{"id":98902529,"date":"2019-09-26T14:05:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T18:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/?p=98902529"},"modified":"2019-09-30T11:34:35","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T15:34:35","slug":"best-places-to-visit-south-america-biomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/best-places-to-visit-south-america-biomes\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for Some of the Best Places to Visit in South America? Try Exploring its Biomes"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most difficult parts of planning a trip is deciding the sort of trip you want. Maybe you want a beach vacation where you can kick back with a cocktail in hand. Maybe you want a camping trip that\u2019ll weave you through enormous mountains and glaciers. Maybe you want a jungle adventure where you can spot wild animals, taste local foods, and kayak through crystal clear rivers. Oftentimes, my indecisiveness gets the best of me and I opt for all three wrapped in one, but where in the world can you get that?<\/p>\n

Enter South America. With an ideal geographical location, South America is a continent absolutely chock full of biodiversity and ecological variance. It’s a place with some of the most unique and differing biomes — biological and ecological communities — within close proximity to one another. And that diversity packed-in on top of each means you\u00a0can experience almost every kind of trip in one small country — from a beach vacation to a glacial mountain summit with everything else in between. So, if you’re a traveler with a big adventurous spirit but with small vacation time, here are some of the best places to visit in South America (according to landscapes you might like) that can easily be accessed by\u00a0visiting almost any country on the continent.<\/p>\n

Mountains\u00a0and Highlands (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile)<\/h2>\n
\"The

The Sunrise view of Machu Picchu in Peru\u2019s Andean Mountains<\/p><\/div>\n

Possibly the most famous mountain chain in the world, the Andes are internationally associated with South America\u2019s beauty. Ever since the discovery of Machu Picchu back in 1911, this behemoth of a mountain range has gained worldwide acclaim for being the birthplace and headquarters of the Incan Empire.<\/p>\n

\"The

The view from the top of the Salkantay Pass in Cusco, Peru<\/p><\/div>\n

The Andes stretch down the continent\u2019s Pacific coast, from Venezuela to Chile, making all the countries within its scope\u00a0the perfect area for mountain climbers and adventurers alike. You can climb Machu Picchu in Peru, hike Patagonia in Argentina\u00a0and Chile, explore La Paz in Bolivia, or even summit the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador. It\u2019s genuinely difficult to travel to South America without encountering the Andes in some form or another.<\/p>\n

\"My

My tour group in the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia<\/p><\/div>\n

Along with these\u00a0towering mountains comes the beautifully brutal Altiplano. These massive mountain plateaus (which\u00a0can be found in Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina) are known for their high altitude, low temperature, stunningly unique cultures, and beautiful scenery. The Altiplano is a harshly unforgiving landscape that can look at times almost lunar,\u00a0an intriguing\u00a0characteristic that has visitors scouring the Web for cheap plane tickets<\/a> to the continent so that they can see it for themselves.\u00a0You have the barren Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, the brilliantly orange Atacama Desert in Chile, and volcanoes\u00a0and geysers that dot the landscape throughout. The Altiplano is genuinely an otherworldly experience not to be missed, and is conveniently located just hours away from major tourist hubs on South America\u2019s west coast.<\/p>\n

Jungles (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname)<\/h2>\n
\"The

The view from the Medidi National Reserve in the Bolivian Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n

Just a few hours away from the frostbitten Andes is the steamy Amazon Jungle — the most famous and biodiverse jungle in the world. Ranging from Peru to Brazil with a handful of countries in between, the Amazon takes up most of South America\u2019s northern interior, and can feel just as\u00a0out of this world\u00a0as the Altiplano in the exact opposite way.<\/p>\n

\"An

An indigineous jungle village from Colombia\u2019s Ciudad Perdida Hike in Parque Tayrona<\/p><\/div>\n

Hugely lush, brilliantly tropical, and dense with greenery, the Amazon contains all sorts of jungle landscapes, from raging rivers to endless stretches of trees. You can care for animals in a Brazilian wildlife sanctuary, stay with a local indigenous tribe in Peru, or see firsthand how coffee and chocolate are made in Colombia —\u00a0 the experiences are both equally eye-opening and unforgettable.<\/p>\n

