South America Things to Do

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Most Viewed Things to Do in South America

1.

La Boca   Buenos Aires

La Boca, Buenos Aires

 122 Reviews  I saw pictures of the colored houses in La Boca when I read the travel books, and so I took a taxi to that famed street of El Caminito. The taxi driver was very kind, but he looked very concerned... 

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2.

Christ The Redeemer, Corcovado   Rio de Janeiro

Christ The Redeemer, Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

 156 Reviews  A must in Rio is to see the magnificent Christ the Redeemer statue. Towering over the city on Corcovado mountain 30 m high, it was finished in 1931. It is usually very busy here with tourists buying... 

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3.

District Of Miraflores   Lima

District Of Miraflores, Lima

 41 Reviews  Want to shop for things Peruvian or eat your lunch or dinner with a spectacular view? Larcomar is a shopping presinct designed to fit into the cliffs of Miraflores. From the street all you see is a... 

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4.

Sacsayhuaman   Cusco

Sacsayhuaman, Cusco

 54 Reviews  Saqsayhuaman is the most famous archaeological site around Cusco. It is uncertain when the site was built, but presumably dates back to the period of Inca Pachacuti (1438-1472), who founded the Inca... 

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5.

Avenida Paulista   São Paulo

Avenida Paulista, São Paulo

 17 Reviews  If you take your time to walk Avenida Paulista, the financial hub of Sao Paulo, you'll notice there are no shortage of sights, sounds, smells and sensory overload. There are places where artisans are... 

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6.

La Candelaria - Downtown   Bogotá

La Candelaria - Downtown, Bogotá

 50 Reviews  A good way to spend the day in Bogota is to wander around here for the day. It is small enough to see in half a day depending on how much time you spend in the Churches/Museums but with all the cafes... 

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7.

Colonial Quito   Quito

Colonial Quito, Quito

 168 Reviews  The Monastery of San Diego is situated southwest of Centro Histórico. It is a lovely monastery from the 17th century, full of outstanding colonial religious art. There are works from both the Quito... 

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8.

Cerro San Cristobal   Santiago

Cerro San Cristobal, Santiago

 31 Reviews  A park, a stroll for lovers, and a big tourist destination Cerro San Cristobal offers some commanding views of the City. There is a funicular that takes you all the way up the hill to the statue. A... 

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9.

Churches   Salvador da Bahia

Churches, Salvador da Bahia

 23 Reviews  A little away from the center of Salvador is a church called Nosso Senhor do Bomfim. That is a church build by portuguese sailors who survived a tropic storm on the way from Portugal to brazil and... 

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10.

Huayna Picchu   Machu Picchu

Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu

 33 Reviews  You will have to climb for a very narrow path, it will take you 45 minutes to 1 ½ hour to complete it and you will arrive to a plce where you will see and amazing landscape of Machu Picchu Citadel, it... 

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11.

Plaza Independencia   Montevideo

Plaza Independencia, Montevideo

 24 Reviews  We paused here while walking about the city and enjoyed the fascinating architecture of some of the surrounding buildings. Photographers, be sure to have your zoom lens so you can capture the width of... 

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12.

Avila National Park   Caracas

Avila National Park, Caracas

 15 Reviews  Once in Caracas, you must go to Mariperez, where Avila M?gica (cable car station) its located. Go Up must take around 15 minutes, Will enjoy the view from the city while the car its going up. Dont... 

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13.

Valle De La Luna   La Paz

Valle De La Luna, La Paz

 15 Reviews  The Moon Valley, located in the small village of Mallasa about 10 kilometres southwest of La Paz, is a very unique landscape filled with rock formations that have been formed through thousands of... 

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14.

Take a trip along the river,...   Manaus

Take a trip along the river,..., Manaus

 24 Reviews  the most interesting sightseeing of Manaus is surely seeing the meeting of the waters from the black Rio Negro and the Brown Amazonas best to see is by a tour e.g. by our excellent tour guide... 

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15.

El Tatio geysers   San Pedro de Atacama

El Tatio geysers, San Pedro de Atacama

 12 Reviews  After visiting the geysers there is nothing better to do than a re-invogorating soak in the thermal pools which are delightfully warm. So don't forget your bathing suit and a towel. Also be prepared... 

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16.

Wine Tour   Mendoza

Wine Tour, Mendoza

 16 Reviews  I just got back from an Amazing Trip to Mendoza, Argentina. We spent a week in Mendoz at the Park Hyatt Hotel (great great hotel) and enjoyed many wonderful activities. I would recommend that if you... 

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17.

Boa Viagem   Recife

Boa Viagem, Recife

 6 Reviews  We stayed at Boa Viagem, and took there most of our swims. The beach is long but not spectacular. The long reef along the coast protects from surf and sharks, but risks to make the bath very... 

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18.

Old City   Cartagena

Old City, Cartagena

 1 Review  The old city is encircled by walls that are 12 foot in height. Inside you willl find restaurants, a plaza with a statue of Simon Bolivar the liberator. You will also see beautiful flowers hanging over... 

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19.

