Southern Paraguay is dotted with the ruins of Jesuit reductions from the 17th Century, offering a fascinating glimpse to that period of history.
The ruins at Santisima Trinidad del Parana are some of the best preserved of the region, built around a Plaza Mayor.
The ruins at San Cosme and Damian are also of interest as in the early 1770 they started astronomical studies.
The observatory can be visited to this day, making this trip well worth the travel.
The Pantanal is a vast tropical wetland in the West of Brazil and the best place for those wanting to see wildlife.
Here there are over 1,000 bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammal species as well as 480 reptile species – and the jaguar is the king.
The main gateway airports are Campo Grande and Cuiaba.
There are many lodges offering a great wildlife experience in an area that is over 20 times larger than the Florida Everglades.
The Valdez Peninsula on the northern coast of Argentine Patagonia is a paradise for nature lovers.
The Southern Right whale can be spotted from June to December, killer whales from September to April and Magellanic Penguins from September to March.
Sea lions, dolphins, seals as well as guanacos, rheas and armadillos can be found all year round.
There are lots of shells, fossils and natural history on full display in the rocky cliffs.
The gateway airport is at Trelew and the ideal base for exploration is Puerto Madryn.
Puerto Natales has the feel of a small frontier town.
Located on the banks of the Last Hope Sound this town had its origins in the shipping out of lamb from the local estancias.
Now it is the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park and boasts an impressive selection of accommodation and restaurants.
Nearby attractions include the Milodon Cave and a full day sailing tour to the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers.
If you have time it’s worth trekking to the top of the nearby Dorotea hill for a spectacular view of the surrounding country side.
Rio de Janeiro is a vibrant, beautiful, lush and fascinating city, with something everyone.
Just enjoy the picture postcard beaches, take the cable car up the iconic Sugar Loaf Hill or the train up Corcovado mountain to the stature of Christ.
The city has rainforest in the Tijuca forest and an incredible botanic garden. There is enough scenery to keep you going for days!
Food is available in every form and guise from street stalls selling coconuts and fresh pineapple juice, to Brazilian meat rodizio restaurants to fine dining.
If not why not have a snack and a beer in one of the many beach side terraces and watch the girl, or boy, from Ipanema or Copacabana go by.
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Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
