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Tag: south america
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The-Central-West The-Pantanal Brazil
The Amazon may attract more fame and glory, but the Pantanal is a better place to see wildlife. In the Amazon, the animals hide in the dense foliage, but in the open spaces of the Pantanal, wildlife is visible to the most casual observer. If you like to see animals in their natural environment, the Pantanal – with the greatest concentration of fauna in the New World – should not be missed.
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Northern-Chile Copiapo Chile
This pleasant but down-to-business town earns kudos for being the site of several historical firsts: South America’s first railroad (completed in 1852) ran from here to Caldera; here, too, appeared the nation’s first telegraph and telephone lines, and Chile’s first gas works. It’s not hard to guess the reason why a provincial backwater should so suddenly hit the jackpot – mining. Copiapó budded with the 18th-century gold boom, and bloomed with the rush to cash in on silver discovered at Chañarcillo in 1832.
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Northern-Patagonia Futaleufu Chile
To rafters and kayakers the ‘Fu’ or ‘Futa’ river has the same significance Las Leñas has for skiers, Rio has for beach bums, Aconcagua has for climbers, or Buenos Aires has for fashionistas – it’s simply South America’s best. The crystalline blue and impressively wild waters attract more rafting enthusiasts and kayak-toting travelers every year.
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Atlantic-Coast Bahia-Blanca Argentina
Grandiose buildings, an attractive plaza and boulevards lined with shade trees and palms lend oft-overlooked Bahía Blanca the feel of a cosmopolitan city in miniature. While its chief advantage is as a resting point during overland trips from Buenos Aires to Patagonia, there are a few things to see in town, and plenty of good eating and entertainment options.
Jutting out some 2800m above the Patagonian steppe, the Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) are spectacular granite pillars that dominate the landscape of what may be South America’s finest national park (admission high/low season US$17/8.50). These breathtaking spires are flanked by the summit of Paine Grande (3050m) and the sharp tusks of black sedimentary peaks known as Los Cuernos (The Horns; 2200m to 2600m). Yes, these are the famous Patagonian mountains that you see on posters and book covers all over the world.
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Atlantic-Coast La-Plata Argentina
Barely an hour from Buenos Aires, this bustling university town has the same belle epoque architecture, gracious municipal buildings and leafy parks, all on a smaller scale. The big tourist draws are its natural-history museum, one of Argentina’s best, and the imposing neo-Gothic cathedral.
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Southern-Patagonia Puerto-Natales Chile
Let’s get right to the point – Puerto Natales is the gateway to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine and not much else. It’s not the most attractive town in the region (nor the least attractive) – but considering that it’s the departure point for the best national park in South America, it doesn’t matter. While, overall, it is lacking a centralized local culture, Natales does have a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, hotels and a few bars that cater to international tastes. It also has some last-chance camping/hiking gear stores, which are all overpriced. You are better off picking up supplies in Puerto Montt or Punta Arenas.
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Patagonia Los-Antiguos Argentina
Situated on the windy shores of Lago Buenos Aires, the agricultural oasis of Los Antiguos is framed with rows of Lombardy poplars sheltering chacras (small independent farms) of cherries, strawberries, apples, apricots and peaches. Before the arrival of Europeans, ageing Tehuelche frequented this ‘banana belt’ –the town’s name is a near-literal translation of the Tehuelche name ‘I-Keu-khon, ’ meaning Place of the Elders. Travelers come to cross the border into Chile, but getting here via RN 40 can be an adventure in itself.
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Southern-Patagonia Punta-Arenas Chile
Punta Arenas is supposedly at the bottom of the Americas, but in many ways it is not. Yes, you can almost spot the southern tip of the South American mainland from town. However, Chile claims a pie wedge of Antarctica – all the way to the South Pole – and right below Punta Arenas, a small monument marks the nominal midpoint of the Chilean nation.