home carp South america - travel guide for holidays. The most unusual routes in South America Tourist route through the countries of South America

South america - travel guide for holidays. The most unusual routes in South America Tourist route through the countries of South America

South America is European languages, colonial churches, secular politicians, beach culture and exoticism. Colorful, sparkling with warm carnival sparkles, a cool breeze blowing across the Andes, fiery Argentinean tango and the soft silence of the rainforest of Ecuador. South America is full of sights, from the rocky slopes of the Galapagos to the dawn-lit ruins of Machu Picchu. South America is one of the hottest travel destinations, especially for adventurous people.

When it comes to the most impressive countries in South America, one of the favorites is definitely the Republic of Ecuador. If you visit Ecuador, be sure to check out the amazing Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are famous for their natural beauty, there is a national park and a biological marine reserve where you can learn everything about the flora and fauna of Ecuador.

Attractions in this area include stunning Bartolome Bay, Fernandina Island where you'll encounter marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions and more. Giant tortoises live on Isabela Island and can be seen all year round. The islands also offer scuba diving and swimming with dolphins.

Canaima National Park is located next to the Gran Sabana Park (Venezuela) and is one of the world's largest parks, its area is 30,000 km². In Canaima there are some of the highest waterfalls in the world - Angel, 1 km high, Salto Sapo and Salto Kukenam. The park is a paradise for ornithologists; unique, endemic species of birds live here. Canaima Lagoon is a very picturesque place with red shimmering water caused by a high degree of mineralization. Canaima National Park was founded in 1962 and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

Nazca Lines, Peru

Nazca are lines and geoglyphs located in the arid coastal zone of Peru, which cover an estimated 450 square kilometers. The scratches on the ground, they number in the thousands, depict creatures of both the natural world and human fantasy. They include animals such as spider, hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican and even killer whale. Plants, trees, flowers and unusually shaped fantastic figures are also depicted. Geometric motifs such as wavy lines, triangles, spirals and rectangles are illustrated. The vast majority of lines date back to 200 BC, with the very first lines dated to almost 500 BC.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

The narrow streets of this old town are home to mystical ancient cultures and all the trappings of modern tourism. This unique combination of past and present has made San Pedro one of the most photographed places in trade magazines. The city is located 102 km from the city of Calama (the nearest city), the land around San Pedro de Atacama belongs to indigenous peoples engaged in agriculture and tourism. Its Old Town Square has a church (built in 1774), which is built in the local architectural style: wood, adobe and leather-bound beams. Nearby you will find the Gustav Le Page Archaeological Museum, where you can admire mummies and everyday objects that offer a glimpse into the area's rich past.

You can also enjoy the beautiful view of the geothermal area at sunrise, the geysers are one of the area's most popular tourist attractions. On the way back, treat yourself to a relaxing visit to the hot springs. Pure delight!

Manaus is the largest city in northern Brazil, which is located at the confluence of two rivers - the Rio Negro, flowing from Colombia, and the sandy Rio Solimões, from Peru. The “meeting of the waters” is a phenomenon that occurs in the Amazon after the confluence of the muddy water Amazon and the black water Solimões. For six kilometers (22 km at certain times), the two rivers flow side by side without mixing their waters due to their different densities and speeds. This is a very interesting effect that you can look at, photograph and tell everyone who is interested.

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is one of the most unique and beautiful places in the world. A 45-minute drive from the city of Uyuni, you will find the largest salt marsh in the world - 10,000 square kilometers. During the wet season, the salt desert turns into a large salt lake several centimeters deep. Visitors can travel across the lake in boats or trucks. During this time of year, the lake reflects the sky, creating the illusion of infinity. Here you can see the peaks of the Andes and take a bath in the warm water of the lakes that are next to the geysers in the area. The Salar de Uyuni also promises one of the best sunsets in the world. Surreal, but very beautiful place and very “photogenic”. The hotels here are built from salt blocks taken directly from the Salar. The train graveyard and abandoned tracks are major tourist attractions and are definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

Tucked away in the Andes between snow-capped peaks, Lake Titicaca lies on the border of Bolivia and Peru, at 3182 meters above sea level, it is the largest lake by volume on the continent and the highest navigable lake in the world. Lake Titicaca was formed due to precipitation, melt water from glaciers in the Sierra mountains. There is crystal clear air, stunning panoramas during the day, and at night the sky is completely covered with stars - from horizon to horizon.

