14 Reasons Why You Need To Travel to South America

South America is a very culturally and topographically diverse continent.  For nature lovers, South America offers the world’s largest rainforest, the world’s second highest mountain range, volcanoes, the world’s driest desert, beautiful beaches, some of the world’s largest and highest waterfalls, and glaciers.  History buffs will love South America’s ancient Incan ruins.  Meanwhile, culture enthusiasts will love the charming colonial cities in the Andes like Quito, La Paz, Cusco and Bogota; as well as the modern cosmopolitan metropolises like Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Medellin.  There is something for everyone in South America because each country is unique and amazing in its own way.

I’ve spent 4.5 months in South America, over 3 different trips, where I traveled to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.  It’s definitely one of my favorite regions in the world.  I adore the nature, the people, the language, the color, the food, the nightlife, the textiles and the animals.

 

14 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRAVEL TO SOUTH AMERICA

THE ANDEAN CULTURE

 

The indigenous Andean people of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia maintain their rich culture and many of their traditions, which is apparent when you visit these regions.  Bolivia is the most indigenous country in South America.

 

IT’S AFFORDABLE

 

Aside from the Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Patagonia and Brazil during Carnaval, for the most part, South America is very affordable to travel.  And it’s even cheaper if you stay in hostels and eat street food, like empanadas (which cost $0.50-1.50US each).

 

THE FOOD

 

One of the best things about traveling is trying all the delicious food.  However, know that South American cuisine is heavy on the meat.

 

THE MUST-TRY FOOD AND DRINKS IN SOUTH AMERICA

 

The universal South American snack is the empanada and it will change your life.  I don’t know how these tasty little meat-filled pastry pockets of delicious joy evaded me before I traveled to South America.

Argentina

• gelato
• choripan (chorizo sausage in a bun)
• asado (Argentinians love their meat and a good BBQ)
• alfajores (cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche, which is like caramel, but better. This is why Argentines put it on everything and you should too)
• mate (a caffeinated herbal drink)
• wine – No meal in Argentina would be complete without a great glass of very affordable wine from one of the many world famous wineries.

Brazil

• açai (frozen, ground up Amazonian berries)
• a Brazilian steakhouse (one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life)
• pão de queijo (cheese and bread, which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  And they’re gluten free because they’re made with tapioca flour)
• feijoada (meat and bean stew)
• moqueca (fish stew)
• brigadeiros (chocolate truffles)
• caipirinha (the national cocktail of Brazil made with cachaça, sugar, and lime)

Bolivia

• salteñas (a type of baked empanada, with a savoury filling and a slightly sweet pastry)
• coca tea (made from coca leaves to help with the effects of high altitude)
• papas rellenas (stuffed and deep fried mashed potato balls)

Peru

• ceviche (fresh raw fish in citrus)
• causa (mashed potato, spices, avocado and chicken or tuna)
• palta reina (avocado salad)
• lomo saltado (beef stirfry)
• cuy (guinea pig, a traditional dish in the Andes)
• rocoto relleno (spicy stuffed peppers)
• pisco sour (the national cocktail of Peru, made of pisco, lemon juice, egg white and bitters)
• Inca kola (the national soda of Peru that tastes like cream soda)

Chile

• wine
• terremoto (this cocktail, which means “earthquake”, is made of white wine, pineapple ice cream, fernet branca and grenadine. It’s VERY sweet)
• pisco sour (the national cocktail of Chile which is made of pisco, lemon juice, egg white and bitters)
• humitas (boiled flour and corn dough wrapped in corn husks, which is similar to a tamale)
• pastel de choclo (beef and corn casserole)
• ceviche (fresh raw fish in citrus)

Colombia

• ajiaco soup (a hearty soup of potatoes, chicken, avocado and corn)
• patacones (fried plantains)
• hot chocolate and cheese (yes, together.  You’ll either love it or hate it)
• bandeja paisa (for meat lovers with a big appetite- steak, chicharron, chorizo, rice, beans, egg and more)
• coffee (it’s some of the best in the world)

Ecuador

• llapingachos (fried potato patties stuffed with cheese)
• locro de papa (potato and cheese soup, with avocado)
• ceviche (fresh raw fish in citrus)
• canelazo (a delicious, warm drink made with cinnamon, cloves, sugar, orange and lime juice, and aguardiente liquor.  It warms you up when you’re in the cold mountains)
• chocolate (it’s some of the best in the world)

Venezuela

• arepas (a sandwich with various fillings like cheese, avocado and meat, which is stuffed into corn bread).  However, it isn’t recommended to travel Venezuela, due to the unfortunate political situation.  But you can find arepas in other countries, like Baños in Ecuador.  Know that Venezuelan arepas are very different from Colombian arepas.

