Best Places to Visit in South America

he Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland area covering 150,000 square kilometres. I have fond memories of riding a horse through the swamps, then sleeping in a hammock in a barn at a cattle ranch.

There is much debate over which country has the better view of the falls, but I'd say you can't go wrong with either. This huge cascading waterfall is both taller and wider than Niagara Falls. Shaped like a giant horseshoe, when walking around on the Argentine side it seems as though the falls go on forever. Go to the Brazilian side if you want to get a view of the entire falls at once.

The jungle is amazing, and if you take a good tour you can learn about all the many medicinal plants that grow there. We stayed at a pretty fancy lodge with gorgeous views of the Anzu River that meanders through thick Amazonian jungle, with a chain of volcanoes looming in clouds above.

Mount Cotopaxi near Quito, Peru is said to be the highest active volcano in the world.

You probably don't think of Glaciers when you think of South America, but this massive glacier in southern Argentina is pretty amazing.

This ancient Incan city is truly a spectacular sight to behold. While many people choose to visit it by taking a bus or a train from nearby Cusco, I think the best way to see it is after the Inca Trail hike, a four day hiking and camping experience where you hike the same trail that the ancient Incas used. On day four you arrive at the Sun Gate and watch the sun rise over the mountains and shine down on these ancient ruins.

This is the world’s highest cascading waterfalls. Take a plane or a boat trip to get a closer look!

Home to variety of flora and fauna, as well as giant sea turtles, the Galapagos is one of the last untouched areas in nature. Most commonly visited by scientists on expeditions, this is where Charles Darwin conducted his studies in Geology and Biology.

This is the deepest canyon in the world, but it is surprisingly lesser well known than other famous canyons. It's located in the Andes in Southern Peru and is home of the Andean Condor, a majestic yet endangered bird of prey.