Around the lake, you can find signs of the past, from the burials of the Incas to the tombs of the Spanish conquistadors. The flora and fauna here are no less unique than the culture. One of the most unusual animals found here is the Lake Titicaca frog. On the Bolivian side of the lake you will find the fascinating town of Challapampa with the famous Chinkana labyrinth. Also on the Bolivian side, you will see the largest island of the lake, Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), with over 180 Inca ruins.

Chilean Patagonia is full of beautiful natural wonders. One you shouldn't miss is the Torres del Paine UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the most impressive attraction in the southern hemisphere, with a number of classic world walking trails. The park is located in Chile's largest southern region of Magellanes and Chile's Antarctica, where the main economic activities are sheep farming, oil extraction and tourism. The park encompasses ancient forests, glaciers, rivers, lakes and fjords, fauna including guanacos, foxes, cougars and a variety of birds. The park attracts approximately 100,000 visitors each year who visit the Paine Towers, Los Cuernos, the French Valley and the Gray Glacier.

The Perito Moreno Glacier, located in Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia, in the southern part of the Argentine desert, is widely regarded as one of the natural wonders of the world and is an essential part of any visit to southern South America. Named after the legendary Argentine explorer, Dr. Francisco R Moreno, the glacier begins its journey high up in the southern part of the Patagonian Glacier in the Andes. Over 250 square kilometers in size, the Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three glaciers in Patagonia that is not retreating, and the icefield is the world's third largest fresh water reservoir.

Huge chunks of ice regularly break off the glacier and it's a spectacular sight as the ice groans and creaks until it finally falls into the lake. The shards are 5 km wide and almost 80 meters high, so try to find a place where the next piece of ice will fall!

The Falkland Islands are a group of islands located in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 460 km east of the coast of South America. They belong to the UK, but are self-governing. The Falklands have always been disputed between Argentina and the UK for centuries, resulting in a military conflict between the two countries in 1982. About 3,000 people live on the islands, most of whom are British citizens. The Falkland Islands consist of two main islands and hundreds of smaller ones. The coastline is replete with fjords, bays and bays. Summer temperatures average 13°C in January, while winter temperatures drop to 4°C in July. The islands are often hit by storms and heavy rainfall. Despite the controversy, the islands are beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The Falkland Islands Tourist Board is headquartered in Stanley (capital and only city).

