South America trip planner: 8 incredible routes
Whether you want to hike the Andes, self-drive Brazil, delve into the Guianas or take the train to Machu Picchu, these eight journeys will inspire a Latin adventure…
1. Southern Patagonian Andes: Argentina & Chile
Duration: 10 days
Best for: Hiking, biking, glaciers and off-road adventure
Route: El Chaltén > Lago Argentino > Puerto Natales > Torres del Paine
2. Inca heartland: Bolivia and Peru
3. Under the volcanoes: Ecuador & the Galápagos
4. Costa Verde: Southern Brazil
5. Birdlife on the wild side: Colombia
6. Overland adventure: Venezuela & the Guianas
The coast road leads across lots of rivers all the way to Suriname, the former Dutch colony. Paramaribo, the capital, is approached by roads lined with churches raised on stilts to prevent any flood damage, modern factories and Chinese supermarkets, swastika-bearing Hindu temples and mosques topped by crescent moons. There’s a real cosmopolitan flavour here, and the capital has some of the best-preserved colonial buildings in all South America.
The final leg of the trip – now in EU territory – passes via the atmospheric ruined penitentiary Devil’s Island and the Guiana Space Centre before arriving in Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana; a fascinating museum, excellent French-influenced cuisine and a handful of historic sites make this a curious, but comfortable conclusion to a memorable road trip.
7. Beaches and beyond: Uruguay
8. Gran Chaco & the ‘other’ Pantanal: Paraguay
