5 South American Destinations Everyone Should Visit At Least Once

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We all know the “Gringo Trail.” You land in Lima, go to Cusco, take the selfie at Machu Picchu, fly to Rio for a caipirinha, and maybe pop down to Iguazu Falls.

That route is a classic for a reason, and totally worth it. But if we are being honest? It can be crowded. You’ll be sharing those moments with thousands of other people and a lot of selfie sticks.

The real South America, the one that actually changes you, is found in the places that are harder to get to. It screens out the casual tourists and leaves the good stuff for the rest of us.

Here are 5 South American destinations that are absolutely worth the logistical headache.

1. The Chachapoyas Region (Peru)

The “Anti-Machu Picchu”

Everyone goes south to Cusco. The smart move is to go North.

The Amazonas region is the home of the “Cloud Warriors.” While the Incas were building in the valleys, these guys were building massive fortresses on top of mountains in the high jungle. It feels like Indiana Jones before the theme park ride was built.

The Trap: Getting “Machu Picchu Fatigue.” You spend thousands of dollars to visit the Inca Citadel, only to be herded through a one-way circuit with guards blowing whistles if you stop too long.

The Reality: Kuélap. It is older than Machu Picchu, higher than Machu Picchu, and it contains more stone than the Great Pyramid of Giza. And it is often covered in mist and empty.

The Strategy:

• The Cable Car Hack: It used to take a punishing drive to get up to Kuélap. Now, there is a modern cable car. Take it. It turns a 90-minute switchback nightmare into a 20-minute flight over the valley.
• The Waterfall Hike: You have to hike to Gocta Falls. It’s one of the highest in the world (771 meters). The view is great, but the feeling of the spray after a humid 6km trek through the jungle is the real reward.
• The Mummies: Visit the Leymebamba Museum. It houses over 200 mummies saved from looters. Seeing their preserved facial expressions is haunting and something you won’t see in the South.

2. Lençóis Maranhenses (Brazil)

The Aquatic Desert

This place breaks your brain. It looks like CGI.

Imagine the Sahara Desert, but dump thousands of crystal-clear, freshwater lagoons in between the dunes. It is a geological anomaly that shouldn’t exist. You roll down a hot sand dune and splash into cool, fresh water. It is pure joy.

The Trap: Seasonality. This is not a year-round destination. The lagoons are formed by rain. If you go in October, the water is gone, and you just flew to the middle of nowhere to see a pile of sand.

The Reality: You have to hit the window: June to August.

The Strategy:

• Skip Barreirinhas: Most tourists stay in the main hub, Barreirinhas. Don’t. It’s commercial and far from the best dunes.
• Go to Santo Amaro: This is the insider move. It used to be impossible to get to, but a new bridge has opened it up. It is closer to the park, the lagoons are bigger, and you can practically walk into the dunes from town.
• The Sunset Ritual: You don’t just watch the sunset; you watch the light change the color of the water from blue to turquoise to black. It is the best photo op in Brazil.

3. Barichara (Colombia)

The Architecture of Silence

If you have been to Colombia, you probably went to Salento for the coffee and the wax palms. Salento is beautiful, but it has become a backpacker theme park.

Barichara is the antidote. Located on the edge of a canyon in Santander, it is built entirely of local yellow stone. It is monochromatic, silent, and stunningly preserved.

The Trap: Thinking you need “activities” to have a good trip. Barichara doesn’t have nightlife. It doesn’t have adrenaline.

The Reality: It is the “most beautiful town in Colombia” for a reason. The activity is the silence.

The Strategy:

• The Camino Real: Wake up at 7:00 AM to beat the heat and hike the Camino Real. It’s a pre-Columbian stone path that runs downhill to the tiny village of Guane.
• The Reward: When you get to Guane (which is even sleepier than Barichara), find the kiosk in the main square and order a Sabajón. It’s a goat’s milk liqueur. It sounds weird, but after a 6km hike, it tastes like victory.
• Logistics: Don’t fly to Bogota. Fly to Bucaramanga and take the transfer through the canyon. It filters out 90% of the tourists.

4. The Marble Caves (Chile)

The Glacial Cathedral

Patagonia is famous for mountains (Torres del Paine), but the Carretera Austral (Route 7) is famous for the road trip itself.

Deep in Aysén, on the turquoise waters of General Carrera Lake, are the Marble Caves. Wind and water have eroded the stone for 6,000 years into swirling blue and white cathedrals.

The Trap: Taking the big boat. Most tourists hop on a motorized panga from Puerto Río Tranquilo. The motor is loud, the boat is crowded, and you can’t get deep into the caves.

The Reality: You need to touch the walls to understand them.

The Strategy:

• Kayak Only: Book a kayak tour. It allows you to paddle silently into the “Chapel” formations. The water is so clear it’s disorienting.
• The Wind Window: You need to go early—7:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Patagonian wind is legendary. By afternoon, the lake gets choppy, and the magic is lost. If you aren’t a morning person, become one for this.

5. Esteros del Iberá (Argentina)

The “Pantanal” of Argentina

When people want wildlife, they go to the Amazon (where the animals are hidden in trees) or the Pantanal in Brazil.

But Iberá is the secret weapon. It is the second-largest wetland in South America, and it is currently undergoing one of the biggest “rewilding” projects on earth. They are bringing back jaguars, giant anteaters, and red-and-green macaws.

The Trap: Going to Peninsula Valdés hoping to see whales and seeing nothing. Wildlife is unpredictable.

The Reality: Iberá is consistent. You will see Capybaras (Carpinchos). Thousands of them. They are the welcoming committee.

The Strategy:

• The Night Safari: This is non-negotiable. The wetlands change completely at night. You go out on a boat, and when the guide shines a light, you see hundreds of red eyes reflecting back at you. It’s the Caimans (Yacare).
• Stay Local: Stay in an eco-lodge in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini. The guides are often former hunters who are now conservationists. Their stories about the transformation of the land are just as interesting as the animals.

So which one is perfect for you? This quiz will tell you

Tyler Fox

Tyler is our Managing Editor and Writer. After spending years reading, writing, and obsessing over travel (while taking trips as often as possible of course!), he aims to give readers the best and most balanced experience possible when exploring the site.