South America Travel Information
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Discover South America has assembled Basic Information about each country we work with in South America. We have Travel Information for Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Galapagos, and Peru and Machu Picchu. We have divided up each Country Information into several sections for easier viewing. These sections are: Summary, Cuisine, History, Culture, Weather, Natural Aspects and Travel Tips.
Describing South America and its Countries and Tourism Destinations in a few words is a difficult task. South America is home to the world’s the largest river (by volume), the Amazon River; the longest mountain range, the Andes; the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert; the largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest; the highest capital city, La Paz, Bolivia; the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca; and the world’s southernmost permanently inhabited community, Puerto Toro, Chile.
Argentina
Famous for its capital Buenos Aires; the Patagonia, shared by Argentina and Chile; its Pamapas; Aconcagua at 6,960m, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas; Iguassu Falls, shared with Brazil; and Laguna del Carbón, at 105m below sea level, is the lowest point in the Americas. At the southern tip of Argentina there are several routes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans including the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage as alternatives to sailing around Cape Horn in the open ocean between South America and Antarctica. The name Argentina derives from argentinos, the Ancient Greek diminutive (tinos) form for silver (argentos).
Bolivia
Home of the highest capital city in the world at 3,660m (12,010 ft); Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest commercially navigable lake; the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat at 4,085 square miles (10,580 km2); the city of Potosí, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the highest city in the world at 4,090 metres (13,420 ft); and the Yungas Road from La Paz to Coroico – the famous Bolivian Highway of Death.
Brazil
The largest country in South America, encompassing around half of the continent’s land area and population. Brazil and its more than 165 million people share the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon; the world’s richest swampland ecosystem, the Pantanal; the spectacular waterfalls of Iguassu Falls, shared with Argentina; the island archipelago and diving paradise of Fernando de Noronha; the culturally and historically rich state of Bahia with its many sub-destinations like Salvador, Praia do Forte, Chapada Diamantina (including Lencois and Mucuge), Itacare, Morro de Sao Paulo and Porto Seguro (including Trancoso and Arraial D’Ajuda); and the world’s most sensual cosmopolitan destination, Rio de Janeiro with its sub-destinations – the City of Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Paraty and Itaipava.
Chile
Known for its large lakes; the Patagonia, shared by Argentina and Chile; the Torres del Paine National Park in the Chilean Patagonia; Easter Island and its Giant moai statues; evergreen forests and snow-capped volcanoes. It is also home to important inter-oceanic passages like the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Canal and the Drake Passage. Chile possesses 4,000 kilometers of coastline, extensive beaches and towering cliffs hanging over the sea. It features some of the highest peaks of the Andes, including Ojos del Salado Volcano (6,893 meters), the Llulaillaco Volcano (6,739 meters), Tres Cruces (6,749 meters) and Cerro Tupungato (6,635 meters).
Ecuador
Home of the Several UNESCO World Heritage Natural Sites like Galapagos Islands and Sangay National Park; and Cultural Sites like the City of Quito, the City Cuenca, and the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System; and Cotopaxi is the world’s highest active volcano. Ecuador was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Venezuela).
Peru
Destinations like Lima, the huge and busy Peruvian capital; Huaraz and Ancash, a paradise for climbing and trekking in a beautiful mountain area with glaciated valleys and incredible snowcapped scenery; Ica, Pisco and Nazca, where you can discover the famous Nazca Lines; Cuzco, the old pre-Colombian capital and embarkation point for the Inca Trail; Machu Picchu, one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape architecture in the world; Puerto Maldonado, a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site and Peru’s Amazon River and Amazon Rainforest; Arequipa, the charming “white city”, surrounded by snowcapped volcanoes and beautiful mountains in a picturesque valley; and Lake Titicaca, shared with Bolivia, is the highest navigable lake in the world close to the lively city of Puno.
We hope you enjoy all the information about South America, its Countries and Tourism Destinations that we put together for you.
