Our guide to Brazil’s wildlife
16 December 2024
6 unmissable bucket list destinations in South America
|South America features immense variety in terms of climate, flora and fauna, historical wonders from both the distant and recent past, cultural attractions ranging from music to Indigenous art, and various locations that resemble nowhere else on Earth. That’s quite a bit to mull over when planning a vacation to one or more of the most popular places in South America. With that in mind, we came up with several natural, cultural, and historical travel ideas that should be on the bucket list of anyone planning to visit the continent. (Remember: you don’t have to do all of this at once – and you probably shouldn’t! But all of these destination inspirations are great places to start.)
Adventure travel in Patagonia
Argentina, Chile, and a handful of tiny U.K.-governed islands (the Falklands, South George, and the uninhabited South Sandwich Islands) comprise most of South America’s southern end. Most of that land is Patagonia, a region that Argentina and Chile jointly administer and is larger than 80% of the world’s countries.
Though it first rose to prominence for its sheep farming, Patagonia’s natural attractions have put travellers under its spell for decades, just as they awed explorers of centuries past. But there’s a reason we describe a visit to Patagonia as ‘adventure travel.’ It’s a beautiful but rugged land. Whether on the Argentine or Chilean side, you’ll want to be prepared for physically intense activity and bring attire (sturdy boots, a strong jacket, and so on) that can withstand the rigours of the terrain.
Highlights of Argentinian Patagonia
Patagonia’s Argentina-controlled western portion has many jaw-dropping sights. Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, near El Calafate, features three colossal glaciers (Upsala, Onelli, and Perito Moreno) that meet at Lake Argentino’s far end, and you’re unlikely to forget the visual impact of the Perito Merino Glacier dropping hunks of blinding white ice into the lake. It’s part of the world’s largest grouping of ice fields outside of Antarctica.
It isn’t all lakes and ice shelves, however. Thick forest surrounds Mount Solo, the Adela Range and various other pinnacles of the Andes mountains. The plains and desert areas, such as the Patagonian Steppe that take up much of Argentine Patagonia, may appear desolate at first glance – but they’re home to some of the world’s rarest animals, including the llama-like guanaco, Darwin’s rhea (a flightless bird that is one of only three living rhea species), the Magellanic tuco-tuco (a hard-to-spot but adorable squirrel-like rodent), and the Patagonian fox. Also, if you double back to the Atlantic coast, you can find the Valdes Peninsula. There, you’ll see some of the planet’s most remarkable marine animals on the planet: the southern right whale, elephant seal, killer whale, and more.
Highlights of Chilean Patagonia
The eastern, Chile-controlled portion of Patagonia is especially wildlife-rich and has a more varied climate than its Argentine counterpart. This region surrounding the city of Punta Arenas features the iconic Andean condor, small but fierce steamer ducks, Magellan’s penguins, and the Chilean flamingo, among many other birds. The more mountainous areas to the north, which aren’t quite as tourist-saturated even during the December-to-March peak season, are home to the South American cougar, Patagonian fox, the rare vicuña (a cousin to the guanaco), and many other mammals.
Chilean Patagonia is particularly ideal for adventurous travellers due to its many potential activities. Expeditions into the Western Andes are always an option, but so are kayaking in Agua Fresca Bay, travelling through the hill country on ATVs, exploring General Carrera Lake by boat, and journeying into the haunting caverns of the Marble Caves, which deserve to be listed among the most famous landmarks in South America.
Active experiences in Brazil’s Amazon jungle
Brazil offers such a wide variety of travel and leisure experiences that it’s almost tempting to list what isn’t there. It’d be extremely short: Brazil has everything from the world’s most famous Carnival festival and unique music genres (funk carioca, bossa nova, and more) to iconic beaches like Ipanema and one of the most jaw-dropping waterfalls — the 260ft (about 80m) Iguaçu Falls, above the eponymous river on Brazil’s Argentine border.
But the Amazon is… well, the Amazon. About a third of the main river is in Brazil (not counting the numerous tributaries, streams, and other smaller bodies of water that shoot off from it) and a trip on and around the Amazon shows you so much of what makes Brazil unique. Starting inland at Manaus and continuing through to Alter do Chão on the Atlantic coast, you can enjoy everything from the sight of boto (pink Amazon river dolphins) and thousands of other rare animals to lessons in Brazil’s many dances and samples of local cuisine.
This isn’t a river meant for an idle cruise, but rather an opportunity for activities galore: canoeing, kayaking, piranha-fishing, alligator-spotting, birdwatching, and hiking through less dense areas of the jungle. Trust us — that’s not a complete list. In this breathtaking rainforest, you’ll have the chance to see some of the most remarkable animals ranging from the giant otter and anaconda to hundreds of bird species and more than 6,000 fish species — though you won’t see nearly as many of the latter. (Scuba diving isn’t recommended due to the prevalence of alligators.)
