South America is a truly underrated area when it comes to vacation with beautiful rainforests, beaches and mountain views, they have it all.
Some of the underrated countries include Columbia, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. There’s much more to the continent of South America than just Rio de Janeiro and carnival. Latin America has so many promising areas filled with rich culture and diversity throughout.
Columbia
La Guajira is one of the hidden gems in Columbia that may be more off the beaten path. In the far reaches of Columbia, La Guajira has some of the most striking beaches and beautiful coastlines of desert. The contrast between the beaches desert sand and the blue vibrancy of the ocean makes for the most astonishing and unique scenery compare the rest of the country.
In La Guajira, the visitor is privy to secluded and private places that give off a whole different ambiance. There is normally unseen wildlife in estuaries and marshes with amazing opportunities to scuba dive in other areas as well as the ability to meet the indigenous people of the area.
Peru
Chachapoyas has ruins from an ancient time and civilization that is sure not to disappoint and should be an activity on any bucket list. The people of Chachapoyas’ ancestors were called the Warriors of the Clouds. They were renowned for their architecture. It is a village high up within a cloud forest within the Andes Mountains that have thriving ecosystems and archaeology dating back before the Incan which is pretty exciting in and of itself.
With the archaeology dating back to pre-Incan societies, this means the lands around Peru have been wonderfully preserved history. Within this village in the mountains, there is the Keulap Fortress, the burial sites of Karajia and Pueblo de Los Muertos as well as Purunllacta. The burial sites are actually on the cliff’s edge in a balancing act.
In Puno, Peru, the town here has less than 150,000 people. It has South America’s largest lakes, and this is a town in which the adventure-seeking visitors would go especially ones that love to sail. It is a place for photographers and thrill-seeking visitors in the most minimalistic of ways. There are intact lands that are filled with rich cultural diversity. Throughout the year Puno, Peru has telling of ancient folklore, festive dances, traditional music and performances to be witnessed by those that visit the local festivities. The town atmosphere and festivities lend to the charm of Puno, Peru.
As well as having an amazing culture and atmosphere locally, there are amazing opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities. There are tours for the floating Islands that are unique to Peru as well as tours of the lake and its neighboring areas. It is important to note here that the terrain is about 2,800 meters above the sea level which means acclimation to the climate is essential to having a good time.
Huacachina, Peru has some of the most beautiful sunsets. The beaches are golden and the skies are a bold, bright blue combined with the green lushes palm trees is a refreshing site for travelers. Here there are areas that are made up of daunting dunes where visitors can gaze at the night sky and take in the beauty of the starry sky.
There are unique experiences for everyone to enjoy whether you are wanting to adventure or relax. There are other areas of adventures here as well that include hiking and sandboarding for those that are thrill-seeking. For those that are wanting more relaxing areas of adventure, it is possible to have dinner under the stars whether romantic or otherwise. If the visitor chooses there are also ways to get to two other towns that also have different things to do. This is a great base to start at to be able to visit multiple towns during the visit to Peru.
Chile
The Aisen Region of Chile offers the visitor landscapes full of diversity with the wonderous green forests, the stunning Patagonian Ice Fields and the shimmering light blue lakes. There are parts of the region where the humans are outnumbered by the animals. Many of the animals are marine mammals like the dolphins, sea lions and marine otters. There are the Lago General Carrera where adventure enthusiasts can Kayak and boat down while searching for the Marble Caves of Patagonia.
The Marble Caves have been created naturally by the water and the wind as it carved the caverns and its contents. The caverns in the marble caves are caverns will with grey and blue pillars and tunnels. The lake within is turquoise in color and crystalline.
Bolivia
The salt flats of Bolivia are like the visitor has stepped onto another planet. This is one of the areas that Bolvia is known for yet it is still one of the more underrated countries to visit in the South American continent. It is a destination that is dominated by other countries popularity. The way to explore the salt flats best would be dune buggy type vehicles. This mirror sky makes the exploring even more beautiful than it already. With the mirror sky, the ocean and the salt flats, visitors will be satisfied in their visit to this country and the beauty that it observes.
Argentina
Argentina is another area of South America that is wholly underrated as a vacation spot. Similar to Bolivia, there are salt flats that are absolutely stunning and something worthy to explore. In Puna, Argentina, there are mesmerizing pumice stone fields that are absolutely massive. Pumice Stone Fields are something that are not observed very often. There are also volcanos, and landscapes that could be classified as otherworldly. There are more than just the pumice stone fields, volcanos, and salt flats. There is also a rich diversity of history such as Incan trails and Incan archaeology. There are desert mazes as well as turquoise oases within the country of Argentina. There’s even llamas and flamingos that one may see when exploring the pueblos throughout the country.
