South America

Top five South America Adventures

1. The Rainbow Mountains of Ausangate: the off-the-beaten-track region of the Painted Mountains offers travellers the only lodge-based trek in Peru. The local Andean communities are lodge shareholders, benefiting directly from tourist stays. Peru’s Cordillera Vilcanota is home to the spectacular multi-coloured Rainbow Mountain with its stripes of multi-coloured rocks, and the sacred Ausangate mountain - deeply revered among the Andean communities.

2. The Lost City of Choquequirao: this is one of the largest and best preserved Inca sites after Machu Picchu but much less well known. Characterised by its llama-decorated terraces, this is a chance to visit an incredible Inca fortress without the crowds, surrounded by towering snowcapped peaks of the Vilcabamba Range.

3. Venezuela's Lost World & Angel Falls: explore Venezuela’s ‘Lost World’, a region of dense jungle and elevated plateaus. Mount Roraima’s maze of blackened rock and babbling streams, and the spectacular Angel Falls - the highest waterfall in the world. 

 4. Hiking in Chile: experience the contrasts of Chile whilst walking on volcanic slopes, over salt lakes, and along glacial valley trails. Get away from the crowds in the Atacama Desert by trekking amid the natural springs and cacti of Guatin Valley.

5. Ecuador's Avenue of Volcanoes: for a country about the size of England, Ecuador manages to pack a mighty punch. This eye-opening trip delves into its fiery heart: the glacial peaks of its Andean volcanoes. It’s a challenging week, but if you’ve the stamina, Ecuador's got the views. And when the rewards include reviving hot spring baths, reaching crater lakes seem all the sweeter.