Central & South America attractions

Running right through the heart of Costa Rica’s Tenorio Volcano National Park, the Celeste River—“Sky Blue” River—is named for its bright blue waters. Local legend claims that God dipped his paintbrush into the river after painting the sky, creating the striking blue hue. In fact, it’s created by sunlight reflecting off the volcanic minerals and silica particles in the water, but either way, it’s an impressive sight.

Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It sparkles with more than 55,000 priceless archaeological and artistic treasures. Only a fraction can be displayed at any one time, laid out to tell tales of pre-Colombian mining, manufacturing, and metallurgy of pre-Hispanic Colombians.

Despite being just a half-hour drive from Buenos Aires, the provincial town of Tigre is a world apart. Sitting at the mouth of the Tigre Delta along the Río de la Plata, local life here centers around the water, whether paddling along willow-fringed canals or cruising around the islands and stilted houses. Popular with day-trippers and porteños (city-dwellers), laid-back Tigre is known for its handicrafts market, museums, and riverfront theme park.

The popular image of a volcano is of a towering mountain, spewing lava, but Totumo Mud Volcano presents a less imposing picture. At only 50 feet (15 meters) tall, this volcano is the smallest in Colombia. Rather than molten rocks, the volcano is filled with warm, bubbling mud. Along with the nearby Cienaga del Totumo lagoon, the spot is nature’s answer to a spa.

Located nearly at the precise Equatorial line, the family-friendly Intiñan Museum is an entertaining and educational stop on the outskirts of Quito. Meander through the interactive exhibits that demonstrate the physical phenomena unique to this special geographical position, using scientific methods developed by the Inca and their modern counterparts and presented in a fun and interactive way.

Threaded with staircases and punctuated by plazas, the 230-foot-high (70-meter-high) Santa Lucía Hill is a landmark of downtown Santiago. Climb the 200+ stairs to the Torre Mirador viewpoint for panoramic views over the city and Andes beyond, catch the ceremonial cannon fire at noon, and people watch in the colorfully tiled Pedro de Valdivia Plaza.

As Quito’s first church, construction of the Baroque-style San Francisco Church started in the 1530s, shortly after the Spaniards arrived, and lasted for over 100 years. Having sustained epic earthquakes, it’s in remarkably good shape and remains the largest, and arguably the loveliest, of the city’s original colonial structures. Franciscan fathers still live here and work on premises.

Fronting one of Rio de Janeiro’s wealthiest and most exclusive neighborhoods, Leblon Beach (Praia do Leblon) is one of the city’s cleanest and safest beaches and a slightly quieter alternative to Ipanema. Separated from Ipanema by a canal, the beach is particularly popular with families, as it offers a play area with beach toys and playground equipment.

While it’s famous for its eponymous waterfalls—a series of five picturesque cascades along the La Paz River—La Paz Waterfall Gardens is much more than its name suggests. Surrounded by dense rainforest and cloud forest, the park is also one of Costa Rica’s most-visited wildlife sanctuaries, where you can spot more than 100 animal species, including jaguars, sloths, capuchin monkeys, hummingbirds, and colorful frogs.

Retiro is a study in contrasts. The barrio got its start as one of the capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods, evidenced by the belle époque embassies, 5-star hotels, and high-end retailers scattered throughout. It’s also one of Argentina’s busiest transportation hubs and home to the overcrowded and under-serviced Villa 31.

Colorful coral wraps West Bay Beach’s pristine stretch of white sand, where coconut palms provide shade. Calm water makes this an appealing place to swim or snorkel, with frequent sightings of turtles, tropical fish, lobsters, and other marine life. Beach bars and roving vendors offer refreshment, whether you’re seeking a seafood dinner or a chilled coconut at the edge of the sand.

Peru's Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world, with a depth of around 13,650 feet (4,160 meters)—for context, it's twice as deep as the United States' Grand Canyon. Outdoor adventurers flock to Canon del Colca for its otherworldly trekking trails, large population of Andean condors (Cruz del Condor is the best place to spot them), and its pre-Incan historical sites.

Tiny Taquile Island in the middle of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, has a dramatic, rocky topography topped with windswept pre-Columbian ruins. The island has become a tourist haven due to its famous knitwear and textiles, designated as elements on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

One of Rio de Janeiro’s loveliest beaches, São Conrado Beach (Praia de São Conrado) enjoys the same white sand, big waves, and spectacular scenery as Ipanema, but has far fewer crowds. In the high-end neighborhood of the same name—one of the most expensive in the city—São Conrado offers prime waterfront recreation and relaxation.

Situated at the heart of Zona Sul in the shadow of Corcovado, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon serves as a recreational area and beauty spot for local residents. It boasts more than 4 miles (7 kilometers) of bike and jogging trails, boathouses for rowing, and sometimes hosts live music.

