Destination guides

Rio de Janeiro Rio packs into a single bay everything that defines Brazil: Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado, Sugarloaf Mountain leaning out over the Atlantic, and the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon just minutes from the urban rainforest of Tijuca National Park. Foz do Iguaçu Foz do Iguaçu is the panoramic side of the falls: from here the whole set is seen head-on, on a shorter walk than the Argentine one, with a final walkway that enters the Devil's Throat from below. São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the Southern Hemisphere, and the country's financial, cultural and culinary powerhouse. Salvador Salvador, capital of Bahia and the first capital of Brazil, is the great centre of Afro-Brazilian culture, with its music, capoeira and dendê cuisine. Manaus Manaus is the capital of Amazonas state and the main gateway to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Fortaleza Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, is one of the largest cities in northeastern Brazil and a year-round sun-and-beach destination. Natal Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, is a northeastern Brazilian sun-and-beach destination known for its vast dunes and warm waters. Recife Recife, capital of Pernambuco, is a large northeastern city crossed by rivers and bridges, with a revitalised historic centre in Recife Antigo around the Marco Zero. Búzios Búzios is a beach peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro that became a chic destination after Brigitte Bardot's visit in the 1960s. Florianópolis Florianópolis, capital of Santa Catarina, spreads largely across the Island of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Morro de São Paulo Morro de São Paulo is a car-free village on Tinharé Island, off the southern coast of Bahia. Brasília Brasília, the capital of Brazil since 1960, is a planned city built on the central highlands.

Buenos Aires The Argentine capital is explored by neighbourhood: Palermo and Recoleta, safe and walkable, with good dining; San Telmo, birthplace of tango and of the Sunday market; and La Boca, with the painted houses of El Caminito. Mendoza Mendoza is Argentina's leading wine region, spread over irrigated valleys at the foot of the Andes. Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche distils Andean Patagonia into a single landscape of glacial lakes, forests and snow-capped peaks along Lake Nahuel Huapi. Iguazú The falls are seen from two countries: the Brazilian side (based in Foz do Iguaçu) gives the sweeping panoramic view of the whole set, and the Argentine side (based in Puerto Iguazú) offers the walkways, the close-up viewpoints and a full day inside the park, including the Devil's Throat. El Calafate El Calafate exists because of the ice: it is the service base for Los Glaciares National Park and, above all, for the Perito Moreno glacier, one of the few ice fronts still advancing. Puerto Madryn Puerto Madryn is the coastal base for Península Valdés, a protected natural area and one of Atlantic Patagonia's great wildlife stages. Ushuaia Ushuaia is Argentina's southernmost city, wedged between the Beagle Channel and the Fuegian mountains.

Santiago Santiago gathers Chile's urban life and the backdrop of the Andes in a single valley. San Pedro de Atacama San Pedro de Atacama is the base village for exploring the driest desert on the planet, in northern Chile at around 2,400 metres of altitude. Easter Island Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is one of the most remote inhabited places on the planet, in the middle of the Pacific and a territory of Chile. Puerto Montt Puerto Montt is the regional capital of Los Lagos and southern Chile's main logistics hub, where the airport, the cruise port and the routes to Chiloe, the Carretera Austral and the Lake District all converge. Puerto Varas Puerto Varas looks out over Lake Llanquihue with the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes behind it, and is the best base for exploring the Chilean Lake District. Puerto Natales Puerto Natales, on the shore of the Ultima Esperanza Sound, is the natural base for visiting Torres del Paine National Park, one of Patagonia's great icons.

Cusco and Machu Picchu The old Inca capital is the gateway to Machu Picchu, but a destination in its own right too: Cusco at around 3,400 m, the Sacred Valley lower down (between 2,600 and 3,000 m) and the citadel of Machu Picchu at the end of the route, reached by train and bus. Machu Picchu The citadel sits at about 2,430 m, lower than Cusco, and is reached by train to Aguas Calientes and then by bus up the switchback road. Sacred Valley The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba runs between Cusco and Ollantaytambo below the city — the valley floor sits around 2,800 m against Cusco's 3,400 m — which makes it the logical first stop off the plane rather than a half-day outing. Lima Lima gathers a colonial past, pre-Columbian heritage and a globally acclaimed cuisine into a single city. Paracas Paracas blends sea and desert on Peru's southern coast: the Ballestas Islands, rich in sea lions and guano birds, and the Paracas National Reserve, where the desert meets cliffs and beaches. Puerto Maldonado Puerto Maldonado, at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers, is the gateway to one of Peru's most biodiverse rainforests.