Bienvenidos to the continent of extraordinary extremes
From Colombia down to Cape Horn and across the epic Andes, South America is home to everything from vast desert and tangled rainforest to immense glaciers and idyllic islands. Que bueno!
But this guide is not for the faint of heart. This is a get lost list—a curation of super unique, very wild, often challenging experiences designed to immerse you (well and truly) in the culture and landscapes of this ridiculous continent. Proceed with an open mind and sense of adventure.
Dive with Anacondas
Brazil
This is surely one of the most ridiculous tour offerings we’ve ever seen. Which means it had to be included.
The gang at Big Fish Expeditions take keen travellers (with scuba licences) to Bonito, in southern Brazil, where you swim with the world’s largest snake. Why is it ridiculous? Because they’ve made movies about this very experience and we’re pretty sure it didn’t end well. For anyone.
That said, this adventure is for the more extreme daredevils and any serious snake lovers who want to get up close to a water boa. Just a heads up—these snakes spend their time underwater hunting for caimans and other river-dwelling prey. Terrifying.
Go full rancher on a traditional estancia
PARAGUAY
Go full rancher on a traditional estancia
PARAGUAY
Horseback riding, gastronomic delights, rodeos, blissed out landscapes… here’s your warning: you may never want to leave the estancia.
Rural stays are an epic way to experience some of the Paraguayan way of life. Depending where in the country you are, keep an eye out for tapir and armadillo; and expect lots of good, locally-sourced food (often cooked over fire). Remember to stretch your glutes after a day in the saddle and practicar español!
Visit the Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen
PERU
Festival fiend? Add this one to your bucket list. Held over four days in July—in a small town a few hours drive from Cusco—the Virgen del Carmen festival sees dance, art, masquerades and food come together in a magnificent community event.
Expect fireworks, parades and a final gathering at the cemetery to pay homage to the souls of the dead. Yep, you read that right. If you’re looking for an immersive Peruvian experience, this is the one.
Hike the 'lost world' to globe's tallest waterfall
VENEZUELA
Hike the 'lost world' to globe's tallest waterfall
VENEZUELA
Angel Falls is the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, standing proudly at 979 metres*.
At the foot of this behemoth of a natural gift is a swimming pool with a much, much smaller, waterfall (think of it as a replica) where you can strip off your kit and go for a swim / bomb / pin drop. This is an extraordinary corner of the globe for natural beauty; in the same national park is Mount Roraima, boasting some of the best trekking in the world a set of cliffs that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912).
That said, Venezuela is currently in a time of political and economic instability, we recommend this is one for the bucket list.
*Estimations of South Africa's Tugela Falls indicate that waterfall may be 983 metres high, but this has not be confirmed and measurements are ongoing.
Pablo Escobar: the full story
COLOMBIA
Pablo Escobar: the full story
COLOMBIA
We’ve all seen Narcos, and we’ve all sent the meme of Pablo Escobar wandering aimlessly around his abandoned mansion. He is in some ways, a figure of entertainment for us Westerners.
What we haven’t seen is the devastating effects the kingpin drug lord had on his own people— you don’t become the wealthiest criminal in history without leaving a trail of destruction. The thing we like about the Real Pablo Escobar Tour in Medellin is that it retraces history without glorifying it again.
It equally inspires awe at the empire he built (which is genuinely astonishing) while not shying away from the negative impacts on local communities—not something every true crime tour offers. See the prison he built (for himself) and the soccer stadium, but also catch a glimpse of where he is buried. You'll also hear first-hand experiences from from local Paisanos and Costeños peoples.
Stargazing in the Atacama Desert
CHILE
Stargazing in the Atacama Desert
CHILE
The Mars-like Atacama Desert is known, almost universally, as the best place for stargazing. And it’s for good reason.
The combo of high altitude and low humidity means this pocket of Chile gets an average of 200 cloudless nights a year. So you’re (almost always) guaranteed great night sky conditions. If you want some serious #education, join a group and learn about the local Indigenous peoples’ relation to the stars and how the constellations impacted their everyday lives. Or just grab a blanket (nights get cold), cuddle up to your travel buddy and watch the Milky Way have its moment.
Bunk down in a vineyard loft
ARGENTINA
For those of us chasing a little more indulgence, Entre Cielos (translating to Between Skies) is a luxury spot that’s home to 16 "vineyard lofts".
