), which are located at an altitude of 11,320 feet (3,450 meters). Covering 132 square miles (212 square kilometers), they’re the third-largest salt flats in the world and among Argentina’s most impressive natural landscapes.

Jaco is a lively beach famous for water sports, partying, and its welcoming atmosphere. Located on some of Costa Rica’s most developed coastline—and an easy, under 2-hour drive from the capital—it’s a popular escape for San Jose residents, as well as backpackers, snowbirds, and North American retirees. While you should watch out for riptides, Jaco Beach has some of the best surfing in the country.

Tucked away in the ethereal Ecuadorian cloud forest region, Mindo Butterfly Farm (Mariposas de Mindo) lets you get up close and personal with more than 1,000 butterflies at all stages of their life cycle. Along with these winged wonders, there’s a small koi pond, fluttering hummingbirds, and observation towers to admire the natural landscapes, which benefit from the site’s conservation work.

This natural stone bridge, once used by local Inca communities to cross the Río de las Cuevas in Mendoza, stands above the ruins of an old hot springs spa. It was formed by glacial melt, with sediments from the ice creating bright orange and yellow hues that make it a photogenic pit stop on the way to Aconcagua Park.

The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (Museo de Arte Lationoamericano de Buenos Aires, MALBA) is Buenos Aires’ leading modern art institution. Since opening in 2001, the museum has amassed a varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and installation works by artists from all corners of Latin America.

The largest lake on Tierra del Fuego Island, Lake Fagnano (or Lake Cami stretches more than 62 miles (100 kilometers, all the way across the Chilean border. Flanked by virgin Patagonian forest and rolling steppe to the north and the steep peaks of the Fuegian Andes to south, it’s a thrilling introduction to Patagonia’s wild landscapes.

The quaint town of Sarchí is famous throughout Costa Rica for its handicrafts. From the brightly painted oxcarts that were once used in the coffee industry to decorated bowls, handmade jewelry, leather goods, and furniture, visitors looking for memorable souvenirs should plan to visit the town, only an hour’s drive from San José.

Argentina’s answer to Napa Valley, Mendoza ranks as the largest winemaking region in Latin America, with more than 800 wineries. Some of the best wines come from Uco Valley, an area with 250 annual days of sun, little rain, and a cool microclimate that's known for malbec, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and tempranillo grape varieties.

Spread out along the banks of the Mopan River, this small rural village is the jumping-off point for Xunantunich, one of Belize’s most impressive Maya sites. The pace of life in the town is slow, although a steady stream of visitors pass through en route to the jungle-surrounded stone ruins on the far side of the river.

Now a museum dedicated to currency, the Bogota Mint Museum traces its origins back to the 1620s, when the Spanish king ordered gold coins to be minted en masse. Today it's a great place to not only see cool coins, many of which are centuries old, but to also learn about the history of Colombia from the 17th century until the modern age.

Minutes from the packed metropolis of La Paz is the mesmerizing desert landscape of the Valley of the Moon. Over time, wind and rain have eroded the soft clay canyon, and have created this surreal landscape, full of dramatic hoodoos and stalagmite-shaped formations.

Housed in the historic, neoclassical headquarters of the Banco do Brasil, the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) was inaugurated in 1989. Now home to three theaters, a cinema, gallery spaces, a library, archives, and more, the center—also known as the CCBB—is one of Rio de Janeiro’s foremost arts destinations.

Lleras Park (Parque Lleras) forms the social center of the upscale neighborhood of El Poblado, a haven for gourmet restaurants, trendy cocktail bars, and youth hostels. The area is undoubtedly one of the safest Medellín neighborhoods to explore by night, when strings of lights illuminate the park and bars spring to life with DJs and young, fashionable Colombian crowds.

With a surface area of 210 square miles (338 square kilometers) and extending over the Chilean border, Nahuel Huapi Lake is Argentina’s largest. At the heart of the Lakeland region, visitors come to explore the beaches, islands, and lakefront towns of Nahuel Huapi against a backdrop of the Andes Mountains.

Ahumada Boulevard is a popular pedestrian thoroughfare that draws in shoppers, street vendors, and plenty of street performers. The four-block long street runs from north to south between the Plaza de Armas de Santiago and the Alameda (Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins) and bustles from dawn to dusk—and sometimes beyond.

Located in the pampas of Buenos Aires Province outside the capital city, Estancia Santa Susana (Santa Susana Ranch) provides a taste of traditional gaucho (cowboy) culture and the opportunity to get out of the city and into the Argentine countryside.

The ancient city of Chan Chan, in Peru’s Moche Valley, was once the largest city in the Americas. For nearly 600 years, this metropolis of adobe buildings was the seat of the Chimú Kingdom (1000–1471 AD) and home to around 60,000 people. Today, the ruins constitute one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.

With almost 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of forested trails, lakes, and flower-filled gardens, the Palermo Woods (Bosques de Palermo)—also known as February 3 Park (Parque Tres de Febrero)—is one of Buenos Aires’ largest and most picturesque green spaces, dominating the northern district of Palermo.