TOP 30 Things To Do In SOUTH AMERICA | Your GUIDE to plan the perfect trip!

we are done our big trip through South America has come to an end and we are ready to share the best experiences we got up to in the past five months [Music] [Music] one thing we need to say before we start the video is that we were forced to skip Peru entirely due to the political situation that was going on there at the time we were traveling we are 100 sure that there will be some Peruvian places on this list had we made it there but we will definitely be putting it on our bucket list for next time so we will give you our thoughts then back to what we actually did do though and there are so many amazing things we got up to we have narrowed it down to top 30 lists we'll count down from 30 to 1 and at the end of the video you will find out what our favorite thing to do in South America was let's get started number 13. kokoro Valley South America has a lot of biggest longest tallest highest in the world Etc so we're going to start your list with a visit to the tallest palm trees in the world in Colombia quindio wax palm trees are the tallest palm trees in the world reaching a height of up to 60 meters and can only be found in the forest of the Andes the toast of this unique trees are situated in the Via de cocora in Western Colombia next to the quaint little village of salento although it was a wee bit too thirsty to be further up on our list cocora Valley was definitely worth a visit and something you should not miss out on number 29 take a tour of the Maracana stadium in Rio mark crazy national football team in history and the venue of two FIFA World Cup finals it's hard to argue that the Americana in Brazil is the Holy Grail of football stadiums witness legendary Brazilian players Footprints jerseys boots and medals hold a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy take a walk through the changing rooms go into the stands and even sit in the coach's seats if you are a football fanatic like I am this is a must do in Rio number 28 take a stroll around some historical centers most cities in South America have what they call a central historical which is usually where you will find the life and soul of the country's culture our favorites included Cartagena in Colombia Buenos Aires in Argentina Montevideo and Uruguay Santiago in Chile La Paz in Bolivia Cuenca and Quito and Ecuador Central historicus are typically where you will find them amazing architecture local markets and street food vendors if you are passing through any of these places make sure to check them out number 27 catch a sunset overlooking the jungle in Minka Colombia if you're traveling in Colombia you will hear about Minka so often that you just won't be able to resist going there apart from the waterfalls that this place is famous for getting as high up as possible and catching the sunset over the sprawling Treetops is a magical experience and one not to be missed there are several hostels that offer Sunset experiences and it is the perfect way to unwind with a cocktail after a long day exploring marinka waterfall and puzzle Azu don't miss this place in Colombia number 26 visit the wonder of the world by taking a trip to Christ the Redeemer statue and you admittedly it would be higher now at least if it varied for thousands of tourists you have to squeeze through at this attraction you may notice the trend in this list that tells you will like finding hidden gems and this is most definitely not one of those as it seems everyone in Brazil had decided to visit Christ the Redeemer on the day we went regardless it is the wonder of the world and gives you unbelievable views of Rio give it a go but we would recommend going early in the morning for the best chance of being able to move freely number 25 take in the views of La Paz on its incredible cable care system we would never have thought that a mode of public transport would make it onto our best things to do in South America list but here we are this is such a fun thing to do and the views of the snow-capped mountains surrounding the mesmerizing City of La Paz make it a very rewarding experience there's a clever option to buy a round-trip ticket that will allow you to travel around the whole city on the system this round trip ticket allows you onto six interconnected lines that form a circle around La Paz they take it costs just 11 bolivianos or one Euro 50 and is a very unique experience for this reason alone it makes it onto our list at number 25. number 24 immerse yourself in the football cultures of Argentina and Uruguay all countries in South America have huge football cultures but we found Argentina in your web to be particularly passionate about the beautiful game we had the privilege of watching Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup Final in a packed Fun Zone in Buenos Aires there are simply no words for these experiences let these clips to the talking so here we are in Buenos Aires two days after Argentina won the World Cup and this is their homecoming party it is the most mental thing I've ever seen in my life there's like military jets flying over us for performing tricks fireworks and Sonic bombs going off the streets are absolutely packed to people and it's just I don't have another word for it it's