The world's biggest rainforest and the largest river (Amazon), the highest mountain range outside Asia (the Andes), remote islands (Galapagos Islands, Easter Island) and Fernando de Noronha, heavenly beaches (such as in Brazil's northeastern region), wide deserts (Atacama), icy landscapes (Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego), the world's tallest waterfall (the 979m Angel Falls, in Venezuela) and one of the largest ( Iguacu Falls, Argentina and Brazil), as well as several other breathtaking natural attractions.
Besides, the work of man has also left rare gems on the continent: ruins of ancient civilizations (Machu Picchu and other Inca cities; the Moais in Easter Island) share the continent with world-class metropolises Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, botoga Caracus, Santiago, Lima, Rio de Janeiro), outstanding modern architecture (Brasilia), European architecture (Buenos Aires), the oldest rock paintings in the Americas (at the Serra da Capivara), strong African heritage (in Salvador, Rio and Montevideo), genuine indigenous (Belem, Manaus,Cusco, Lima, La Paz), charming cities built in the Andes (Caracas, Medellin,Quito, Santiago de Chile) and Eastern culture (São Paulo's enormous Japanese community), mingled with the fingerprints of Iberian colonizers. Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city and some of its biggest festivities, such as Rio's Carnival and Belem's Cirio de Nazaré, the Tango World Championship, and the Vendimia festival in Argentina, are also part of this incredibly diverse and attractive continent.
THE ANDES
Running the length of the western side of this continent is the Andean mountain chain. Avenues of volcanoes stride the Equator and in southern Peru, look down on canyonsdeeper than any other on earth. High altitude plans, some blinding white with salt, gleam under the clear blue sky. condorssoar in the mountains, flamingos fly over green and red lakes. There is also the lush Andes, where slopes dive down to the Amazon Basin. Agricultural terraces cling to impossibly steep hillsides and there are acres of flowers, coffe, coca and corn. Minerals such as gold silver, copper and itrates have bought much wealth and exploitation. Traditions are kept alive by the descendants of the Incas and other cultures, mingling their beliefs and customs with those of the Spanish conquistadors.
PATAGONIA
At the very bottom of South America The Andes have a final dramatic display. The peaks of Chalten Massif and the Parque National Torres del Paine are a fabulous world of towers, spires, lakes and forest. A paradise for trekkers and birdwatchers. On the Pacific side, Chilean Patagonia is is wet and windy with many fiords and channels, with ancient woodlands and glaciers tumbling into the sea.. On the Argentinian side the beech forests and lakes of the foothills give way to a treeless plateau.
ATLANTIC SOUTH AMERICA
On the Peninsula Valdes on the atlantic coast of Argentina Patagonia, Southern whales and elephant seals come to breed in the sheltered bays. Further south, penguins, orcas, dolphins and sea lions florish in these waters. Travelling north the sea becomes warmer, the climte warm enough for resorts and an lvely beach scene. The coast of Brazil, all 7,408 km of it, is an enless sucession of beaches in wooded coves,dotted with islands in the south, palm trees and dune fringed in the north. You can surf, party, dune buggy or find many secluded beaches to relax in privacy.
THE CARIBBEAN
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THE PACIFIC DESERTS
North of the fertile heartlands of Chile, the Pacific coast rapidly turns into desert, as sea currents and mountains move the rain deep inland. Some places receive no rain at all, others are covered in mist half of the year. It sounds inhospiable, but pre hispanic cultures thrived here for thousands of years. It is here you will find the famous Nazca Lines, massively etched within the landscape. Pyramids builders welcomed Gods from the sea and people cultivated the soil in thousands of terraces to feed a large population. Ecuador and the Galapogos Islands is a premier destination to see all sorts of sealife and mammals in an untouched environment. These animals have no fear of people.
THE HEART OF THE CONTINENT
East of the Andes, the highlands fall away to jungle and plains. Roads to the lowlands struggle over ridges and steep gorges to hot and humid forests. The Amazon Basin is a massive part of South America. Until you get into the jungle yourself, it is almost impossible to describe. The life of countless mammals, birds, insects, butterflies, reptiles and riverlife, moving in a chaotic symphony of sound and total aliveness. Canopy walkways strung high up in the trees, reveal a lifestyle that never touches the ground, while stalking in the undergrowth is the elusive jaguar. There are trees that strangle their neigbours, palms and trees with a million thorns, plants that heal and will blow you mind (in a good way).
WATERWORLDS
On the Amazon's perimeter are the Orinoco and the Patanal, both of which flood seasonally and where cattle and cowboys share the land with wild birds and animals. South of the jungle and wetlands is yet more cattle territory, the Argentine Pampas, a vast and fertile emptiness where the gaucho rides.
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