Unique wildlife and conservation in the Galapagos
While it can’t beat the Amazon — which contains at least a third of the world’s known animal species — for biodiversity, the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador should be just as appealing to wildlife enthusiasts. Each island features multiple endemic species, in environments that range from barren-looking plains formed by ancient volcanic activity to thick tropical rainforests and stunning coasts looking out on coral-rich waters.
First-time Galapagos visitors will likely be no less amazed than Charles Darwin was back in the 1830s when they initially glimpse one of the giant tortoises that give the islands their name. But there are hundreds of other animals to spot: birds (including Darwin’s finches, the Española mockingbird, the Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants), reptiles (marine iguanas, lava lizards, numerous snakes), fish (too many to count, including deadly hammerhead sharks), and mammals both terrestrial (unique mouse species) and marine (sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, and various whales).
As with various parts of the Amazon river system, the Galapagos Islands are subject to numerous protections under Ecuadorian law: the Galapagos National Park comprises 97% of the islands’ area, and various zones are preserves that can only be observed under supervision. At a minimum, be mindful of how rare and beautiful this ecological wonderland is during your visit. If interested in participating — even briefly — in conservation efforts, contact park officials or staff at the non-governmental Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island.
Desert and wildlife wonders of Bolivia
We’ve discussed plenty of flora and fauna in this article. It’s unavoidable when talking about the world’s most biodiverse continent. But two of the best reasons for visiting Bolivia — the Salar de Uyuni and the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve — are on opposite ends of the wildlife spectrum.
Salar de Uyuni is located in Potosi’s northwestern corner. Its blinding-white salt flats stretch over approximately 4,100 sq mi (almost 10,600 sq km) and are home to nearly no plant or animal life. Only on small “islands” (leftovers from when the Salar was a lake, more than 30,000 years ago) will you find various cacti, quinoa plants, and several other hardy shrubs. A few resilient animals share the islands, most notably Andean foxes, llamas, viscachas (imagine rabbits, but with somewhat piglike snouts), and vicuñas. If visiting in November, you might spot Chilean or Andean flamingos. But while the Salar de Uyuni is sparsely inhabited, it’s a place of singular, austere beauty; little wonder it’s been a filming location for both blockbusters (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and arthouse cinema (The Fall).
For every animal species the Salar lacks, the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve has about a half-dozen. Once reaching the mountainous preserve after journeying southwest from the salt flats, you’ll be among more than 80 birds (including flamingos, Andean geese, and the extremely rare royal cinclodes), various reptiles, pumas, Suri alpacas, and Andean cats. But be sure to minimise the impact of your visit: the effects of human disturbance mean some areas of the reserve are off-limits to tourists.
Las Lajas Sanctuary: a Colombian architectural marvel
Moving on from natural wonders to man-made marvels, the Las Lajas Sanctuary near Ipiales, Colombia, must be seen to be believed. Surrounded by thickly forested portions of the Andes mountains, the sanctuary was constructed out of slate-grey flagstone more than 8,569ft (2,612m) above sea level and 150ft (approximately 46m) above a gorge and fast-moving river. (Unsurprisingly, it took over 30 years to build.)
Though the site has immense religious importance to the majority-Catholic locals, anyone can appreciate the artistic mastery that fuelled construction of such a stunning and uniquely shaped site: Las Lajas is sometimes characterised as neo-Gothic or Gothic Revival by architects, but the buttresses and spires don’t quite fit either label (nor does the connected bridge). Inside, the white vaulted ceilings reach 90ft (about 27m) and reflect light from the mostly stained-glass windows in gorgeous fashion. Those with an eye for architecture will consider it one of the best spots in South America.
Indigenous history on Easter Island
Over 500 years — or as many as 1,400, depending on which historian you ask — before any Abrahamic religion came to South America, the Rapa Nui settled on what many now call Easter Island — the Rapa Nui, however, named it after themselves — and built the stone statues called moai. Just under 900 of them still stand on the island, located a full 2,182mi (3,512km) west of the Chilean coast. While the statues are generally believed to represent ancestors, the moai evoke a singular awe. Rapa Nui culture, while not dissimilar to that of Polynesian tribes who are their most likely ancestors, is found nowhere else on the planet.
On your visit to Easter Island, you’ll obviously want to see the statues at Rapa Nui National Park, particularly the 15 truly colossal sculptures near Tongariki. Other activities you can enjoy include kayaking, snorkelling, hiking, horseback riding, and visits to other ancient sites (the striking petroglyphs at Papa Vaka and Orongo, among other places). But you should also set aside some time to spend in Hanga Roa and patronise local establishments. The Rapa Nui are one of the few Indigenous societies in South America that — despite occasional disputes with Chile, of which it’s a “special territory” — are effectively self-governing. Your contributions to their economy are incredibly important.
Make it happen
No matter where you ultimately choose to spend your time in South America, our local experts are at your disposal to help you plan every detail of your trip and make sure you experience this unique continent in the most fulfilling way possible. Get in touch with them whenever you’re ready to start plotting your getaway.
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