Best Places To Visit
– Brazil
– Colombia
– Cuba
– Mexico
– Panama
– Peru
Best Time To Visit
Depending on what you are visiting for, I would say it’s best to visit during their spring months (September to November) and autumn months (March to May), offering mild weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices.
Best Food To Eat
– Burritos
– Empanadas
– Enchiladas
– Tacos
Culture, food and architecture.
South America is the fourth-largest continent, covering approximately 17.84 million square kilometers, and has a population of around 440 million people, making it the fifth most populous continent in the World. South America consists of 12 independent countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The continent features extreme geographic diversity, including the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Rainforest, the Atacama Desert, and the Brazilian Highlands. The food and the culture are the best things that draw travellers to the continent, from the delicious Mexican dishes like tacos and burritos and the dancing and football of Brazil.
Intro & Culture
CURRENCY
Each country has their own currency, with some being financially stronger than others. Some, like Ecuador might even use the US Dollar. I would definitely recommend looking into a card that doesn’t charge you for payments or withdrawals abroad. I use Monzo, which is an app based bank account and contactless card (there are lots of similar ones to choose from though). It also alerts you once you’ve used the card and also gives you the current exchange rate and location on purchases too.
Top Tip: Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go.
Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store
LANGUAGE
Spanish and Portuguese seem to be the most used languages across the continent. It’s helpful to know key phrases to help you get around and locals appreciate it if you make an effort learning and knowing the language.
TIME ZONE
The time zone varies across the continent depending on where the country is to the equator.
UTC−5: Observed in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
UTC−4: Covers countries such as Guyana, Bolivia, Paraguay, and parts of Brazil.
UTC−3: Used in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Suriname, French Guiana, and eastern Brazil.
UTC−2: This time zone is less common and is used in some areas
CUISINE
Food and eating out in South America is amazing. There are so many delicious dishes across the continent from Mexican tacos and burritos to Argentinian steaks.
01. Make the most of happy hours – There are a lot of bars and restaurants that have happy hours where most drinks will be half price. If you are into that kind of thing, make sure you make the most of this offer. You can also have happy hour offers for eating out but not all restaurants will have this offer. But do keep your eye out for eating deals especially near student areas.
02. When travelling in the cities, use an traveller card – Do not buy individual tickets from a machine as you will always get caught out by peak travel fares. Make sure you have a contactless credit card. It will save you a lot of money – instead of buying lots of individual fares.
03. In a restaurant, be sure to check for dishes of the day or a saver deal – Most of these deals will be around for students but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of a cheaper meal. Eating out in cities can be quite expensive, but you don’t always have to fork out on a meal.
04. Leave taxi/Uber travel for when you have longer journeys or travelling with luggage – I wouldn’t want to be stuck in traffic in a taxi or Uber as the metre will be running and wasting money. If you can, try to use the train systems and leave a taxi/Uber as a last resort especially if you are travelling with lots of luggage. You don’t want to carry heavy suitcases around the trains.
Budget Tips
Suggested Daily Budget – 25-90 USD / 18-66 GBP
This is a suggested daily budget if you are spending time in a city due to city prices being more than another location. Any other location around the continent, your daily budget will probably be half of this but not always. This daily budget isn’t including accommodation or excursions.
Travel Tips
VISAS
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Visa requirements for South America can vary by country and nationality, with many travellers enjoying visa-free access or visa-on-arrival options.
The UK is one of many countries that can make the most of Visa-Free Access from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most EU countries to enter without a visa for short stays, typically up to 90 days
Check if you need a Visa or other documentation here…
With iVisa, all of your travel document requirements are all in one place. They help give you that piece of mind when checking you have everything you need to enter a country without any hassle.
You can apply for everything from visas, tourist cards, invitation letters and health declaration forms for COVID-19 differently from their website. It’s very quick and easy to use and they are very fast at processing your applications, some things can even be FREE for whichever travel document you need. You can even pay for speedy processing and delivery if you are in a rush.
INJECTIONS
You may need vaccinations for certain countries in South America. Be sure to ask your GP which ones are required before travelling.
READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World
CAPITAL/CITY
There are many capital cities across South America.
Some of the biggest capital cities are:
Buenos Aires – Argentina
Brasília – Brazil
Santiago – Chile
Bogotá – Colombia
Quito – Ecuador
Georgetown – Guyana
Asunción – Paraguay
Lima – Peru
Montevideo – Uruguay
Caracas – Venezuela
ACCOMMODATION
There are so many hotels and accommodation across South America. These can vary from major hotel chains, AirBnB’s, homestays or hostels. Make sure you check out AirBnB and also TripAdvisor for booking your hotel or hostel. Make sure you do your research for reputable chains and safe areas to stay in for travellers.
ACCOMMODATION I’VE STAYED IN
Explore South America
North
Colombia
Guyana
French Guiana
Panama
Suriname
Venezuela
East
Brazil
Paraguay
South
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Uruguay
West
Bolivia
Chile
Ecuador
Peru
DRIVING
In certain parts in South America it is amazing to drive and you can definitely do some awesome road trips. It depends on where you are visiting to if you need a car and if you feel confident and know the rules of the road there.
FLIGHTS
Flights to South America can be from any major city across the world directly or from having a stopover in a major city if you are coming from somewhere smaller. Be sure to search Skyscanner to find your best time to fly.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There is plenty of public transport around South America, specifically in the bigger cities. You can travel via taxi/Uber, trains, buses, planes and boats. You can book your trains using Trainline, or through the local train operator. If you are travelling around a big city, it might be better to travel using the underground train system. You can either buy a travel card ticket from a machine or their travel card for cheaper fares or use your contactless credit and debit card.
Packing Tips
WHAT TO WEAR
You can wear pretty much anything in South America, of course depending on the weather. It is always best to come prepared for all weathers because you never know what weather you are going to get.
WEATHER
As I said above, the weather can very mixed and can change at any point. So make sure you are prepared for the weather you’ll be visiting in. I would recommend always having a pair of sunglasses and an umbrella in your bag just in case.
Spring (September to November) and Autumn (March to May) are considered the ideal times to visit most of South America. During these months, temperatures are moderate, rainfall is lower, and tourist crowds are smaller, making it perfect for outdoor activities and sightseeing. Some regions can vary depending on where they are in relation to the equator.
Colombia: Coffee regions and coastal areas are enjoyable during these shoulder seasons, avoiding heavy rains
Brazil: Coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro enjoy warm, sunny weather, ideal for beaches and exploring urban attractions. The Amazon rainforest is also more accessible with less rain.
Peru: Machu Picchu and the Andes are best visited in spring or fall, when trails are dry and temperatures are comfortable for hiking.
Argentina & Chile: Fall is excellent for wine regions like Mendoza, while spring offers pleasant weather for exploring Patagonia and trekking in the Andes.
Ecuador & Galápagos: Spring and fall provide mild temperatures and good wildlife viewing conditions.
Activities
THINGS TO SEE & DO
There is so much to do across South America, depending on where you are in the country. Make sure you check out all of your typical tourist attractions plus a few quirky corners that not most tourists know about.
HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTH AMERICA
• Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Salt Plains, Bolivia
• Iguazú Falls, Argentina/Brazil