South America has a diversity of natural wonders that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. There’s no shortage of beauty in this rather large continent and it makes for a great place to take a vacation, virtually any time of year. It would be nearly impossible for us to list all of the natural wonders of South America. Here’s our top 10 f Natural Wonders of South America.
Torres del Paine National Park – Patagonia
Torres del Paine National Park is perfect for adventure lovers or those up for a fun excursion. It is quite a challenge to trek through this park, but if you are able to make the journey you won’t be disappointed. There’s a myriad of mountains and glacial lakes to explore. You can easily spend days in Torres del Paine National Park just exploring and sightseeing.
Perito Moreno Glacier- Argentina
Perito Moreno Glacier is massive in size at 197 feet high and 3 miles wide. This glacier covers around 97 square miles of Los Glaciares National Park. The ice field of the glacier is the third biggest reserve of fresh water in the world.
Iquazu Falls- Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
Niagara Falls has nothing on Iguazu falls when it comes to size and beauty. These impressive falls have 275 cascades and their sheer grandeur is overwhelming. The falls can be seen fairly easily in both Argentina and Brazil. If you want to cross from one country to the other to see the falls, you will need a passport.
Angel Falls – Canaima National Park, Venezula
Angel Falls in Canaima National Park is the world’s highest waterfall. Because it’s so high, the water that goes down the clear drop vaporizes into a mist before it even reaches the bottom. It really is quite the site!
The Amazon Rain Forest
The Amazon Rain Forest extends through 8 countries in South America. It’s more than 2 millions square miles and consists of 1.7 acres. About 60% of it is in Brazil and it’s considered to be the world’s largest rainforest. Some people take a trip to South America just to country hop and try to see the Amazon Rain Forest in each country.
Rio Upano – Ecuador
Rio Upano is known as “River of Sacred Waterfalls”. It’s a difficult white water river to raft on. However, the scenery is well worth it. The area is known for its dense forests, large waterfalls, hot springs and fossils.
Cape Horn – Chile
Cape Horn is quite remote, but used to be used as a passage way for trading. The area is difficult to navigate through and it’s actually considered to be one of the world’s most difficult nautical routes. The area around Cape Horn has quite a few rock formations that are unusual as well as cliffs made out of granite with trees covering them.
Lake Titicaca- Peru and Bolivia
Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes. It is 12,500 above sea level which makes it one of the world’s highest lakes. For those that are visiting Lake Ticaca, Puno which is located nearby, is probably the best place for travelers to stay at. It is considered to be the folklore capital of Peru. It consists of beautiful buildings and is close to other attractions like Macchu Picchu.
The Beaches of Rio De Janeiro
When most people visit Rio De Janeiro they end up at one of the area’s beautiful beaches. This is because they tend to be their own natural wonder. They have soft white sand and crystal clear water. Rio’s beach areas are also usually very visitor friendly and there are plenty of places to visit and explore.
Salar de Uyuni – Bolivia
We couldn’t make a list of natural wonders of South America without including Salar de Uyuni. It is the largest salt flat in the entire world and consists of over 4,000 square miles. The area is very flat and it’s a great place for visitors to take some unique pictures. Salar de Uyuni is one of those places that you really just have to see to believe.
One of the best way to see South America is with a guided tour. This is because they know their way around the area and can take you to not only some of the popular natural wonders, but some of the lesser known ones as well. If you are interested in seeing some of the sites in South America, we can help you design this once in a lifetime trip.