Diving and Snorkeling   Galápagos Islands

Diving and Snorkeling, Galápagos Islands

 43 Reviews  After visiting the beach at Gardner Bay we went back to Cachalote for a quick change and then went to the panga again to go snorkelling at a small rocky island just off the coast. As we were all eager... 

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20.

Recoleta   Buenos Aires

Recoleta, Buenos Aires

 157 Reviews  This is a historical must see site, a burial ground featuring ostentatious tombs and including the final burial place of Eva Peron. It is well-known, so in my tip I would like to focus on... 

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21.

Sugar Loaf - Pão de Açucar   Rio de Janeiro

Sugar Loaf - Pão de Açucar, Rio de Janeiro

 126 Reviews  Another must in Rio is visiting Pao de Acucar or Sugar Loaf mountain. There are two seperate parts to it, so you need to take two cable cars. The cost is quite high though, and if you want you can... 

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22.

District Of Barranco   Lima

District Of Barranco, Lima

 28 Reviews  The Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs - if you can walk across it for the first time, without taking a breath, all your wishes will come true. So the story goes. The Bajada de los Baños is a... 

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23.

Main Square   Cusco

Main Square, Cusco

 30 Reviews  Plaza de Armas has always been the centre of Cusco, but was originally much bigger than today and was surrounded by beautiful Inca palaces and temples. At that time, Plaza de Armas was the scene of... 

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24.

Parque Ibirapuera   São Paulo

Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo

 32 Reviews  Designed in 1954, but built only in 2005, Auditório Ibirapuera is the work of the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer. The ultra-modern music hall is considered one of the best venues for concerts in São... 

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25.

Monserrate   Bogotá

Monserrate, Bogotá

 23 Reviews  Take the funicular or the cable car 1640 ft up to the top of Monserrate Hill to see the 17th Century Catholic church on the top. The church is lovely, with beautiful stained glass and a black Madonna.... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

'BIG BEN'

by DAO

The Torre de los Ingleses (English Tower) is often called Big Ben. It was built in 1916 by local British residents who had made their fortunes building the nearby Retiro railroad station complex. It was constructed to commemorate the centenary of the May Revolution of 1810 (Revolución de Mayo). Spain had lost great political and military authority during the Napoleonic wars and a British ship was seen off nearby Uruguay. This led the local people of Buenos Aires to force the resignation of the Viceroy appointed by the Spanish crown. It was the first time locals held any political power in Argentina. It was designed by Ambrose Poynter and built by Hopkins y Gardom, with materials shipped from England. The inauguration of the building took place on May 24, 1916 and was attended by President Victorino de la Plaza and local British dignitaries. The building celebrates the United Kingdom with...

The Torre de los Ingleses, Buenos Aires
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A SAD MONUMENT

by DAO

In the Plaza San Martin I, across from Retiro Station, stands a sad monument to the hundreds of soldiers who died for the vanity of a failed dictator. This is the monument to the war dead form the short war over the Islas Malvinas or Falkland Islands (April - June 1982). In the early 1980s Argentina was still controlled by the brutal military regime headed by General Leopoldo Galtieri. His disastrous economic policies lead to the people openly questioning the junta’s authority and he hoped that the war would rebuild support for his regime and fan nationalist fervour. The Falkland Islands had been a small fishing outpost and territory of Britain for several hundred years and there had been an on again/off again war of words over ownership. Galtieri invaded the virtually undefended islands and declared victory. He sent ill-equipped and un-trained conscripts who were soundly defeated by...

MONUMENTO A LOS CA��DOS EN MALVINAS, BUENOS AIRES
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Peru

by traveldave

Official Name: Republic of Peru; Land Area: 496,200 square miles (1,285,000 square kilometers); Population: 29,248,943; Capital: Lima; Largest City: LimaOne of the most recognizable sites in the world is Machu Picchu, which is the highlight for most visitors who travel to Peru. Machu Picchu, Quechua for "Ancient Peak," was the only Inca city not discovered by the Spanish during their conquest of Peru. This fact has given rise to the phrase "Lost City of the Incas" to describe the site. It probably escaped detection due to its inaccessible location on a narrow ridge thousands of feet above the Urubamba River. In fact, even today it is not visible to visitors until they arrive right at the top of the mountain.Machu Picchu sits on a narrow saddle between the peaks of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu at an elevation of 7,970 feet (2,430 meters). It is 1,480 feet (451 meters) above the Urubamba...

Ecuador

by traveldave

Official Name: Republic of Ecuador; Land Area: 109,483 square miles (283,560 square kilometers); Population: 15,007,343; Capital: Quito; Largest City: GuayaquilPlaza de la Indepencia, also known as Plaza Grande, is the heart of colonial Old Town Quito. When the Spanish colonial city was built on the ruins of the former Inca city in 1535, the plaza was designed to be the hub from which the new city was to spread. Most of the most important buildings of the Spanish colonial period surround the plaza, including the Government Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito, the municipal buildings, the Arobispal Palace, and the Casa de Alcade. The large monument in the center of the plaza honors those heroes who fought for Ecuador's independence from Spain.Nowadays, Plaza de la Indepencia is the lively focal point of Old Town Quito, with Sunday strollers, street vendors, and tourists. And any...

