Magical Bucket List Moments You Must Experience in South America

Once a giant prehistoric lake, this near 11,000-square-kilometre desert is now the planet’s largest salt flat. Take a 4WD tour across its glittering white expanse, marvelling at the beauty of this unique ecosystem that is home to not much except giant cacti and pink flamingos. In autumn, rain transforms the flats into a vast puddle that reflects the sky, making it impossible to tell where land ends and the heavens begin.

The beautiful 15th-century ruins of this ancient Incan citadel are a highlight of any trip to Peru and many visitors choose to walk the original road, the Inca Trail, on a one- to five-day journey. Rediscovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, its enigma lies in the fact that no-one knows why it was built or why it was abandoned.

On the southern edge of Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park, among icy islands and glacial lakes, witness the majestic blue-tinged peaks of its most famous glacier. Perito Moreno is steadily growing, which results in eerie cracking noises and occasional tremendous icefalls. In the closest town, El Calafate, plan and book your trip to hike the pathways or traverse the lagoons by tour boat.

The 900 or so iconic Easter Island “heads” are actually full bodies, many of which are partially buried. Ranging from two metres to 20 metres high, these brooding monoliths were carved from volcanic rock by Polynesian settlers, it’s believed, although theories that extraterrestrials had a hand in it perpetuate. You can fly in from the Chilean capital, Santiago, and see most of the island by minibus, bicycle or horseback.

Colombia’s picturesque coffee-growing zone produces the majority of the world’s arabica beans. The country’s improving stability – and the world’s obsession with all things caffeine – means the region is opening up to “coffee tourism” where you can see production in action on a plantation tour. A good base is Salento, the colonial market town in the heart of the coffee zone.

This group of hundreds of picture-perfect islands dotted throughout pristine turquoise waters lies 160 kilometres north of Caracas and is a sparkling antidote to the unrelenting bustle of Venezuela’s cities. Archipelago-hopping is all done from the main island of Gran Roque. We won’t tackle the clichés; suffice to say, if you’re a beach person, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Located 965 kilometres off Ecuador’s coast, Charles Darwin’s “Enchanted Isles” are a truly extraordinary place to visit. They are probably best known for the animals that are found nowhere else in the world, such as the giant tortoise, marine iguana and flightless cormorant. Tourism is regulated with military precision and most people fly in and get around by cruise boat, although there are land-based hotel options, too.

Heralded as one of the most jaw-dropping experiences you can have on planet Earth, the almighty Iguazu is made up of 275 or so waterfalls and is almost twice as tall and three times as wide as Niagara Falls. From the Brazilian side the views are incredible; from the Argentinian side you can get right up to the action of the “Devil’s Throat” in a tour boat. Prepare to be giddy with emotion… and also, to get drenched.