From Wikitravel
Nestled between the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and the South Atlantic Oceans, South America is the wilder of the Americas and a continent of superlatives.
The world's biggest rainforest and second longest river (Amazon), the second highest mountain range (the Andes), remote islands (Galapagos Islands, Easter Island and Fernando de Noronha), heavenly beaches (such as in Brazil's Northeastern region), wide deserts (Atacama), icy landscapes (Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego), the world's tallest waterfall (the 979m Angel Falls, in Venezuela) and one of the largest (Iguaçu Falls, Argentina and Brazil), as well as several other breathtaking natural attractions.
Besides, the work of man has also left rare gems on the continent: ruins of ancient civilizations (Machu Picchu and other Inca cities; the Moais in Easter Island) share the continent with world-class metropolises (São Paulo,Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santiago de Chile, and Rio de Janeiro), outstanding modern architecture (Brasilia), European architecture (Buenos Aires), the oldest rock paintings in the Americas (at the Serra da Capivara), strong African heritage (in Salvador, Rio and Montevideo), genuine indigenous (Belém, Manaus, Cuzco, Lima, La Paz) and Eastern culture (São Paulo's enormous Japanese community), mingled with the fingerprints of Iberian colonizers. Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city and some of its biggest festivities, such as Rio's Carnival and Belem's Cirio de Nazaré, the Tango World Championship, and the Vendimia festival in Argentina, are also part of this incredibly diverse and attractive continent.
[edit] Countries & Territories
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] Get in
Most South American capitals are connected to the United States via Miami,Atlanta and Houston. Some direct flights are available from European capitals as well, but you'll probably have to connect via one of these if you're coming from Africa or Asia.
[edit] Get around
Buses are the main form of land transportation for much of the continent... for longer distances you're often better off flying.
[edit] Stay safe
- Wearing or carrying items which may identify you as an affluent tourist can be a mistake. You shouldn't pack anything that you would be upset to loose. Leave expensive jewelry, watches and other items of value at home and only carry what you need. That goes for credit cards and other documents as well; if you have no need for them leave them behind in the hotel safe, only take what money you are likely to spend with you.
Over worrying about your security can distract from your vacation. It is important to take the precautions as well as realizing that the vast majority of people who visit [South America] enjoy incident free travel.
[edit] Stay healthy
Tap water in many countries is unpotable, it's wise to purify your own or buy bottled water. Malaria and Yellow fever can be a risk as well on the continent, check with your doctor before heading out to see if you'll be in a high-risk area.
