Stories: Aracari Newsletter

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