South America Off The Beaten Path

  Iglesia Pedro Claver dome from port at...
by richiecdisc
 
  • Iglesia Pedro Claver dome from port at dusk
      Iglesia Pedro Claver dome from port at...
    by richiecdisc
  • one of Colombia's stunning churches
      one of Colombia's stunning churches
    by richiecdisc
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by henri123
  • Walk Like a Penguin!
      Walk Like a Penguin!
    by HispanicYob
  • Macaws
      Macaws
    by grandmaR
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in South America

51.

Tigre   Buenos Aires

Tigre, Buenos Aires

 36 Reviews  It was founded on may 20th 1892 Address: Paseo Victorica 602 (1648) Tigre Pcia. de Buenos Aires - Argentina Fundado el 20 de Mayo de 1892 Paseo Victorica 602 (1648) Tigre Pcia. de Buenos Aires -... 

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52.

Niterói   Rio de Janeiro

Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

 52 Reviews  Niterói Contemporary Art Museum is one of the more interesting buildings in Rio de janeiro state. It´s located in Niteroi which is Rio´s quiet neighbour where not many tourists venture over to, but... 

 See All 287 Off The Beaten Path in Rio de Janeiro

53.

Museos - Museums   Lima

Museos - Museums, Lima

 8 Reviews  Lima is by excelence, a city of museums. With more than 50 museums in the city, the best ones in Peru are located here. From public to private and from general to specialized museums, visiting them... 

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54.

Sacred Valley   Cusco

Sacred Valley, Cusco

 10 Reviews  Our horseback ride from Urubamba up past the salt terraces to Maras and Moray was the best adventure of our entire visit to Peru, For a mere $US60 a person, Rancho Casa Hospedaje supplied a... 

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55.

Ocean beaches   São Paulo

Ocean beaches, São Paulo

 5 Reviews  If you are in town, you can take a car and in less than two hours you are in the sea, and Praia Grande is one of the most popular holiday destinations for the Paulistanos. It is not the most beautiful... 

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56.

Zipaguira   Bogotá

Zipaguira, Bogotá

 5 Reviews  Zipaquira is an unassuming small town about 50 kilometers north of Bogota and would most likely not be visited by anyone aside from its star attraction, a salt mine of all things. But this is no... 

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57.

Morro de Sao Paulo   Salvador da Bahia

Morro de Sao Paulo, Salvador da Bahia

 6 Reviews  It takes two hours to get to Morro on the Catamaran from Mercado Modelo... and it really is idyllic heaven. I stayed on the fourth beach which is quiet and ideal fro a relaxing getaway... There is... 

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58.

Inca Trail   Machu Picchu

Inca Trail, Machu Picchu

 16 Reviews  Stumbled across a really great way to see machu Piccu and to see some authentic Peruvian life along the way. Some friends found a Dutch guy in Cusco who arranges tours on behalf of a Coffee... 

 See All 41 Off The Beaten Path in Machu Picchu

59.

El Hatillo   Caracas

El Hatillo, Caracas

 4 Reviews  It's a small town but very cozy. There are several handicraft shops with the nicest things! The day I was there there were some performers in the Plaza Bolivar.... And seemed like a very family thing... 

 See All 36 Off The Beaten Path in Caracas

60.

Amazon Islands   Manaus

Amazon Islands, Manaus

 3 Reviews  If you are interested in doing some real amazon hiking and stick close to Manaus, you can go to some of the Islands in the Amazon side of the city (if it isnt flooded - when the river is hige these... 

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61.

"Death" Road from La Paz to Corroico   La Paz

"Death" Road from La Paz to Corroico, La Paz

 5 Reviews  The Death Road *** the fighting troops Forget their useless trivia Want to know who dies for their country? Meet the truckers of Bolivia. Neither to save their power Nor secure their glory As you... 

 See All 32 Off The Beaten Path in La Paz

62.

El Tatio geysers   San Pedro de Atacama

El Tatio geysers, San Pedro de Atacama

 6 Reviews  If you ever wondered how Earth looked like in prehistoric times, before massive life forms appeared on the surface of the planet, here’s the answer: it was like El Tatio ("weeping old man" in Kunza... 