just mental Unforgettable right across the real De La Plata in Montevideo take a trip to a stage centenario to reading history right in front of your eyes this Stadium hosted the first World Cup Final in 1930 and even holds the original World Cup trophy presented that day in its Museum number 23 stop off at the gazers of Southern Boulevard it was quite surreal to witness this amazing area of volcanic activity at Seoul de Manana gazers neither of us had ever seen anything like it a gazer is a rare kind of volcanically charged hot spring that is under pressure and erupts sending Jets of water and steam up to 10 meters in the air and leaving behind this gooey greeny blue gunk in its Critters it's maybe an important note that the sulfur can actually be quite damaging to your health so when you're getting that picture beside the gazers make sure you don't get too close for comfort the next two places on our list are in Rio de Janeiro you can really see how much we liked it there number 22 relax on the iconic Ipanema and Copacabana beaches no things to do in South America list could exist without iconic Ipanema and Copacabana beaches as a traveler these two beaches are a must go now necessarily because they are the most amazingly beautiful beaches in the world but because there are no better places to go to experience the Brazilian Samba Vibe on a sunny day both of these will be breaming with life the Locust Life playing Beach football soaking up the race and of course relaxing with the tasty caipirinha which is also something you need to train you just be careful as they can be very strong number 21 take a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain staying in Rio where there are just so many iconic locations Sugarloaf Mountain is next on the list at number 21. you can actually take a cable car ride all the way to the top and take in one of the best views in Rio from up there it isn't cheap however as a return ticket will cost you about 26 Euro each but we can assure you it's worth splashing out a little bit extra for in our opinion this is definitely one of the coolest ways to spend a few hours in Rio from the top you will get stunning views of the city's many beaches and also one of the best views of the Christ the Redeemer statue there are even bars and restaurants at the top of the mountain so it was an unreal place to sit with a caipirinha or a beer and take in the sights of Rio the next one is for our fellow coffee lovers number 20 tour a Colombian coffee Farm during Archer which cost just eight euro per person we got taken through the coffee production process first hand and even made our own coffee to drink at the end we learned so many fun facts about coffee in Colombia and our guide was very engaging we know there are loads of options for taking coffee tours in Colombia but we really have no problem recommending this one number 19 fall in love with fabulous flamingos we had no idea we'd see so many flamingos on this trip and we now love these gorgeous creatures we saw hundreds of these Majestic pink birds everywhere from tourist defying south of Chile right up to the lagunas of Southern Bolivia we actually like seeing the flamingos so much that we decided to get matching pink flamingo tattoos because of her family group our favorite spot to Flamingo watch was at Laguna Colorado in Bolivia there were dozens of them here and the red Lagoon with the picturesque volcanic landscape in the background really made this moment special number 18. crawl through Ikea caves on the Tropical Paradise Island of illegrangea in Brazil if you don't like cramped dark spaces then look away no and skip this entry on your itinerary although we love this experience so much it's actually kind of difficult to explain with words what it was like I suppose the best way to describe it would be that you have to crawl through a 60 centimeter underground tunnel to make it to a Wee patch of green water that is eliminated By the Light coming in from underneath from the ocean it was nice and then if you put your head on the water you can see the ocean in the distance I told you it was hard to explain and that probably didn't make any sense whatsoever but just take a word for it it is unreal number 17 stand on the equator if the caves were hard to explain this one is exactly as it says on the tin unsurprisingly Ecuador means equator in Spanish and visiting the center of the world omitat de limunda is a novelty tourist attraction just known of the Ecuadorian capital of Quito even though this place attracts hundreds if not thousands of visitors each day it is still well worth this 30 minute bus Journey from keto to Sea Our advice would be to take a walk around the back of the main Monument as we find it to be way less crowded there were literally no people there when we went around and you'll find it much easier to take that much coveted I'm standing on the equator picture number 16. hike Through the Jungle to a tropical beach in terona natural National Park El Cabo San Juan is the nicest beach we went to on the whole continent the two-hour hike here makes it even more rewarding When You Reach This Paradise on the Colombian Caribbean coast the only thing that makes the hike tough is the heat I'm right but if you can get over that you will love your trip