Browsing: South & Central America

For an area famous as the driest place in the world, Chile’s Atacama Desert boasts a surprising amount of activities involving water. Which is fabulous when the temperature tops a sizzling 35 degrees (91deg F) and you’re dying to cool off in a lagoon or a refreshing river.

The Atacama, in the north of the country, is a place full of contrasts, and my favorite is the unusual opportunities to get wet in the desert.   …

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Deep inside the jungles of Colombia, archeologists have discovered an extensive array of ancient rock paintings, hailed as the “Sistine Chapel of the Ancients.”  These glyphs represent a significant milestone in the study of pre-Columbian history and offer a new window into the lives of people who lived during the Ice Age. This discovery, made in the Serranía de la Lindosa and nearby areas, including the Chiribiquete National Park, was led by a British-Colombian team …

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Costa Rica is, of course, a paradise for nature lovers. It, therefore, makes sense that many people only wish to spend a minimal amount of time, if any, in the gritty capital of San Jose before heading to the beaches and tropical rainforests.

Surrounded by volcanoes, coffee plantations, and cloud forests and situated in the central valley, San Jose is the capital and largest city in Costa Rica. If you travel independently in Costa Rica, …

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Colombia — The land of drug runners, cartels and kidnappings, right? You might be thinking of the Colombia of old. This diverse gem nestled at the top of South America with coasts kissing both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea has successfully emerged from underneath a less than desirable reputation a few decades ago due to rampant drug trade and violence.

Now, tourists have been dipping their toes back into the country, enjoying some of

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The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is an subterranean church located 200 meters underground in the Andean mountains of Colombia, carved out of solid rock salt. The Salt Cathedral has become a top tourist destination and an important place of pilgrimage in Central and South America.

The history of the Salt Cathedral goes back to the Muisca indigenous people who occupied this region before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The Muisca extracted salt from …

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Situated in the desolate beauty of Chile’s Atacama Desert, a colossal hand emerges from the sandy surface. This iconic, larger-than-life sculpture known as “La Mano del Desierto” or “The Hand of the Desert” has been an intriguing spectacle for many who traverse Chile’s Route 5. The Hand of the Desert is an imposing, 11-meter (36 feet) tall sculpture that depicts a right human hand, rising eerily from the desert sands, palm facing up towards the …

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Mankind has always sought to leave a mark on the world, a testament to our existence, beliefs, and art. Among the most puzzling and fascinating imprints of our ancestors are the ancient geoglyphs—colossal figures etched into the earth’s surface. These gigantic artworks depict a variety of figures, from geometric shapes to animals and humans, spread across diverse geographies. They are enigmatic remnants of ancient civilizations, their purpose, construction, and symbolic meaning often shrouded in mystery. …

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It’s no coincidence that some of the most pristine places in the world are also the most inhospitable.

If a place is easy to reach and nice enough to stay, people flock there in droves, settle down, and gradually destroy the beautiful scenery that attracted them in the first place. It’s far better to have a hostile climate if you want to protect nature. Forgive the philosophy, but those are the things you ponder when …

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Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is not only a place of rest for the deceased but also an important cultural attraction in the city. Cementerio de la Recoleta in Spanish, is a famous burial ground located in the heart of Buenos Aires. The cemetery has a rich history and is considered one of the most beautiful and important cemeteries in the world.

 Recoleta Cemetery was first opened in 1822. At the time, the cemetery …

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International business and leisure travel trends have rightly indicated the advent of a new era for the South American nation of Colombia. That change is apparent nowadays from the moment of arrival into the city of Medellin from its international airport – a descent into a remarkable panorama of soaring skyscrapers and cranes busy with even more construction in both business and residential districts reflecting the transformation underway in this second largest Colombian city.

What …

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It’s only 10 p.m., but everyone has retreated to bed except the five of us playing cards in the hostel dining room.

“Deal another round,” I say, “I’m staying up all night.” Sleep seems unlikely when the temperature is plunging towards minus 12 degrees C (10 deg F), there’s no hot water for showers, and six people are sharing each room where the beds are blocks of salt.

I’ve discovered that you can’t enjoy the …

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From the Bahamas to the southeastern points of the Caribbean, small museums dedicated to special interests, people or significant events can become an engaging stop even on a busy itinerary. If your own interests at home include one of these categories, then consider including one of these noteworthy, smaller museums during your own local time in the destination. While some are off the beaten track or a drive out of town, others just as often …

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Here, the winds speak. And the spirits speak if you listen for them. Lying 2,300 miles away from Chile, the country that governs it, it’s the most remote populated island on Earth. The nearest populated “neighbor” is Pitcairn Island (yes, that Pitcairn Island, of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame), in the South Pacific – 1,300 miles away.

Easter Island may well be the most mysterious place on Earth. The people of stone, if they could …

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The first time I visited Santiago five years ago, I loved it so much that I thought it could be fun to live there for a while. It felt big enough to be lively and small enough to manage, with stunning scenery and a cosmopolitan flair.

Now I’m sitting on the balcony of my tiny apartment watching the snow on the Andes turn delicate shades of pink in the sunset. I’ve become more Chile-street-smart these …

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