 See All 17 Off The Beaten Path in San Pedro de Atacama

63.

Palermo's Park   Buenos Aires

Palermo's Park, Buenos Aires

 8 Reviews  If you feel tired of the city and want to see a green space, then Los Bosques de Palermo is a good place. They are located 15 minutes away from downtown and they get packed with locals, mostly at the... 

 See All 224 Off The Beaten Path in Buenos Aires

64.

Street Markets   Rio de Janeiro

Street Markets, Rio de Janeiro

 5 Reviews  The smell and colour of the fruit and vegetables, the relaxed atmosphere, make the market a good place for anyone wishing to get to know the profusion and variety of the ingredients at close... even... 

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65.

Las Salinas de Maras   Cusco

Las Salinas de Maras, Cusco

 4 Reviews   This was definitely one of the more bizarre sights we saw on our trip to the Sacred Valley! A huge salt mine carved out of the hillside, with terrace after terrace of mini salt-pans spread out in... 

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66.

Tiete river banks and other parks   São Paulo

Tiete river banks and other parks, São Paulo

 11 Reviews  The Tiete River bank Park is great - wonderful trails, good picnic and barbecue areas, there is even row boats for rental. However, the Tiete River is very polluted and during hot, dry periods the... 

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67.

Chapada Diamantina   Salvador da Bahia

Chapada Diamantina, Salvador da Bahia

 2 Reviews  The Chapada Diamantina National Park is unique with its wonderful landascapes, waterfalls, canyons, natural swimming pools... Culture and Ecotourism in the Vale do Capao : Many tourists are going to... 

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68.

Ruins   Machu Picchu

Ruins, Machu Picchu

 13 Reviews  We can upon these impressive ruins which were only rediscovered in 1941 enroute to the Sun gate as you can see from my photo restoration work in going on using techniques which are as ancient as the... 

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69.

Avila National Park   Caracas

Avila National Park, Caracas

 2 Reviews  Best destinations : Level of training, none: Quebrada Quintero ( take the right instead of the left when you get to the path that takes to Sabasnieves). This place is one of my favorites since... 

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70.

Presidente Figueiredo   Manaus

Presidente Figueiredo, Manaus

 3 Reviews  This is a pretty cool place if you are looking for a relaxing trek/picnic. Plan on spending the whole day here, not just a few hours. Its best to drive to PF in the morning. Its a beautiful scenic... 

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71.

Nearer and farer Surroundings   La Paz

Nearer and farer Surroundings, La Paz

 14 Reviews  Chacaltaya mountain around 5400 m, 1-2 hrs drive from la paz. They say it was a bolivian skiing RESORT. I was skiing there 2 years ago. There was not too much of it beacuse even during the season (... 

 See All 32 Off The Beaten Path in La Paz

72.

Caves   San Pedro de Atacama

Caves, San Pedro de Atacama

 2 Reviews  We left daylight in this hole behind ? and were very lucky in meeting a couple of spanish geologists exploring the caves with professional equipment. They took us down into a long cave system which... 

 See All 17 Off The Beaten Path in San Pedro de Atacama

73.

National Fine Arts Museum   Buenos Aires

National Fine Arts Museum, Buenos Aires

 3 Reviews  I went to Malba and the Museo de Bellas Artes. Bellas Artes was far superior to Malba, so if you can't make it to both, go to the B.A. There is so much to see you will need at least a couple of hours.... 

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74.

Favelas   Rio de Janeiro

Favelas, Rio de Janeiro

 6 Reviews  Many people are often hesitant to do a "tour" in the favelas thinking that they will leave the people who live there feeling like zoo animals or a tourist attraction, but I can promise you that we do... 

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75.

