South American travel destinations – Let’s explore here
Take a look at the South American travel destinations below to see if there is anywhere you’d like to explore. Click on the images to find further information, insight and tips for overland travel, as well as some anecdotes that may help you on your travels.
South America covers almost 12% of the land area on the planet, and has about 5.5% of the world’s population. Each country has an incredible richness to its history, and historically there is no part of South America that has not been affected in one way or another by those in power in Europe. There are currently 13 countries in South America, and Brazil is the largest country by area, whereas Suriname is the smallest.
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
We’re constantly updating information on countries that we visit, so keep referring back to the info as it evolves.
Argentina
Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world and has a population of around 46 million. Its coastline is over 3,000 miles long. Click the image for more info
Bolivia
Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, about twice the size of France. About one third of the country is within the mountainous Andes. Click the image for more info
Brazil
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the seventh most populous – about 203 million people live there (2023). Click the image for more info
Chile
In the South of Chile there are forests, volcanoes, lakes, fjords and islands. In the North, the Atacama Desert dominates – the driest non-polar desert in the world. Click the image for more info
Colombia
in the north of the country lie the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain range separate from the Andes range. Click the image for more info
Ecuador
Mount Chimborazo is the most distant point from the centre of the Earth on the Earth’s surface because of the ellipsoid shape of the planet. Click the image for more info
French Guiana
The Guiana Amazonian Park, which is the largest national park in the European Union, covers 41% of French Guiana. Click the image for more info
Guyana
Guyana’s economy has undergone a transformation since the discovery of crude oil in 2015 – it currently the world’s fastest-growing economy. Click the image for more info
Paraguay
The absence of mountain ranges allows winds to develop speeds as high as 100 mph (161 km/h), leading to significant changes in temperature. Click the image for more info
Peru
Peru is considered one of the cradles of civilisation, the Caral-Supe civilization, dating back to the time of the great pyramids in Egypt. Click the image for more info
Suriname
Suriname’s highest peak is Julianatop – 4,199 ft. Forest covers over 90% of the country, the greatest percentage coverage in the world. Click the image for more info
Uruguay
There are ten national parks in Uruguay, five in the wetland areas of the north, three in the central hill country, and one in the west. Click the image for more info
Venezuela
Venezuela consists of mountains in the north and north east, highlands in the south east and plains elsewhere. Click the image for more info
Thanks to those aspiring photographers at Unsplash and Pixabay for some of these images…you are awesome!