Destination South America: The Continent of Endless Choices

The Continent of Endless Choices

From the salsa heat of Rio, stretching south to the reaches of Antarctica, South America presents you with endless adventure. The culture, the landscape, the food, and the wildlife are as diverse as any place on the planet.

Brazil

Come for Carnival where the streets of Rio are thronged with people and celebration abounds. All earthly pleasures are indulged on the last day before the start of lent. Native, colorful, joyous celebration. Travel to the top of Corcovado Mountain, to see the majestic statue of Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer, who opens his arms as if to embrace Rio de Janeiro. From here, travelers gain unparalleled views of the city.

Visit the mighty Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and the Brazilian. Ancient lore has it that a deity planned to marry an aborigine woman, but when she fled with her lover in a canoe down the Iguazu, the angry god sliced the river and damned the lovers to an eternal fall.

Angel Falls, the highest uninterrupted falls in the world

Venezuela

Located in northern South America, Venezuela was named for Italy's Venice by European explorers who found native houses on stilts above Lake Maracaibo. Mild temperatures are enjoyed at this lake which separates the Andes into two.

In the South of Venezuela can be found Angel Falls, the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall. Just off the northern coast of Venezuela are Aruba and Netherlands Antilles with some of the most prized beach resorts on the planet.

Columbia

Although nearly on the Equator, the climate of Colombia's fast-growing capital is tempered by high altitude. Bogotá was founded by a conquistador who searched for the legendary El Dorado, a fantasy thought to be either a gilded man or a golden city. The legacy of that name lives on in the Museo del Oro, an important collection of golden artifacts.

Colombia is the only South American country with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Climb to and explore than ancient ruins of Machu Pichu

Peru

Journey to Peru’s ancient Inca ruins and see the influence of the past on the people who live in Peru. The legendary Inca settlement at Machu Pichu is one of the world's iconic areas. Enhanced by the mystery surrounding its use and abandonment, it has a haunting aura. It is often referred to as the Lost city of the Incas. It is said that the silhouette of the mountain range behind Machu Picchu represents the face of the Inca looking upward towards the sky. Travelers to Machu Picchu touch the past, the ancient, the lost.

Galapagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are warm most of the year. However, during the hot season the vegetation is greener and there is greater chance to see some of the islands exotic bird-life.

These islands are famed for their ecological pristine environment and the vast number of unique animal species, the best known of these being the Galapagos turtle. You will enjoy the best of nature, and the best of accommodations on National Geographic's Polaris cruise ship.

Argentina

Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires has tree-lined streets and large squares that retain an air of faded French elegance and throng with a people passionate about indulging the good things of life. Museums, galleries and buildings of historic significance are abundant and respectfully preserved. Great works of literature, opera, intelligent cinema, sport and a thriving theatrical tradition are all celebrated aspects of the rich and varied Latin culture that sparkles here day and night.

Patagonia

Head to the wind-whipped tip of South America to explore a land of diverse life and spectacular scenery. Patagonia occupies a pristine, 260,000-square-mile expanse of southern Argentina and Chile. Never precisely defined, this region extends from the Río Colorado south to the tip of the continent. From the dramatic peaks of the Andes and the grinding ice fields of Glaciers National Park to the arid steppes of the east, Patagonia is South America's frontier—harsh, unspoiled, raw, adventure. The peninsula teems with sea lions, elephant seals, whales and penguins. See the world as Magellan might have.