to tarona once again an important note go early to avoid all the other tourists not that we don't like tourists but just it's better when you're there on your own we did just a one day trip into the park but there are options to Camp beside the numerous beaches and we think that would also be a great choice either way if you love lost jungles that lead to tropical beach paradises tirona is most certainly the place for you we have reached the top 15 and it's time to add first proper hike on our list number 15 take on the most challenging and most dangerous hike in Rio okay that is a dramatic title but we're not exaggerating Pedro de gave has the reputation of being an extremely dangerous hike due to the part of the trail that turns into more of a free rock climbing exercise rather than a hike there are ways to limit the danger like paying some locals to use their climbing ropes but we were feeling quite adventurous that day and felt like attempting to scale the rock face without a harness or ropes we made it and to be honest we think it was more dangerous coming back down we are glad we did it but maybe it is a good idea to pay those guys for their ropes just to be on the safe side whatever you choose the view at the top is outrageous and well worth a tough hike breathtaking views over the Brazil's largest favela Regina the statue of Christ the Redeemer Sugarloaf Mountain and the iconic beaches all right if you've been watching our videos on our travels through South America surely you'll be wondering where the Patagonia stuff is and this is our first entry from the region there may be more to come but you'll just have to wait to find out number 14 see The Bluest water you will ever see in Torres Del Pana in Chilean Patagonia we took a one day trip into the huge National Park but we are aware that more popular ways of seeing the beauty of Torres Del Pana include hikes like the famous W and O tracks that are a hiker's dream on our one day experience we managed to squeeze in stunning views of Greg Glacier hike up to an amazing Viewpoint of Francis Glacier overlooking the bluest water you can imagine and even made it to a picturesque setting to take in the stunning three towers with these flamingos this was a very rewarding day trip and one we would highly recommend even though it is not as popular a way to see the park as a multi-day Hikes either way do not miss this part of Patagonia let's stick with Patagonia on our next entry number 13 experience perito Marina Glacier and Argentinian Patagonia this beauty is not only patagonia's largest glacier but it is also the third largest reserve of fresh water on the planet suppressed only by Antarctica and Greenland and one of the only glaciers in the world that is not melting it actually expands by two meters every day this is one of those places that is hard to do justice to with the camera you really need to see it with your own eyes to witness how enormous it is be sure to keep a close eye on the face of the glacier by Falling icicles that crash from the ice into the water below the best time to see this happen is in the afternoon if you're feeling extra adventurous you can even book a hike on the glacier itself which we can imagine would be the best way to really get to grips with this natural wonder this one is for The Thrill Seekers number 12 ride a mountain bike on death Road in Bolivia is this narrow unstable Road has drops of up to 450 meters on the left hand side for 40 kilometers and used to account for an average of two to three hundred deaths every year back when it was the only route that connected the city of La Paz to the Amazon rainforest at some points you are forced to drive through some powerful waterfalls and an elapsing concentration could send you tumbling off the edge this is an exhilarating experience and one that just has to be on your South American itinerary number 11. we up absolutely love this after plucking up the courage to jump over this Cliff we Glide it over Rio for around 15 minutes taking the views of Regina Favela Christ reading my statue Sugarloaf Mountain visible in the distance it was an incredible experience and landing on the pristine white sand beach of South conrado was the icing on the cake there are lots of places to do this kind of activity all over South America but we can't think of anywhere we'd rather have flown above so after all that we are now into our top 10 and I think these are the places that will really hold a special place in our heart for a long long time number 10 experience Banos in Ecuador ah Banos what a way to start our top 10. we didn't even know this place existed up until just before we made our way into Ecuador but we are so glad we found this Gem of a place Vanos is the adventure capital of Ecuador and our favorite thing we got up to there was white water rafting right on the edge of the Amazon rainforest neither of us had ever done rafting before and we had a huge smile on our faces from start to finish another thing you have to do when embanos is to rent a bicycle and Ride Along route that they lost Cascada for views of several stunning waterfalls the best of which is Pion Del Diablo which is definitely the largest and most powerful single waterfall we have ever seen standing beside this monster of a waterfall is