And an absolute must try in South America is all the weird, wonderful and unique Amazonian fruits!

 

THE SPANISH LANGUAGE 

 

While traveling South America, you’ll have no choice but to learn a little Spanish because very little English is spoken.  However, luckily Spanish is a fairly easy and straightforward language to learn.

 

THE LLAMAS

 

The llama is a hump-less South American relative of the camel.  They’ve been domesticated and used as pack animals in the Andes mountains since the Incas.  In addition, leather is made from their hide, and their wool is woven into rugs and clothing.  And they’re super cute!

 

THE NIGHTLIFE AND DANCING

 

South Americans LOVE to dance and they’re all amazing dancers.  From Salsa in Colombia (and most of Latin America), Tango in Argentina, Samba in Brazil, etc.  It’s so much fun!  Reggaeton is a very popular music genre in Latin America, therefore, you will hear it everywhere.  Consequently, you will either love it or hate it, but you should try make an effort to like (or tolerate) it.

 

THE COLORFUL STREET ART

 

South America has lived through far more than its fair share of unrest, civil wars, gang violence and oppression; so consequently, their street art is a way to make public statements about controversial subjects.  Once very illegal, street art in South America is finally becoming embraced, respected and encouraged.

For example, some great cities to see street art are Bogota in Colombia, Quito in Ecuador, Santiago and Valparaiso in Chile, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Cochabamba in Bolivia, Lima in Peru, and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

 

THE ARCHITECTURE

 

The baroque architecture and colorful colonial buildings all over South America are beautiful and charming.

 

THE HOSTELS

 

I love the hostels in South America because many of them were once old mansions, so they’re full of character and historical intrigue.  The architecture is very elaborate, with beautiful and ornate rooms, courtyards and gardens.  And there are often a few mystery rooms that spark some intrigue.  I have a very active imagination, so I can’t help but imagine what it would’ve been like to have lived in these mansions during their prime.

La Chimba, in Santiago, reminded me of Narnia and Clue.  And in Sucre, Bolivia, I stayed in one of the coolest hostels I’ve ever seen- Kultur Berlin.  It has a massive courtyard and a beautiful garden with a treehouse(!).  And I’m pretty sure the bathroom in my dorm room was bigger than my apartment in Canada (ok, maybe not, but it was definitely bigger than the average bedroom).  And both my dorm room and bathroom had balconies that overlooked the pretty streets below.

 

THE COLORS

 

South America is a cheerful, vibrant kaleidoscope of bold, bright colorful textiles, clothing, street art and buildings.  Consequently, if you’re a textile lover and collector (like me), you’re going to need an extra suitcase.  Some of the best places to buy textiles and handicrafts are Otavalo in Ecuador and Pisac in Peru.  And basically anywhere in the Andes.

 

THE FRUIT

 

South America grows some of the best fruit in the world and it’s available for ridiculously cheap prices.  And you know what you can make with all this delicious fresh fruit?  Juice!  Fresh squeezed juice is very popular and amazingly refreshing and delicious.  Try the maracuya (passion fruit)!

 

THE HISTORY

 

South America is great for history lovers.  Peru has some of the oldest ancient cultures in the world and its archaeological sites are easily the best in South America.  They even rival the sites in Mexico, Egypt, Turkey and Greece.  For example, there’s the obvious and very impressive Machu Picchu, but the Nazca lines and Chan Chan are more great examples of the archaeological wealth that Peru has to offer.

 

THE LANDSCAPE

 

South America has an endless amount of jaw-dropping landscape from jungles, to mountains, valleys, salt flats, beaches, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, deserts, and more.  Therefore, exploring South America is an absolute must for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers.

 

BOLIVIA

 

Speaking of landscape, Bolivia has every kind of landscape you can imagine from the Amazon, the Andes mountains, valleys, geothermal vents, the world’s biggest salt flat- Salar de Uyuni, desert, to alpine lakes, which sometimes have hundreds of flamingos chilling in these lakes.  However, the only thing Bolivia is missing is a coastline and ocean (which it once had, until it was lost to Chile).  Bolivia has the most unique and varied landscape I’ve ever seen in my life.  I was constantly blown away by its beauty and it felt like I was on another planet.  And it’s the most indigenous country in South America, therefore, the culture and traditions are strong.

Bolivia is also the cheapest country to travel in South America.

 

MORE INFORMATION ON TRAVELING SOUTH AMERICA

 

Everything You Need To Know Before You Go To South America

How To Stay Safe in South America

What To Expect While Traveling In Developing Countries

Everything You Need To Know Before You Go To Peru

What To Know Before You Go To Chile

Everything You Need To Know Before You Travel To Bolivia