Colombia

by traveldave

Official Name: Republic of Colombia; Land Area: 439,735 square miles (1,138,910 square kilometers); Population: 44,725,543; Capital: Bogota; Largest City: BogotaThe area that would eventually become Bogota was first settled by the local Muiscas Indians, and their settlement, called Bacatá, was the center of their civilization. The Spanish, lured by gold, arrived in South America in the 1500s to establish colonies. In 1538, a Spanish settlement was founded by Gonzálo Jiménez de Quesada on the site of the former Muiscas settlement. The new Spanish settlement was called Santa Fé de Bacatá. (Santa Fé was the town in Spain that Jiménez was from). Eventually, Bacatá was corrupted to Bogota, and its official name became Santa Fé de Bogota.Bogota was elevated to the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada, which was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru at the time. Later it became the capital of the...

Brazil

by traveldave

Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil; Land Area: 3,286,478 square miles (8,512,000 square kilometers); Population: 203,429,773; Capital: Brasilia; Largest City: Sao PauloRio de Janeiro's most prominent landmark is Christ the Redeemer statue, which is situated at the summit of 2,340-foot (713-meter) Corcovado Peak. In fact, the statue has become an iconic symbol of not only Rio de Janeiro, but of Brazil as a whole.Made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, the 635-ton (576,062-kilogram) statue was constructed between 1922 and 1931. It was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva and sculpted by French sculptor Paul Landowski. Christ the Redeemer is considered to be the largest art deco statue in the world. It is 130 feet (40 meters) tall, including its base, and the arms stretch 98 feet (30 meters).The peak can be reached by taking the two-and-a-half-mile (four-kilometer)...

Dont go stamp collecting while Travelling..

by cochinjew

we dont have much time, but we want to see as much as we can... writes the OPto be realistic forget Santiago de Chile.. Arrive in BA, enjoy BA, as suggested take a domestic flight to Puerto Iguazu on argentine side, stay on the argentine but visit both sides, then take a domestic flight from foz to Rio and spend the time there. in this way, you can have a SENSE of having visited the three places..It may be different for others, but it took me 10 different visits of one week each before I could say I have been to BA and know BA.. I have a good sense of Iguassu, having been there nearly that many times but Rio, I have been only twice and have only a superficial view of the place.. But if you have only two weeks, try to limit yourself to BA Falls and Rio..

Salar De Uyuni Trip

by dalmatiana

Me and my friend went for Estrella del Sur agency and booked a 3-day-trip through Uyuni to the Chilean border (well when you sum it up it less than 48 hours, but you start at 10-11am on the 1st day and arrive at the border early on the 3rd day).The agency had mixed reviews, but as we heard every agency received some bad comments...its a luck of the draw i suppose. as far as our trip is concerned, we had a friendly driver who took good care of us, helped us take cool photos in the desert and cooked for us. we were 6 in the toyota 4WD and we slept as a group in a dorm on both nights.the only trouble we had was a tyre breaking down in the middle of nowhere and again engine giving us trouble, but it worked out in the end - it all adds to the adventure!all in all, it was a great experience, perhaps even a highlight of our 4-month-trip on the continent. i hope the othes are as lucky!p.s. - it...

endless mirror
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The old prison & Maritime museum

by globetrott

The old prison is one of the major sights of Ushuaia, you will see the cells of the prisoners and many background-stories about the people who had been in prison there. The original prison-train is shown in the innercourt of the museum, dont miss that, there is a great locomovil as well.There is a Maritime museum as well in that building.The old prison & Maritime museum is open for visitors:April to October open daily: 10.00am - 8.00pmNovember to March open daily: 9.00am - 8.00pm LAST ADMISSION is at 07.30pm The Museum is OPEN EVERY DAY except on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and public holiday.ADMISSION PRICES :General Entrance A$70 Foreign Students A$40 Family Ticket A$150

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Santiago de Chile: Museo Colonial San Francisco

by globetrott

When you are visiting Santiago de Chile, dont miss to take a look inside this great museum: Museo Colonial San Francisco was built inside the former franciscan monastery next to Eglesia San Francisco and it is really worth seeing ! The museum is divided into several rooms and you will enter each of them through a different door from the monastery-garden. In the first one photography was not forbidden, while in the other ones sign-posts at the entrance clearly said : No photography. So you will see in my photographs only the best exhibits from this first room, the other rooms are similar !Museo Colonial San Francisco is open for visitorsdaily except Monday from 10am - 01.30pm & 03 - 06pmsundays & holidays between 10.00am and 02.00pmentrancefee is 1000 $ (=2 euro)

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Top 3 Hotels in South America

Alvear Palace  Buenos Aires

 8 Reviews and 266 Opinions  Spent three nights there in April 05. My eyes roll to the back of my head when I think of their... 

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Copacabana Palace  Rio de Janeiro

 21 Reviews and 452 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 417 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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South America Things to Do

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