surreal and the power is actually a wee bit scary when you're up close to it Banos is special stick it on your list number nine visit Iguazu Falls with Brazil on one side and Argentina on the other iguazo is the largest waterfall system in the world twice as tall and three times as wide as the famous Niagara Falls a pinius vary on which side people prefer we definitely had the better experience on the Brazilian side but we can also see the appeal of the Argentinian site one thing is for sure that is that a trip here should 100 percent be on your South American itinerary good luck picking your draw up of the floor of the first catching a glimpse of this natural wonder number eight mindo cloud forest this is one of the least well-known places in our top 10 but we were absolutely Blown Away by the tiny little Ecuadorian tone of mindo the town is actually located in a cloud forest which is the perfect habitat for some exotic birds like toucans and hummingbirds we were lucky enough to get to feed hummingbirds from the palm of our hands this is something we didn't think we'd enjoy as much as we did but these tiny little birds are just so interesting and we couldn't help but be in awe of them we also spotted the native toucans playing in some trees right above us on a hike from Yellow House another incredible experience we did in mindo was a nocturnal walk through the jungle on the walk the most exciting thing was when our guide put his hand into a tree and gently took out a huge tarantula to show us we left minder with full hearts and an even bigger appreciation for untouched nature and seeing wildlife in its natural habitat number seven Concha etoric Chilean wine tour so if you don't know I'm from Russia and I'm Irish so we really like alcohol and we really enjoy doing tours of breweries and alcohol factories we knew we wanted to do something like this in Chile in contrary completely surprised our expectations ever heard of caselliero Del Diablo well this is the home of that's very famous Chilean wine as well as tons of others we paid for the more expensive tour which not only allowed us to enjoy the standard wine tasting but also granted us entry to a wine and cheeseburger tasting session at the end of the tour I'm not sure we were happier at any stage of our trip than we were when we had these fancy wines and cheeses in front of us with an expert telling us how best to indulge in them of course we ended up a wee bit tipsy after all the wine tasting we're a little bit drunk now because we've had about seven or eight glasses and so maybe we have to find a way back to our apartment in the city center what I really liked about this is that the bottles they made here we will be having them everywhere in the world like everywhere in Europe you will find this Chilean wine and that's amazing because you've been in the place where they make it so must try it if you're here in Santiago definitely an experience to remember well we remember most of it anyway okay that last one was too easy and fun let's introduce do something we really had to work hard for number six hike on Vulcan Cotopaxi finally another hike chloropaxi is the highest active volcano in the world reaching a height of 5897 meters above sea level which is even higher than Kilimanjaro in Africa originally we did plan on attempting to make it to the summit but authorities there were worried about recent volcanic activity and it is illegal to attempt without permission we did however make it to the glacier around 5200 meters up and had an amazing view of the top there was something so special about trudging up through the fresh volcanic ash to get a glimpse of the glacier and the summit not too far in the distance to get to the base camp we took a private tour from the main road into the national park and we would definitely recommend this option if it sounds like your kind of Adventure we still have Ambitions of climbing to the top someday but it just wasn't possible this time nevertheless it is an incredible experience now we are into the top five things to do in South America here is where things really get interesting at number five we have one of the things that was at the top of our bucket list when planning the trip and it certainly did not disappoint number five rent a truck and drive through the Atacama Desert in North Shilling can we go back what a play [Music] to have the freedom of driving your own truck anywhere you want really made our trip to that camera Unforgettable other than the North and South Poles Atacama is the driest place on Earth it receives less than one millimeter of precipitation each year and some areas haven't seen a drop of rain in more than 500 years there is one thing we didn't really expect when we originally planned on driving through the Atacama Desert and that was how unbelievably singing the roads would be we found it hard not to stop every 10 minutes just to pause and take a look at the ever-changing landscapes number four uuni salt flats in southern Bolivia just missing out on the top three is a trip to the biggest salt flood in the world if you've done any research on South America it will be no surprise to see this place so high on our list everything about your time spent on the Salt Flats just feels like an outer body experience from spending