Deserts (Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Argentina)<\/h2>\n
\"Sandboarding

Sandboarding in the deserts of Huacachina, Peru<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether up high in the Altiplano or down at sea level, South America has no shortage of sandy deserts that are undeniably worth exploring. Ica, Peru is a picture-perfect textbook definition of a desert, featuring slithering yellow dunes that stretch all the way to the coast. Grab a bus from Lima, pop on a podcast, and you\u2019ll be there in less than three episodes!<\/p>\n

\"The

The volcanic & high-altitude Bolivian Atacama Desert<\/p><\/div>\n

You can also check out the black and red sand beaches of Paracas; sandboard in Huacachina\u2019s rolling dunes; or maybe even bundle up in Chile and explore the high-altitude Atacama desert, an entirely different desert experience. Vastly different and anything but barren, South America\u2019s deserts are surprisingly accessible for travelers, regardless of where you are on the continent.<\/p>\n

Cloud Forests (Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Chile)<\/h2>\n
\"Sunset

Sunset in Colombia\u2019s Cloud Forest in Minca<\/p><\/div>\n

Cloud forests are perhaps my favorite landscape in the world, and I had never heard of them until I went to South America. Temperate and comfortable, cloud forests are cooler versions of jungles with an equally huge array of wild and plant life. They typically exist in moderate altitudes – not high enough to be cold, but not low enough to be excessively hot.<\/p>\n

The frequent fog and rain from these distinct spots make them incredibly dense and lush, but without the overbearing heat and humidity of more tropical jungles. These conditions are absolutely ideal for all sorts of good stuff, like refreshing rivers, picturequese waterfalls, and the beautifully colorful birds and animals that inhabit them. And what\u2019s more, cloud forests often have the perfect blend of temperatures and climates for growing coffee and chocolate, so there\u2019s plenty to see and do. Grab a coffee and sink into a hammock in Minca, Colombia (only 4 hours from Cartagena) or zipline through the rolling hills in Mindo, Ecuador (just a one-hour bus ride from Quito).<\/p>\n

Beaches (Every country except Bolivia & Paraguay)<\/h2>\n
\"The

The Pacific coast of Lima, Peru<\/p><\/div>\n

Something quite unique about South America is that, despite it being such a massive continent, almost every single country has its own unique beaches. The northern coast (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana) is definitively Caribbean, featuring crystal clear water, stunning white sand beaches and world-class scuba diving. The western coast (Ecuador, Peru, and Chile) is much colder and less tropical; the water is dyed a deep ocean blue, but still maintains a lovely assortment of wildlife, ranging from seals and dolphins to penguins and even whales. The eastern coast (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) has a mix of both, with warmer oceanic waters, unique dive spots, and picturesque Atlantic beaches. Even landlocked countries like Bolivia and parts of Peru have beaches on Lake Titicaca, and while they are not exactly suitable for bikinis and sunscreen, the coast on the edges of the world’s tallest navigable lake is pretty breathtaking.<\/p>\n

\"The

The view of Isla de la Plata in Ecuador, also termed \u201cthe Poor Man\u2019s Galapagos\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

South America is unique in so many ways, from its\u00a0rich Incan history to the beautifully rich cultures that evolved in along with the\u00a0influence of\u00a0colonization. But, for me, it\u2019s the ecosystems that draw me in. Where else in the world do you have deserts, mountains, jungles, forests, and beaches all conveniently and neatly wrapped into one of\u00a012 countries? Where else can you arrive at a coast, and within one hour be sitting comfortably in a hotel in the middle of the mountains?<\/p>\n

Plan a trip to any of these South American countries, and I guarantee that you\u2019ll have the easiest and best access to some of the world\u2019s most beautiful landscapes right at your fingertips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the most difficult parts of planning a trip is deciding the sort of trip you want. Maybe you want a beach vacation where you can kick back with a cocktail in hand. Maybe you want a camping trip that\u2019ll weave you through enormous mountains and glaciers. Maybe you want a jungle adventure where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":98902531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[257,111,74,141],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98902529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eco-travel","category-international-travel","category-lifestyle","category-travel-inspiration"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98902529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98902529"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98902529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98902617,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98902529\/revisions\/98902617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98902531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98902529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98902529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98902529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}