Viewed from the space or, at
least, from Google Maps, South America is the greenest place on Earth. But if
we get a little closer, besides to the jungle we see deserts, snow-capped
mountains, intriguing plains and above all, lots and lots of water.
What neither Google Maps nor a
job at NASA can give us is the opportunity to feel the strength of its culture
and natural beauty because travel rather than places offer ideas and ways of
looking at life.
Saint Augustine said that the
whole world is a book and that those who do not travel alone are just reading
one page. For those who dare to turn the page, we will review six tourist
destinations in South America that offer an overview to understand the
subcontinent and experience it in an unforgettable and real way.
Río de Janeiro
Rio is the present form of the
first person of the verb to laugh in Spanish. Known as the Cidade
Maravilhosa, it is the main tourist destination of Brazil due to its
disconcerting contrasts, its beaches, its people, its fantastic botanical
garden, its hills dating from the dinosaur era, its festivals and its wonderful
Christ the Redeemer.
These sites are available all
year long, but Rio becomes the world headquarters of the party due to its
carnivals between February and March of each year. This is the best carnivals
in the world from any point of view.
Rio is the perfect union between
the jungle, the busy and modern city and the fantasy beaches. Due to that
union, and according to a phrase of Antoine de Saint-Exupery that says those
who travel light travel happily, we affirm that the most important thing that
all tourists should take to Rio is energy and desire to enjoy.
Iguazú
The most spectacular waterfalls
on the planet had to be in this part of the world. The water never stops
falling, the view is like a dream come true, and the best thing is that it is
not just about going there and standing in front of those waterfalls to see
them and taking pictures. But Iguazú also offers a lot of activities that are
worth experiencing in depth.
Boat trips to get wet with all
the water falling, walking and driving to see the flora and the peculiar fauna
of the place, and the opportunity to see things that are impossible to imagine,
these are some of the activities that Iguazú offers.
The falls are the most beautiful
border point between Brazil and Argentina; so, tourists can visit from both
countries and enjoy two different experiences. One perspective is from above
with the opportunity to descend, and the other is from inside with all the
conditions for an amazing experience.
Calafate
If the first two destinations
mentioned in this list describe the beauty of the beach and the jungle,
Calafate talks about snow. It is a city located in the Argentine Patagonia,
which is the access to the majestic Los Glaciares National Park.
Glaciers are one of the most
important reserves of fresh water on the planet, and to observe them is to
realize the priorities of humanity. It is to put life in perspective and
understand how tiny the human condition can be before the total immensity. Once
there, you can even sail up to the Upsala glacier and surrender at its base.
But in Calafate, there is much
more to do. There is a forest of stones which looks like Mars, a safari to know
the incredible fauna of the place, a ride in a 4x4 vehicle to have a broader
view of nature, and specialized museums explaining the magic that reigns.
Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile seems, seen
from the sidelines, a city to indulge in the enjoyment of its culture because
sites such as the Palacio de la Moneda, San Cristóbal Hill or museums transmit
this feeling.
But Santiago is much more. The
landscape that predominates in the Chilean capital is the Cordillera de los
Andes, which in summer offer an amazing natural adventure and in winter the
opportunity to ski as well as endless snow sports. In fact, Valle Nevado is the
South American capital of snow activities; so it receives tourists from all over
the world every year.
Thus, Santiago de Chile is one of
the cities in South America that best combine adventure with culture, nightlife
with nature and the wild with the order of a frank and constant developing
country.
Lima
The centuries and the work of millions
of men and women forged this city of indestructible traditions and permanent
innovations. In 1991, its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO. Today, the city combines the memory of a glorious past with the
opportunities of a future that has already opened its doors.
Lima is the gastronomic capital
of Latin America. Contemporary chefs
have managed to rescue ancient flavors through every corner of Peru and have
merged them with the highlights of the Western world. The result is a cuisine
so rich that nowadays gastronomic tourism is the door that reveals the other
wonders of the city.
Cuzco
The excavations have let us know
that humans have been in Cuzco for 3,000 years. The city, the eighth most
populated in Peru, was the capital of the Inca Empire and one of the most
important of the Viceroyalty era.
In addition, it is the closest
city to the mythical Machu Picchu, a must site to visit for those who want to
enter the origins of civilization and disconnect completely from reality.
In Cuzco, time seems to have
frozen. The inhabitants still wear the colors and shapes they wore in the
colonial era, and traditional festivals refuse to disappear.
South America has so many
contrasts that knowing it is more a myth than a reality. But those who dare to
go through these six destinations will discover a realistic approach of this
subcontinent.