Once again on the South American continent exactly in the new year the Trophy-raid "Dakar" starts. It's time for your own travels in South America.
By the way, today the organizers of Dakar threw a lot of surprises at the participants. The race will begin, one might say, on the languid beaches of the Argentinean Mar del Plata, and end in the capital of Peru, Lima. I very clearly imagine these places, since I traveled them last year, one might say, up and down. Again, the most difficult stages will be the roads along the Chilean Atacama Desert - the fact is that there, in addition to the sandy desert itself, such an unpleasant factor as height is added. Many places of the Atacama are located above the mark of 5000 m above sea level. It can be unbearably hard not only for motors, but also for people. And after the Atacama, the race track will go along the Chilean and Peruvian parts of the Panamericana, along sandy hills with rocky areas. M-yes, the minibus is now more than difficult. And it is also gratifying that this year they have reached an agreement with Peru. The fact is that Peru is not a Mercosur country. Mercosur is an association of several more or less civilized (or, at least, as they consider themselves) South American states into a single trade and customs union. It includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile, and, to some extent, Paraguay and Venezuela. But Peru is not included. You cannot enter Peru in a car rented in Mercosur countries. But still somehow agreed, and it pleases. Maybe in the coming years, something will move for the better in matters of border crossing by car between South American countries.
Yes, that's it. This post is about the features of traveling in South America, and the best routes, so let's move on.
First, briefly about the ways of travel.
Ways to travel to other continents are known to all. But in South America there is a specificity that cannot be ignored.
1. Planes. Of course, you can fly from one place to another by plane, but this is the most, excuse me, stupid way of traveling. From the air you will not see even a hundredth part of what people usually go on trips for. Airports are not everywhere. Expensive. Not dynamic. Rigid binding to the program. In general, a minus on a minus. I once met a group of such travelers. It was a little boring for them. And amazing to me. At least in LiveJournal, I have not seen reports of such trips.
2. Railroad. It also disappears immediately. So no one travels here. This is not Europe for you with TGVs with Alstom or Pendolins. This is South America with far from the best rail connections, not to mention the service. And in Argentina, you generally won’t leave Buenos Aires further than Rosario and Mar del Plata, and then with sin in half, because there have simply been no railways in this country for some time now. They privatized them so cleverly twenty years ago that they ruined and destroyed the whole industry. So railway in South America is a very limited means of transportation only by necessity, and nothing more.
3. Buses. Well, it's already much better. It is quite possible, especially for travelers on a budget. True, where there is a bet on buses, any other means of transportation are also in use, from fairly cheap planes to a trivial hitchhiking. By the way, hitchhiking is no-no, and some travelers will meet on these roads. True, it should be noted that on this continent hitchhiking is quite complicated. Car traffic is not developed everywhere, there are not many cars themselves, so sometimes you can get into various alterations and get from point “a” to point “b” with all sorts of adventures. And further. There are several zones on the continent in which it doesn’t really make sense to appear at all - neither on foot, nor on anything else. These include mainly the "red zone" in the very north of Peru and, accordingly, the south of Colombia. This is a drug trafficking zone controlled by the FARC movement (Colombian guerrillas). There are similar zones in the “crescent” of Bolivia, where its mountainous part (“Altiplano”) ends and coca begins to grow rapidly. It is also not recommended to visit the poor suburbs of all major South American cities, be it Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Lima or Caracas. These are the famous favelas, where it is better not to stop. Do you like this type of travel? - Then read the blogs of these people who trampled this continent with their feet: dimaberkut , wolfgrel , nasstep , _nikolya_ .

4. Rented or even own vehicles. Let's talk about this in more detail, especially since it was here that I gained three years of experience, which I consider very rich for the South American continent.
Well, firstly, car rental in South America is a fairly young business. The vast majority of Car Rental rent cars with a mileage limit and only in their country, which is unacceptable for a normal traveler. And those Car Rentals that allow their cars to travel to some other countries set rather expensive rentals on cars. But what to do - this time too, having analyzed all the possible options, I was forced to stop by renting a car for 35 days for a total of $3250. There is nowhere to go. No, there was another option: you can bring your car to this continent from Russia or Europe, and it will cost very reasonable money - no more than $ 1,500 one way, plus they will still make discounts for me. But, here, too, there are subtleties. In the bill of lading there is no responsibility for the timing of transportation, and if there is an incident in the logistics, and you will be waiting for the car sent across the ocean exactly until the day when your stay in South America comes to an end. Not very convenient, is it? Well, you still need it here, i.e. at the place of permanent residence to have such a car, sending which for several months to another continent would not affect your local plans. And in South America, there should also be someone who will pick up this car from the pier in a timely manner so that you don’t drip percent for downtime. In general, hemorrhoids in this version are enough. True, there is one plus, for the sake of which, it seems to me, I will still try to implement this idea in the foreseeable future. The fact is that if you go to all countries without exception, then you can only drive in your own car. And on no other.
Secondly, in a car rented in Mercosur, you will be released only to other Mercosur countries, and no further. And in countries that are not members of Mercosur - nowhere at all, only in this country. No, of course, I think if you are thinking of going to South America for the first time, then you will be completely satisfied (for the first time) with countries such as Chile, Argentina and Brazil. I think that even one Argentina with its Patagonia for the first time will be enough for the most “do not play around”. Well, next time you will already be scholarly experts on the local rules and decide for yourself what you need and what you can do without.
So motor transport is, perhaps, the most decent way to travel on this continent. In any case, read about such trips at andreev_org , and you will understand how it's done.

