From Mexico on the US border to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of the continent, Latin America is vast, vibrant and incredibly diverse.
Wildlife lovers are spoilt for choice with the Amazon Rainforest, the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Galapagos Islands just the main highlights of a continent blessed with natural wonders.
Tributaries of the Amazon extend as far as Ecuador. Visits to the Amazon can be made in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia.
Inca and Mayan ruins in Mexico, Peru and Guatemala provide visitors with a glimpse of lost civilizations, whilst the exciting cities of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aries extend a relaxed and friendly welcome.
MEXICO
This is a country consisting of beaches, cacti covered deserts, jungles and mountains. Discover the ruined temples and pyramids of the Inca and Mayan empires; palm fringed beaches and sleepy colonial towns. Folklore and magic rituals interweave with the Catholicism of the conquistadors, and the history of the region echoes with stories of the Mexican Revolution. Baja California is one of the best places in the world to see whales. The skies are brilliant blue, the tortillas are spicy and the tequila is wicked!
Costa Rica
Tiny Costa Rica is a peaceful paradise bordered by the warm waters of the Pacific and the Caribbean. Despite its size the combination of rainforest, cloud forest and dry forest provides a home to some of the world’s most colourful wildlife. Hummingbirds, toucans and parrots share the forests with iridescent amphibians and howler monkeys. Relax on tropical beaches where the rainforest spills onto the sand, step into an enchanted world on canopy walks that swing through the cloud forest, and watch in awe as active volcanoes illuminate the night sky. Costa Rica is a fantastic self-drive destination with nowhere more than a long days drive/ride from the capital San Jose.
Ecuador and The Galapagos
Ecuador sits astride the equator and south of the capital Quito a road takes you through the incredible Avenue of the Volcanoes. The forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon are home to around 15% of the world’s bird species, and from mainland Ecuador you can follow in Darwin’s footsteps and explore the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands have a unique identity, and the absence of predator’s means the resident wildlife is very relaxed about the arrival of visitors.
Peru
Peru offers something for everyone. Cultural highlights include Cuzco, Machu Picchu and the Scared Valley and the graceful colonial city of Arequipa. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Cross the lake to Bolivia in a catamaran to spend a night on the Island of the Sun. South of the capital Lima is the world’s driest desert where you can see the intriguing Nasca Lines. The Cordillera Blanca and the area around Machu Picchu offer unparalleled views and excellent walking.
Brazil
World famous for its fabulous carnival, football and beach culture, Brazil is also one of the best countries in Latin America to see wildlife and experience the natural world. Brazil boasts the world’s greatest biodiversity and the Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland and a good place to see Jaguar and the yellow anaconda. Just under half of the Amazon River lies within Brazil, as do the magnificent Iguassu Falls on the border with Argentina.
Argentina and Chile
Divided by the high peaks of the Andes these two countries can easily be combined. Highlights of the region include the harsh, rugged landscapes of Chile’s Atacama Desert, and the hills and glacial lakes of The Lake District. Chile’s Central Valley produces world-class wines. In Argentina’s Pampas you can stay on a ranch eating the finest steak. Argentina’s Valdes Peninsula at the northern tip of Patagonia is home to a variety of marine wildlife. The Tores del Paine National Park and the huge walls of ice of the Perito Moreno and Upsala glaciers in southern Patagonia should not be missed. It is from Ushuaia at the very tip of Argentina that ships depart for Antarctica, and at the southernmost tip of the continent the ancient forests of Tierra del Fuego mark el fin del mundo ‘the end of the world’.
