Traveling around South America
The nations of South America offer beautiful deserts, massive glaciers, ancient ruins and other compelling attractions. Many of the continent’s major cities feature exciting events, dynamic nightlife and superb eateries. Lodging, dining and transportation remain relatively inexpensive. Foreigners often visit Argentina’s capitol to dance, enjoy music and attend sporting events.
The eastern city of Buenos Aires is home to many theatres, discos and bars. Lonely Planet reports that visitors can listen to live rock and blues performances at The Road. This remarkable venue proves both popular and affordable. Tourists may also take tango lessons to improve their dance skills. Major events in Buenos Aires include the TC 2000 street car race, the Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires book fair, which runs in April and the La Pampa horse show. Visitors can watch polo, soccer or tennis from time to time. The city holds a yearly marathon in November. The Argentine capitol provides numerous dining options as well. Many of the restaurants serve pasta, beef and pizza. Several eateries supply seafood and foreign cuisine at greater expense.
Tourists may travel from Buenos Aires to the rural region of Salta by bus or airplane. It is a major city in mountainous north western Argentina. Lonely Planet describes Salta as the most appealing regional destination to visit for part of a week. It’s an excellent place to go sightseeing, browse museums or listen to live music. Visitors can take a bicycle tour of the city and see many historic buildings. Local restaurants serve delectable food, wine and coffee at affordable prices. Salta is located at a higher elevation than most other cities in Argentina. Travelers will find volcanoes, canyons and vineyards in the surrounding area.
When visiting Peru, most foreigners arrive in Lima. Many people visit the city’s Miraflores district. It is very safe and provides fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean. The district has four casinos and a variety of nightclubs. After departing Lima, many travelers tour at least one of the Incan ruins. The New York Times reports that Choquequirao remains much less crowded than Machu Picchu. However, it is considerably harder to reach. Peru also holds about 3,000 festivals every year, according to the Peru Tourism Bureau. Many feature indigenous food and attractive costumes. Visitors may attend exciting carnivals throughout the country in February. The Ica region holds a wine festival during March.
Cusco is a town in the south eastern part of Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. From here you can take the road to head to explore the beauty and scenes of Sacsayhuaman, an ancient ruins site, reach the top and you can enjoy amazing views of the city below. For more scenery and hotspots check out Backpackers Steve’s guide to Cusco.
Bolivia provides a range of peculiar attractions for adventurous travelers. The North Yungas Road has been called the most dangerous highway in the world. The narrow passage offers phenomenal scenery, but there is a cliff on one side. The BBC reports that it attracts a few drivers and many brave bicyclists. A somewhat safer option is to tour the San Pedro jail in La Paz. This unusual prison allows families to live with inmates, according to The Guardian. Some of the prisoners sell souvenirs. During February, tourists may attend the yearly Devil’s Carnival in Oruro. Frommers.com indicates that this festive event features fireworks, dances, live music and a parade of devils. If you take the car to Uyuni you can enjoy the spectacular views of the Salt flats, the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world!
Travelers find many fun and exciting things to do in other South American countries as well. For example, people can see huge colonies of sea lions and relax at luxurious coastal resorts in Uruguay. Visitors to Paraguay tour Jesuit ruins, see a wide range of birds and enjoy the country’s distinctive culture. These are only a few of the attractions this vibrant continent has to offer.
Photo credits go to Backpacker Steve who is travelling around South America for 6 months, during his time he will be video blogging his journey, capturing some of his best moments! Steve’s trip to South America is sponsored by budget accommodation specialists Hostelbookers.com who have sponsored this post.
