South America Travel

"Un poco de todo" on the mysterious continent

A little bit of everything (un poco de todo) is what you'll get if you travel throughout the continent of South America. Its collection of 14 countries and colonies is a study in stark contrasts - rugged beauty, diverse cultures, an element of danger everywhere and joyous festivals. There is the untamed rainforest around the monstrous Amazon River in Brazil, the weirdly stunning Atacama Desert in Chile, the teeming metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires and the rugged snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

Most everyone knows a little bit about Carnevale, the beaches in Rio and the history behind the ruins at Machu Picchu, but much of what makes South America so attractive is shrouded in mystery.

Did you know that?

• Argentina is renowned for gauchos and quality beef, but not many would know that it has the outstanding Mendoza Wine Harvest Festival in the Malbec region.
• Colombia, famous for the cocaine trade, is also home to the city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast - a must-see World Heritage Site.
• Venezuela has some of the best beaches in South America, but is also home to the continent's largest lake, third longest river and the highest waterfall in the world.
• Bolivia is one of South America's poorest countries, but one of its richest culturally. Over 50 percent of its people still preserve long-established values and beliefs.