The 5 Must Visit Places In South America

South America is the fourth largest continent in the world with 12 countries and home to diverse cultures and terrain. It has many of the world’s best tourist destinations in the world. From the largest mountain range in the world to the driest place on the planet it has a diverse terrain. If you do a simple google search on “Places to Visit in South America” you will find endless options.

If you are planning on a trip to South America, here is a list of the 5 most popular tourist destinations in South America.

Also Read: Top 10 Unexplored Places in India to Visit

Popular Places to Visit in South America

• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Easter Island, Chile
• Atacama Desert, Chile
• Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
• Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is one of the top tourist destinations in Peru. This UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the slopes of the Andes is a sight to behold. Abandoned after the invasion of Spanish, this citadel can be easily accessed via the Inca Trail.  

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The ancient city of Machu Picchu is undoubtedly a must-see. So many want to visit this historical and cultural marvel that it gets crowded especially at the Classic Inca Trail. . There are alternative routes that display the beauty of this region and get you to Machu Picchu. The Lares Trail and Short Inca Trail are excellent alternatives. The Lares Trail will take you through the Lares mountain ranges. An authentic cultural experience as you'll be able to mingle with the locals and see the traditional way of life at the high altitude Andes. . The Lares Trail itself is a 2 to 3 days trek with breathtaking views of the Urubamba Mountains, Lares hot springs, verdant valleys, and endless spectacular sceneries. . Continuing to the Short Inca Trail takes an extra day. It will take you through the cloud forest towards Winay Wayna where it merges with the Classic Trail. You’ll enter the Inca citadel through the iconic Sun Gate. . The combination of these two treks will give you an equally fulfilling experience of Machu Picchu and its surrounding areas. This, minus the trouble with the crowds, altitude sickness, and long, strenuous walk. . . . . . Photo by Babak Fakhamzadeh . . . . #incatrail #machupichu #machupicchuperu #visitperu #machupicchu #macchupicchu #southamericatravel #larestrail #incatrailtrek #hikeperu #exploreperu #experienceperu #inca #incas #andes #incrediblephotography #hikevibes #hiking #gohiking #hikinginspiration #needahike #hikinggoals #happyhiker #hikinglifestyle #exploringnature #outdooradventures #outdooraddict #dosomethingchallenging #adventureenthusiasts #seekthetrails

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Machu Picchu, Peru✨ I’m pretty sure this is the best picture I’ve ever taken! Ever since I was a child I’ve always wanted to travel. And I remember in school learning about The Inca people and seeing a picture of Machu Picchu and right there and then my heart was set to go. We went as it was for my boyfriend birthday and he had the exact same dream to travel South America and see Machu Picchu. It’s absolutely breathtaking and so mysterious. I can’t explain it but I can see why millions of people venture to go each year. This is my favourite view and it will be my favourite memory for life. ❤️

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Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world. The island has lot to offer to adventurist travelers from around the globe. From volcanic craters to sandy beaches they have everything. But the most popular landmark of Easter Island are the Moai statues.

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AHU TONGARIKI . Esa foto la tome con el cel y en plena lluvia torrencial, volvía de la playa Anakena y a la vuelta tome otro camino que señalaba donde estaban los 15 moais. Llovía tan fuerte que no se veía mucho y el limpia parabrisas no daba abasto.. en eso a lo lejos veo los moais. Pare el auto y me baje corriendo a tomar la foto pero en esos 2 minutos que duró me empapé la vida. . . . . . . #moais #rapanui #rapanuilove #rapanui🗿 #isladepascua #islas #easterisland #paisajes #paisajesnaturales #naturaleza🍃 #naturephotography #naturelovers #ruinas #historia #historylovers #lugaresimperdibles #chilegram #turismochile #paisajeschile #chilephotography #turismochileviajeros #travelworld #travelgram #travelers #viajeporchile #photooftheday #photography

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Around 1000 Moais were buildt by the island natives between 1400 and 1650 A.D. Most of them were carved from the volcano Rano Raraku. This location was chosen since it consists to a great extent of tuff, which is what the moais from this volcano consist of. Tuff is compressed volcanic ash and is easy to carve, which was necessary since the natives had no metal to carve with, but used only stone tools. Moai statues were built to honor chieftain or other important people who had passed away. Explore the enigmatic beauty of Easter Island on your next visit to Chile! . . @ladzinski . . #balabamtravel #easterisland #moais #chiletravel #travelpassport #keepthetravelsparkalive

