Let’s not beat around the bush here!
The land of South America is a vast and magnificent one.

With the incredible Amazon jungle, the Andean mountain range and the glacier-filled Patagonia all within its boundaries, saying this place is one of the most diverse spots on the planet is probably the understatement of the year!

From happy hikers to fanatical foodies, beach beauties, jungle adventurers, coffee aficionados, culture vultures, history buffs and language lovers, just about everyone will love at least one slice of South America… and most likely multiple slices!

Because, with the beautiful beaches of Brazil and the epic food of Peru, the wine of Argentina and the hiking in Chile, the coffee in Colombia and the scuba diving and snorkelling around Ecuador’s Galapagos islands, the giant of Iguazu Falls, the splendour of Lake Titicaca and the magic that is the Sacred Valley, it’s impossible not to become enchanted with South America.

Honestly, you could spend a decade travelling here and still not see it all!

Sad to say that most of us haven’t got his length of time however, so if you’re looking for a highlight reels, this list of the 55 best things to do in South America is a good place to start!

Otherwise, my Peru itinerary, 5 fav Ecuador hikes, list of 19 things to know before you travel Bolivia and best spots to see in Argentina are also good beginning points.

Then, of course, there’s my complete South America packing list, my guide to visiting Machu Picchu, my posts about Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Bogota, La Paz and Salar de Uyuni, all of which give you more info about key things to know before you go.

Picking up a bit of Spanish is also a great thing to sort before you going (it’s a language large numbers of people in South America speak) and don’t forget about the huge distances between destinations and countries involved in traversing this region too!

Travelling South America takes pace and patience, but take your time to uncover this vast and varied region and you’ll be rewarded by discovering one of the most thrilling parts of the planet in all her glory.