As ever, our travel specialists have scoured the continent in search of ten of the best places in South America to visit in the year ahead. Our team zigzags across our region in search of entries robust enough to land a place on our yearly hotlist. Approving in person, whether these places adhere to stringent values of sustainability, authenticity, and purposeful travel to South America. So, what does it take to catch our eye in 2024? Our top ten places to visit in South America aren’t those that shout the loudest. They often aren’t there to outdo the competition or pull in the most tourists, they are often on the periphery – in remote, rarely visited pockets of our continent; quietly, diligently, achieving true wonder. 10 of the Best Places to Visit in South America: Our 2024 Hotlist Beginning with an incredibly remote lodging in Patagonia, one only reachable via boat crossing on the northern tip of Lago Argentino to a vibrant Chilean port often forgotten by tourist maps, where neighborhoods are connected by a labyrinth of ladders, to some of the most precious and rarely-visited regions of Peru this is your exclusive guide to ten best places in South America. 1. Estancia Cristina: The heart of untamed Patagonia There is only one way to reach the remote lodgings of Estancia Cristina. To get here you must sail across the north side of Lago Argentino – found within the bounds of the national park established to protect the Campo de Hielo Patagonico Sur. It is a majestic valley surrounded by natural wonders and steeped in the history of explorers who have come before. As you’d expect from our guide to ten of the best places in South America in 2024, Estancia Cristina is a property in its own league –
As ever, our travel specialists have scoured the continent in search of ten of the best places in South America to visit in the year ahead. Our team zigzags across our region in search of entries robust enough to land a place on our yearly hotlist. Approving in person, whether…
Our region is scattered with magnificent cities. But it's the UNESCO heritage sites in South America that hold some of the most fascinating secrets. Not only because of the deeply entrenched history of these places. Colonial architecture, baroque churches, and grand leafy plazas can indeed all be found here, but the beguiling beauty of South American UNESCO sites is found in their duality. The past exists in perfect harmony with the present. Whilst deep history is legible around almost every corner, so too is the life of the city’s more modern dwellers. Take Valparaíso in Chile. Once one of the continent's most important seaports – a place built on the promise of opportunity – it still retains its bohemian energy. A creative hub with more than 400 graffiti artists has turned Valparaiso into one of the world’s largest unofficial open-air museums of street art. And in Bolivia’s city of Sucre, its long-stretching heritage is complimented by a cosmopolitan feel thanks to the young crowd of intellectuals attending the university. Many historic buildings have been turned into high-end restaurants, bars, and art galleries which have helped to create a thriving culinary and cultural scene in one of South America’s lesser-visited UNESCO heritage sites. It’s precisely this fusion that makes South America’s UNESCO heritage sites some of the continent’s most precious pockets to roam, led of course by one of our expert guides. Often locals themselves, our in-country partners handpick charismatic guides who know everything about the region they call home, from hidden cafes off-the-beaten-track to the most authentic markets, where local weavers sell their traditional wares. Yet with the weighty status of a UNESCO heritage city comes crowds. The world’s leading stamp of history and heritage brings with it thousands of visitors eager to seek its secrets. But not here. Undiscovered
Our region is scattered with magnificent cities. But it’s the UNESCO heritage sites in South America that hold some of the most fascinating secrets. Not only because of the deeply entrenched history of these places. Colonial architecture, baroque churches, and grand leafy plazas can indeed all be found here, but…
At Aracari, we are big believers in the transformative power of travel, especially the kind that spans several months. So, when our friend Mirjam Peternek-McCartney – owner and founder of Lemongrass Marketing – consulted us for advice and guidance as she began planning a family sabbatical to South America, we were eager to help. Imparting our knowledge, contacts, and expertise, along with that of our trusted in-country partners – we have helped Mirjam in building the trip of a lifetime, as she spends from September to March ‘24 in our fascinating region with her family. A year in the making, this extraordinary journey has just begun as Mirjam, her husband, and her two sons touched down in Cartagena, Colombia. Found on the crystal-clear shores of the Caribbean, Cartagena has long been one of our favorite cities on the continent, and it proved the perfect first chapter in this South American adventure. Now, two weeks in, the Peternek-McCartneys are headed to Peru, where they’ll begin in Lima, connecting with many of our friends in the coastal capital, before continuing to the Sacred Valley, spending six weeks staying at a traditional villa – the ideal base from which to explore wonders like Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Amazon. After that and into November, the family sabbatical will cross to Bolivia, onto Chile, and into Argentina in the new year. With Aracari’s knowledge helping Mirjam to plot the route of her journey, we’ve very generously been granted access to follow their story, sharing their personal insights and experiences with our readers. Because alongside the inevitable spark of wanderlust, we believe documenting Mirjam’s trip will also reveal the secrets of a sabbatical – becoming a testament to how to transform the dream of a family long family travel into a reality. From their
At Aracari, we are big believers in the transformative power of travel, especially the kind that spans several months. So, when our friend Mirjam Peternek-McCartney – owner and founder of Lemongrass Marketing – consulted us for advice and guidance as she began planning a family sabbatical to South America, we…