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Heavy, como que con el encierro subo puros fotos de viajes porque que fome subir la foto de la pieza o de una taza. ##easterisland #trips #tripsmemories Isla de Pascua #isladepascuachile #rapanui

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Atacama Desert, Chile

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Paisajes que te transportan a la inmensidad y a la libertad ❤ . A poquitos kilómetros de San Pedro, ¿la conoces? #lagunatebinquinche Repost @blogumviajante Pensando seriamente em fazer um quadro dessa foto… o que acham?? 🤔 Pra mim, sério, o pôr do sol na Laguna Tebinquinche é um dos pontos mais lindos da viagem ao Atacama. Esse visual, o friozinho e um chocolate quente na mão, que não sou bobo nem nada, é mais que perfeito! 😍☕️🌵🍂🌞 #atacama #atacamadesert #desertodoatacama #chile #chilegram #lagunatebinquinche – #regrann

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Atacama Desert, Chile Did you know that Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth? The Atacama Desert sits between the Andes and Chilean Coast Range at such a height that prevents moisture reaching it from the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. It receives less than 1mm of rainfall per year and some parts of the desert have no recorded rainfall at all. The extreme ecosystem of the Atacama makes survival difficult for animals. However, red scorpions, grey foxes, desert wasps and butterflies are among the species able to cope with the dry environment. You can also find penguins, sea lions and pelicans nearer the Pacific side. Often compared to the planet Mars, the Atacama’s landscape and soils are unique. Its appearance is unlike other deserts and several movies and television programmes have been filmed in the area. One of the most famous of which is A Space Odyssey. Thanks to the high altitude and dry weather, the Atacama is one of the best places in the world for astronomy. It’s the base for two of the top observatories operated by the European Southern Observatory. . . . Follow us @feel.the.journey 🌍🌎🌏 . . . #travelingislife #traveling #traveladdict #travelgram #travel #seetheworld #travelphotography #traveltheworld #beautiful #naturephotography #naturelovers #calming #amazingworld #atacamadesert #atacamadesertchile #chile #desert . . . . 📷 pinterest

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San Pedro #roadtrip #sanpedrodeatacama #atacama #atacamadesert #chile🇨🇱 #sudamerica #backpacking

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Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

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In Love with Patagonia 🏔🇨🇱 Location: Lago Pehoé – Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile. Photo Credit: @danielkordan #southamerica

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Lago Pehoe in Torres Del Paine National Park. Have you been here? 😍 Photo by: @mrcadiz We want to feature your photos! Tag #patagoniahero and tag @patagoniahero to be featured. . #latinamerica #traveltopatagonia #explorepatagonia #ocircuit #patagoniatrekking #explorepatagonia #visitPatagonia #southamerica #budgettravel #visitpatagonia #visitsouthamerica #travelpreneur #visitlatinamerica #responsibletravel #getoutstayout #choosemountains #traveladvice #travelpackages #vacationtraveler #patagoniachile #patagoniatravel #patagoniachilena #torresdelpaine #lakepehoe #fjords #exploresouthamerica #wtrek #loscuernosdelpaine #loscuernos

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A casa no lago

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Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

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📍Iguazu Falls, Brazil 🇧🇷 The next part of my Brazil series is the Iguazu Falls! Cataratas do Iguaçu in Portuguese and Cataratas del Iguazú in Spanish, these waterfalls span across three countries: Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina! They make up the largest waterfall in the world 🌍 – – – – #brazil #braziltravel #brasil #brasilviagem #backpack #backpacking #backpackingsouthamerica #southamerica #iguazufalls #fozdoiguaçu #cataratasiguazu #cataratasdoiguaçu #cataratasdoiguacu #cataratas #waterfall

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Cataratas del Iguazú Argentina. . . . . . #argentina #argentina_greatshots #argentina_ig #argentina_illife #argentino #iguazú #cataratasiguazu #iguazufalls #waterfalls #travelphotography #tourtheplanet #pasaporte #passionpassport #follow4followback #ourlonelyplanet #ourplanetdaily #viajandoporelmundo #travelstagram

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