You couldn’t get closer to the wine if you slept in the cellar door. Imagine: you wake up to views of the Andes Mountains, you’ve got Argentinian Malbec on tap, a hamam spa around the corner and some of Mendoza’s finest dining just a stroll away. This is the good life, travel doesn’t always have to be hard.
Go off-grid at Cabo Polonio
URUGUAY
Cabo Polonio is basic, in the best kind of way. We’re talking uninterrupted coastline, no electricity, minimal infrastructure, no late-night bars (or any loud nightlife, full stop).
It’s curious, it’s magical and it’s beloved by locals. This is not a dire state of economic affairs, this is a village united by their values. Everyone who inhabits Cabo Polonio chooses to exist like this: low key and in touch with nature. You can surf, you can sit by beachfront fires, you can cook over a stove top with your headlamp. This is pure peace and wilderness. Just don’t ask for the wifi password.
Nose dive into the world’s first cocaine bar
BOLIVIA
The world’s first cocaine bar
BOLIVIA
We don’t normally encourage hard drug taking at get lost, but we are interested in entrepreneurial spirit and independent thinkers with business initiative. Which is where Route 36 comes in.
Cocaine is on the menu at La Paz's Route 36, which is (allegedly) the world’s first Cocaine Bar. We think it’s unlikely this business model will take off, a la Starbucks, so it might remain the only cocaine bar for a while. We can’t tell you where it is, because the location changes every month. We can tell you what they serve there: beer (it is a bar after all) and coke, which is distributed freely and easily (local police are paid to turn a blind eye). You can find the bar via word of mouth, and it’s probably the safest place to try partake of nose candy in Boliva—low bar we admit. Very different to Route 66 further north.
Face the river monster: the world’s longest wave
BRAZIL
Facing the river monster: the world’s longest wave
BRAZIL
A few times a year, deep in the Amazon, a true monster—Pororoca—rears its head.
Pororoca means ‘great roar’ and ‘destroying everything’ in local dialects, and it’s not difficult to figure out how they came up with that one. A powerful tidal bore which thunders upstream on the mighty Amazon for as long as 800 kilometres, and as high as four metres, Pororoca is both feared and revered. The tidal phenomenon is best observed on biannual equinoxes in September and March during a spring tide.
Most surfers would rejoice at the prospect of a wave that lasts kilometres—not so much at the prospect of sharing it with crocodiles and schools of piranha that are swept along with it. Still, a select group of maniacs attempt it every year and currently the world record ride stands at a mighty 12.5 kilometres—and has stood for the last 20 years.
Go full jungle survivor
GUYANA
Go full jungle survivor
GUYANA
Hold up, you’ve never heard of Guyana?
Tucked on the coast between Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela, Guyana is a slice of wild paradise. In fact, it's 95% wild paradise. From epic savannahs to winding rivers, pristine beaches and lush rainforest. What this pocket of South America offers is total, unparalleled adventure. Even more extreme is this two-week jungle survival course where you’re thrown into the depths of the rainforest with an instructor and team of local experts to hone your skills amongst the jaguars and caimans.
High (and rare) dining in the Andes
PERU
Perched 3,568 meters above sea level and overlooking the Moray ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, sits Michelin star chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz's acclaimed restaurant Mil.
The coolest thing about Mil, besides dishing up absolutely exquisite culinary fare, is it's mission helping Peru reconnect with it's Indigenous roots.
The restaurant works (or ‘collaborates’) with Mater Iniciativa, an organization employing anthropologists, biologists and a number of other technicians all with titles ending in ‘ologists’ who among other things, team up with local Indigenous communities to re-discover new varieties of potato and other rare plants that are found throughout Peru. Mil is fine dining of the highest order, at the highest altitude. And much more than that.
See Caño Cristales, the rare liquid rainbow
COLOMBIA
This is one for the nature / photography buffs who are up for a remote journey to an isolated corner of Colombia. Sounds like an adventure, right?
It is. Caño Cristales, also known as ‘the river that ran away from paradise' is considered one of the most beautiful rivers in the world and a bloody phenomenon unto itself. For a very, very brief period of time every year, the river actually blossoms in an explosion of colour. For just a few weeks between September and November, the river is a rainbow.
To get there, fly into nearby La Macarena airport, head to Serranía de la Macarena National Park and then grab a donkey. Some swimming is permitted, but leave your sunscreen at home! The chemicals can destroy the ecosystem.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