San Blas   Cusco

San Blas, Cusco

 7 Reviews  Well San Blas isnt too off the beaten path but its somewhat of a walk if you want to get there from the Plaza de Armas. Of course we did do a bunch of stops by the time we got here. But I think San... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Local fauna 1

by andal13

The llama (Lama glama) is a native animal, that was domesticated by local people thousands of years ago. It is very useful: its meat is eatable (and quite good, I can assure you that!), its wool is used to knit several clothes, even its leather, and it was used to charge stuff along the centuries.Llamas can be found in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, and it is a meek animal, with sweet eyes and a peculiar elegance.The picture shows a llama at Machu Picchu Sacred City.La llama (Lama glama) es un animal aut?ctono, que fue domesticado por los nativos hace miles de a?os. Es un animal uy ?til: su cane es comestible (y bastante buena, se los puedo asegurar!), su lana es utilizada para tejer diversas prendas, al igual que su cuero, y fue utilizado como animal de carga durante siglos.Las llamas pueden encontrarse en Peru, Bolivia, Argentina y Chile, y es un animal manso, con ojos dulces y...

Tip Photo
Chile

by darthmilmo

Chile boast a wide range of off-the-beaten path attractions. On the top of my wish least is the Torres del Paine circuit, the Carreterra Austral, and Chiloe. The only off-the-beaten path place I visited in Chile (besides the Parque Nacional Lauca near Arica) was San Pedro de Atacama, which is a lovely town in the Atacama Desert. From San Pedro de Atacama you can take several interesting day trips, including a trip to the Valle de la Luna (try going there during a full moon for a magical experience). San Pedro de Atacama is also the perfect destination or departure point of a trip across the Salar de Uyuni and lagunas.

Bolivia

by darthmilmo

Just visiting Bolivia is considered off-the-beaten path for some, however, there is more than just the cities. The crown jewel of Bolivia, and perhaps South America, must be the Salar de Uyuni and Lagunas. Just head to Uyuni and hire a 4x4 truck to take you into this region on Southern Bolivia. If you're staying a while in Uyuni, then don't miss the nearby Patio Sur, which is a train cemetery. For those wanting more than just a 4x4 experience, then head to Sorata where a handful of treks can be organized either to the Andes or downhill to the Yungaz. Bolivia even boasts one of the best jungle towns, Rurrenbaque, which is set for ideal exploration of the jungle or the Pampas. Last, but not least, if you do make it to Santa Cruz then you may want to take part of the nearby animal shelter where they take care of Animals (you can volunteer for at least 2 weeks or spend a few nights paying...

Peru

by darthmilmo

Step off the Gringo trail and explore the true treasures of Peru. If you love trekking then head to the Andes and spend a few days exploring Huaraz and its environs. There are some fine trekking and climbing to be done in this area, including the Santa Cruz Trek (3-4 days) and the longer Huayhuash Trek (8-15 days). For a jungle adventure, then head down the lower Urubamba River onto Sepahua, a small frontier type town in the Peruvian Amazon. OR, you can head into the jungle from the north, perhaps by Lagunas, which lies en route to Inquitos. If you want a real-life fossil hunt experience than ask for the Desert Man of Ica, Roberto Penny Cabrera in the guesthouses at Huacachina. The Desert Man can take you in an unforgettable trip deep into the Ocucaje desert for a day or two. If you are looking for deep Gorges or Canyons, then head to either the Colca Canyon or the Cotopaxi canyon, the...

Ecuador

by darthmilmo

Besides the obvious trip to the Galapagos Islands, which can ran in the hundred or thousands of dollars, Ecuador does offer several other more affordable hidden treasures in the mainland. The Quilotoa Circuit ranks among the best cultural immersion side-trips I did in South America. The circuit starts at Latacunga and takes in the market of Zumbahua, the beautiful Quilotoa crater lagoon, the interesting countryside near Chugchilan, and an interesting ride in a milk-man truck back to civilization. Read more about it in the Quilotoa Page or my Ecuador page.

Colombia

by darthmilmo

For those with the time and energy, Colombia offers a wide variety of off-the-beaten path destinations. Among the favorites on my book is the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) Trek near Santa Marta, Colombia. The trek was amazing! As a fellow backpacker put it, the six day trek is a childhood fantasy turn true... you go through rivers, waterfalls, Indiana Jones type cliffs, tropical vegetation, ruins, more ruins, and more. Another good trip from Santa Marta is a short visit to the nearby Parque Tayrona where one can hike a not too arduous circuit around amazing tropical rainforest vegetation and through pristine beaches. For those with a deeper archeological interest, then may I suggest a visit to San Agustin, home of the San Agustin civilization. In recent history, archeologists have uncovered a wide range of statues and objects from this ancient culture. The scenery found in this region makes...

