Incredible South American adventures

Published on February 18 2013 by Izabella

As a continent, South America is incredible. There are endless places to visit, cultures to experience, gourmet delicacies to sink your teeth into and mountains to climb, rivers to cross and beaches to laze upon. If you're looking for an unforgettable South American adventure, why not try trekking to the top of a mountain and exploring Machu Picchu, driving across the salt flats in Bolivia or hiking to the Torres del Paine in Chile?

Machu Picchu

A trek to Peru's most famous site is a classic adventure for first-timers in South America. These days it's a lot easier than it used to be. You can hire llamas to carry your packs and hire a guide to lead you all the way up if you want to make a few days of hiking out of it from Cuzco. The Incas were really incredible, building such a place so high up, constructing an entire city with no mortar! You can still walk along their winding roads that twist round the Andes' mountain passes.

Salar de Uyuni

Head to Bolivia if you're into the savoury more than the sweet. The world's largest salt flat is here and is without a doubt one of the most impressive landscapes in the world. You've never seen anything like this! Salar de Uyuni is more than 12,000 sq km and in the centre, the salt is 10+ metres thick, meaning you can drive right out on it. It's best to visit in the wet season, when it is covered in a thin layer of water. While you're there, why not stay in a hotel made of salt? Think ice hotel but different...

Torres del Paine

Head to the southern tip of the New World and you'll find the most gracious mountains. Torres del Paine National Park is not to be missed if you love a good hike and relish spending time in the great outdoors. You can spend days, week hiking here and you'll feel like you've really reached the end of the world. You have. The park's lakes, glaciers and mountains are massive. The silence will made you deaf. This place is extraordinary.

Have you ever travelled to South America? Where?

Images: chadica, nouhailler, osvaldoROVE / Flickr cc.