Lima’s main cathedral is located within the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site on the lovely Plaza Mayor, a square marked by palm trees and grand palaces. Over the years, earthquakes spurred rebuilding and refurbishments of the Cathedral of Lima, adding baroque and neoclassical elements to the original colonial adobe structure.

Tucked in a valley within the Cotopaxi National Park along Ecuador’s famed Avenue of the Volcanoes, Limpiopungo Lagoon is 12,400 feet (3,800 meters) above sea level. With the right light, this stunning body of water is a turquoise-colored mirror reflecting the beauty of the surrounding peaks.

Reigning supreme over the center of Sao Paulo, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Sé Cathedral) is one of the largest neo-Gothic structures in the world. The 12,000-pipe organ is among the biggest in South America and the church houses a vast number of religious artworks.

Dedicated to Lima’s lovers, Love Park (Parque del Amor) understandably attracts couples who come to enjoy sprawing Pacific Ocean views, especially around sunset. Located in the Miraflores district, the park bears a resemblance to Park Güell in Barcelona, thanks to the colorful mosaic walls displaying quotes on love spread throughout.

Conquistadors dreamed of a golden city called El Dorado, and modern-day archaeologists find traces of that myth in historic practices at Colombia’s Lake Guatavita. Here, the Indigenous Muisca people are believed to have made offerings to the gods by casting gold figures into the crater lake—a scenic and popular day trip from Bogotá.

Spanning the Panama Canal that links two oceans, the Bridge of the Americas (Puente de las Américas) is a proud symbol of Panamanian history. Its prime location on the Pacific Ocean outlet of the 51-mile (82-kilometer) Panama Canal also makes the bridge a key point of interest on many tours of Panama City, the canal, and Miraflores Locks.

Glistening atop the Andes Mountains more than 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) above sea level, Lake Titicaca is a tourist attraction, spiritual oasis, and cultural hub all in one. It is also South America's highest and largest lake, as well as the highest navigable lake in the world. But even without all of these accolades, its natural splendor is a marvel to behold, no matter which side of the Peru-Bolivia border you see it from.

After Hurricane Hattie struck Belize City in 1961, the decision was made to move the capital and government offices inland. The town now called Belmopan, part of the Cayo District, was built and became the landlocked capital of Belize. Just an hour from Belize City, and equally close to San Ignacio, Belmopan is a calm area with markets, coffee shops, and restaurants.

Quito’s Jesuit Church of the Society of Jesus (Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús), often called La Compañía, is one of the most significant works of Spanish baroque architecture in South America. The incredibly ornate and beautiful church boasts gold leaf ornamentation, gilded ceilings, and religious paintings by artists of the Quito School.

Las Tintoreras is a small group of islets off the coast ofxa0 Isabela island where lava formations have created several different natural habitats, enabling a wide range of wildlife to thrive, including Galápagos penguins and white-tipped sharks wading in shallow crevices. Mangroves provide breeding grounds for marine iguanas while a small beach is taken over by sea lions.

Squint south toward the old town from Quito center and you can’t miss the El Panecillo, a hill that resembles apanecillo (little bread roll) with a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on top. At 9,895 feet (3,016 meters) above sea level, El Panecillo is Quito’s most popular lookout, affording 360-degree views of the city.

Standing at 13,045 feet (3,976 meters), Acatenango volcano towers over the city of Antigua, located in Guatemala’s Central Highlands. While many travelers opt for the more gentle ascent of the Pacaya volcano, this twin-peaked volcano offers incredible views of its nearest volcanic neighbor, Fuego, which spits out spectacular plumes of gas, ash, and hot lava approximately every 20 minutes.

Llanos de Cortés is one of Costa Rica’s most scenic waterfalls, just a short drive from Liberia, a city more commonly used as a jumping-off point for the country’s Pacific beaches, rather than jungle swimming holes. The waterfall is about 40 feet (12 meters) tall and 50 feet (15 meters) wide and creates a gorgeous veil of white water streaming over the rocks.

In a lush 19-acre (8-hectare) nature reserve (Parque de la Reserva) on the outskirts of Miraflores, Magic Water Circuit (Circuito Mágico del Agua) is one of the most popular attractions in the city. Choreographed to classical and Peruvian music and colored lights, the circuit’s 13 interactive fountains entice you to watch and to play.

Spanning more than 48,000 acres (19,200 hectares), the Mindo Cloud Forest—part of the Mindo-Nambillo Ecological Reserve—is one of the most biologically diverse forests in the world. Nestled between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, this lush stretch of rainforest is not only a hot spot for birds and butterflies but also offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures such as hiking, ziplining, and chocolate tours.