Ecuador : the coast - La Cote - La Costa

by Maillekeul

To be built

Tip Photo
This island unto itself is...

by Joanportia

This island unto itself is somewhat off the beaten path. Searching for info prior to going was limited. But this was for me part of its charm.

Chachapoyas in the north...

by davarian

Chachapoyas in the north central mountains.Great pre-Inca ruins.

It is dangerous to pass the...

by schumi58

It is dangerous to pass the slums (Favelas) alone or at night. Avoid to walk with good watches and gold chains or necklace and take only small money.

Top 3 Hotels in South America

The Glu Hotel  Buenos Aires

 1 Review and 223 Opinions  I was snookered by the website and photos. The hotel is not what is seems. Its located in Palermo,... 

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Copacabana Palace  Rio de Janeiro

 21 Reviews and 355 Opinions  A veritable Rio landmark, Copacabana Palace continues to enjoy a reputation as one of the most... 

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JW Marriott Hotel Lima  Lima

 7 Reviews and 251 Opinions  We did not stay here, but it was pointed out to us as the hotel used for some of the VIPs that came... 

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The Place

Reviews and photos of South America attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for South America sightseeing.

Experience South America
Off The Beaten Path: Cities in South America
  1. Buenos Aires Off The Beaten Path
  2. Rio de Janeiro Off The Beaten Path
  3. Lima Off The Beaten Path
  4. Cusco Off The Beaten Path
  5. São Paulo Off The Beaten Path
  6. Bogotá Off The Beaten Path
  7. Santiago Off The Beaten Path
  8. Salvador da Bahia Off The Beaten Path
  9. Quito Off The Beaten Path
  10. Machu Picchu Off The Beaten Path
  11. Caracas Off The Beaten Path
  12. Montevideo Off The Beaten Path
  13. Cartagena Off The Beaten Path
  14. Manaus Off The Beaten Path
  15. La Paz Off The Beaten Path
  16. Fortaleza Off The Beaten Path
  17. Mendoza Off The Beaten Path
  18. Ushuaia Off The Beaten Path
  19. San Pedro de Atacama Off The Beaten Path
  20. Foz do Iguaçu Off The Beaten Path
  21. Isla Margarita Off The Beaten Path
  22. Cali Off The Beaten Path
  23. El Calafate Off The Beaten Path
  24. San Carlos de Bariloche Off The Beaten Path
  25. Puerto Iguazú Off The Beaten Path
  26. Isla Margarita Off The Beaten Path
  27. Arequipa Off The Beaten Path
  28. Valparaíso Off The Beaten Path
  29. Florianópolis Off The Beaten Path
  30. Santa Marta Off The Beaten Path
  31. Curitiba Off The Beaten Path
  32. Cuenca Off The Beaten Path
  33. Recife Off The Beaten Path
  34. Natal Off The Beaten Path
  35. Punta Arenas Off The Beaten Path
  36. Barranquilla Off The Beaten Path
  37. Parati Off The Beaten Path
  38. Colonia del Sacramento Off The Beaten Path
  39. Porto Alegre Off The Beaten Path
  40. Isla de San Andrés Off The Beaten Path
  41. Punta del Este Off The Beaten Path
  42. Guayaquil Off The Beaten Path
  43. Medellín Off The Beaten Path
  44. Viña del Mar Off The Beaten Path
  45. Uyuni Off The Beaten Path
  46. Bùzios Off The Beaten Path
  47. Iquitos Off The Beaten Path
  48. Puerto Natales Off The Beaten Path
  49. Puerto Montt Off The Beaten Path
  50. Ilha Grande Off The Beaten Path

More Cities in South America

 

Questions and Answers

EzzaK profile photo

Q:  Hi, I fly into Santiago at the end of the month; I am travelling through S. America for three months. Looking to see if my... 

glabah profile photo

A: > 5 days Iguassu Falls The amount of time you spend here depends on if you go to the Brazilian side, or what you like to do. There are a lot of hiking trails on the... 

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South America Members Meetings

Mar 06, 2012 
Cordoba, Argentina, Southamerica

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