the previous night in a hotel made from Salt catching the sun come up over the horizon for a viewpoint on Cactus Island having breakfast with your tear grip on the salt driving through the open salt flood with no sign of Life anywhere as far as the eye can see to having so much fun and taking the wackiest illusion pictures imaginable you won't be able to help but think this is why I travel we don't have too many more words for this place unmissable okay I feel like we need a drum roll number three the Amazon rainforest the Ecuadorian part of the Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth even though we encountered some problems that made us quite sad about what is going on in certain parts of this vast rainforest it is difficult to explain in words how good of experienced the five days we spent there was throughout our stay at the wonderful Anaconda Lodge we took part in several amazing excursions the best things we did in the Amazon included the visit to an indigenous family home where we learned how to play the traditional Port of blowgun and made their own organic chocolate hikes Through the Jungle during the day where we saw lots of native Wildlife a trip to Laguna Cayman were respondents on speckled Caymans chipping down the river that was perfect for some bird watching and of course A nocturnal walk on which we were able to get up close and personal with some bullet ants and even tarantulas of course you can do trips into the Amazon in other countries like Brazil Peru and Bolivia but we couldn't recommend the Ecuadorian one highly enough and it was a week we will truly never forget [Music] number two Iberia wetlands in Northern Argentina never heard of it well that's why we loved it so much if you dream about finding hidden gems when traveling then look no further than the Iberia Wetlands it is the second largest wetland in South America behind only the pantanal and a trip here just simply has to go on your bucket list we saw way more Wildlife here than we did in the Amazon the reason it is ahead of the rainforest on our list is because Iberia is just one of those once in a lifetime authentic experiences that you rarely find when traveling hikes through the wetlands and jungles nocturnal walks kayaking and a lake that is home to Black Caymans and best of all just look at all this Wildlife Capybaras black caimans Marsh deer wild hogs ostriches foxes howler monkeys and all kinds of majestic birds were just some of the animals we spotted in our few days in Iberia this is up there with the best things we've ever done in our lives never mind just South America so it has rightly earned this spot of number two on our list [Music] ibera has been beaten by what is quite simply the most unbelievable and natural attraction we have ever laid eyes on I'm crying thinking about it which leads us to our number one spot and officially the best thing to do in South America in our humble opinion number one Mount Fitzroy Argentinian Patagonia [Music] a hike to Laguna De Los Tres that sits at the foot of the infamous Mount Fitzroy is top of our list for so many reasons part of the magic is that this is actually a tough hike and you really have to earn your reward it's at least a 20 kilometer round trip from the trailhead and the last two kilometers to reach the Laguna are Steep and very challenging but the views at the top are absolutely Sensational we still remember the moment we made it to the Laguna so vividly I think that image of Fitzroy will be ingrained in my head for the rest of my life we've mentioned before that there are some moments that make you stop and think this is why I travel this is why I'm here this is why I spend all the money this is what makes the long Journeys and Hauling your suitcase around worth it this was that moment for us it's also the only place on our list that made us a cry so for that reason alone it has to be tough when you say words unbelievable or that you can't believe your eyes but here is like look at this perfect mountain and there is a perfect Blue Lake absolutely ridiculous how nature just made it and to be able to see it it's magical the glacier is on the mountain and the ice showing enough the reflection in the water and then this just surreal looking spiked Mountain exquisite so that is it I hope you enjoyed watching and leave us a comment whether you agree or disagree with our choices we actually felt a little bit emotional when recording this video because we just crammed so many amazing memories into the past five months of traveling through this amazing continent there are ups and downs and a lot of charging days but if you're planning on traveling in South America we are positive you're going to have something to remember just like us

Channel: Something To Remember

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Keywords: South America, planning South America, bucket list, top places, top things to do, travel, South America travel, South America trip, travel guide, travel tips, top places to visit, how to travel South America, brazil, argentina, uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, peru, Colombia, travel itinerary, South America travel itinerary, best places, best things to do

Id: UrTqdSDDFHw

Length: 27min 18sec (1638 seconds)

Published: Mon May 29 2023