The Ultimate South America Bucket List!

Typically, I avoid the words: “Bucket List.”  I don’t like the idea of people racing around the globe, checking items off an arbitrary “list.”  My preferred mode of travel is long & slow.  I tend to spend at least a month in each country I visit, to really get a feel for it.  Yes, I usually see the highlights of each country…like Torres del Paine, in Patagonia, for instance.  But I spend enough time to take in off-the-beaten path places too.  That said, why the heck did I create this “Ultimate South America Bucket List?!” 

If bucket lists are contrary to the way I travel….then why create this?? 

 

Why Create a Bucket List?

A lot of what I do in my travel writing is to try & bring order to chaos.  I try to distill big ideas down into digestible take-aways, making it easier for travelers to identify what they want to do.  Creating a visual list can help get the “big picture.”  As Latin America is a place I’ve fallen in love with: the main reason I created this list is to demonstrate how many incredible adventures await in the wilds of this continent….

 

Map of South America Bucket List Spots

The Ultimate South America Bucket List

The 18 destinations listed below are a “Highlight Reel” of South America.  Each is fantastic enough to warrant ample time & exploration.  If I’ve written about a place, I link to the article(s) ~ & you can click to read more.

• PERU: 1) Machu Picchu, 2) Rainbow Mountain (also called, “Vinicunca”), 3) Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas.
• ECUADOR: 4) The Galapagos Islands.
• COLOMBIA: 5) Medellin, 6) Guatape, 7) Cartagena.
• URUGUAY: 8) Punta del Este.
• BOLIVIA: 9) Uyuni Salt Flats (if you can’t make it to Bolivia, check out Argentina’s Salt Flats here).
• ARGENTINA: 10) Iguazu, 11) Buenos Aires, 12) Patagonia.
• BRAZIL: 13) The Amazon (you can also visit the Peruvian Amazon),14) Rio de Janeiro, 15) Sao Paolo.
• CHILE: 16) Easter Island, 17), Santiago, & 18) San Pedro de Atacama. 

 

There are 12 countries total in South America, & only 8 represented here.  The missing countries are: Venezuela, Paraguay, Guyana, & Suriname.  Why are they missing from the list?  Venezuela is left off because it’s dangerous to visit right now, due to major civil unrest.  As for the others, I’ve never visited them & know little about them; they would definitely fall more into the “off-the-beaten” path category.

The Ultimate South America Bucket List

Because I’ve written extensively about many of the destinations, I’m keeping the rest of this article short.  Here are a few photos of these spectacular South American destinations….

 

What’s My Favorite Country in South America?

While this is near-impossible to answer: I’d say within South America, my “favorite” country is Peru, followed closely by Colombia.  Peru for its sense of majesty & mystery ~ Colombia for its warm & gregarious people.

The Ultimate South America Bucket List

Thanks for reading this “Ultimate South America Bucket List!”  And if you want to know what my #1 favorite hotel is in South America…I actually have two, & they both happen to be in Peru! 

One is the El Albergue Hotel in Ollantaytambo ~ which has the most glorious gardens & views of the Andes.  And the other is the JW Marriott El Convento in Cusco…which is set in a former convent, & filled with a sense of history & luxury.

Read Next: Top 5 Places in Latin America to Study Spanish

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