5. And there is another popular way to get around South America. This is a motorcycle. Che Guevara is considered to be the first motorcyclist who rode across the entire continent and laid down a good tradition. I also met a lot of traveling motorcyclists. So, if this way of transportation is not recited to you and if you are ready to put up with some hardships and hardships that riding motorcycles gives you, go ahead to this continent. With a motorcycle, you can even overcome insurmountable sections, such as the Darien Isthmus, tearing the Panamericana between Panama and Colombia. And this is done very simply - in Panama you can rent an ordinary yacht with a captain, load your motorcycle there and calmly walk on it to Cartagena. Well, and so on. Among us there are also individuals who have made such journeys. Read them - Gercewin , olegkapkaevs and etc.

Next, I will try to outline the most interesting travel routes in South America. I am doing this here for the first time. This is the quintessence of my understanding of the continent, the cost and relative prestige of such travel, the degree of risk in each case, the visit and completeness of perception of the best places in South America. All routes in my purely subjective view begin and end in Buenos Aires, as the most convenient place to fly to South America.

1. Itinerary "Cruise around the perimeter of Argentina." Its complete scheme is given here:. http://jung-le.livejournal.com/81792.htm l
I drove through it in 2010. And I advise everyone. Firstly, you can simply rent a car to travel through almost one country (you just need to remember that the passage to Ushuaia lies through the territory of Chile and get a “white sheet” from Car Rental - a special document for a car for customs). Secondly, Argentina is one of the most civilized, pseudo-European countries on this continent, and you are unlikely to encounter any behavioral excesses from the local population in it. Rather, on the contrary, you will be pleasantly and forever amazed by the sincerity, cordiality and hospitality of ordinary Argentines. The disadvantage of this route is a long and monotonous ride on the dirt roads of Patagonia, but there are also pluses. A very big plus in this route is the opportunity not only to drive along the most beautiful route 40 and see such Patagonian relics as the Los Manos cave, the Los Glacieros glaciers, the Sierra Torres with Fitz Roy peak, the Valdes Peninsula and the Chilean natural park Torres del Paine, but also to visit Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the Earth, with the opportunity to make a cruise around Cape Horn from it (whoever wants to do something, you can on a boat, or you can, like me, sail on a small yacht with all the real extreme inherent in this cruise). In addition, from the Chilean Punta Arenas, it is possible, by prior arrangement, for example, with the Paralelo54 travel agency from Buenos Aires (there is even a Russian-language page and Russian-language contacts on its website), to fly to Antarctica to King George Island to the Chilean Antarctic station Puerto Frame, located nearby with our Bellingshausen station.
All in all, this Argentinian itinerary is one of the best in South America, especially for beginners in the South American continent.

2. The route "Across the countries of Mercosur".

What is its advantage: it can be driven by one rented car, for example, in Buenos Aires. As I have already said, the Mercosur countries now include Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, which are visa-free for Russians, and visa-free Paraguay (some people also refer to Venezuela, but you will definitely not be given the right to enter in a car rented in Argentina). To Paraguay - with great creak. In Uruguay - yes, but not from Brazil, there are passages between Brazil and Uruguay, but not for cars rented in third countries. These are almost idiotic rules. In Peru, no. To Bolivia - God forbid! Well, and so on. Ecuador and Colombia are also on the stop list.
In short, the Mercosur route looks something like this:
- arrive in Buenos Aires;
- leave through Mendoza to Chile, pass uninteresting Santiago and stop in Valparaiso. Do you know why there? - And you open the UNESCO list of cultural and natural heritage for the countries of South America on the Internet, and it will immediately become clear to you why I suggest this or that place to visit. There will be almost complete compliance. And I assure you, it's worth it.
- in Chile up to the north, but not for long. Somewhere after La Serena or near Copiapo, you need to return, for example, through route 60 to the Argentine route 40, because there is already little interesting in Chile. No, you can, of course, get to Antofagasta, cut through the Atacama Desert at a 5000-meter height and enter the Argentinean Salta with pomp through the 51st or 52nd road ... But does this make sense? From the point of view of overcoming difficulties - yes, otherwise it is unlikely.
- take route 40 to Salta. This is one of the most beautiful sections of rue 40. I definitely recommend it. And besides - around the bodega of the best wine-growing region in Argentina and all of South America (Salta - Cafayate), stop by, try this wine, it's an inexpressible feeling. Wine tourism in Argentina is by no means an empty phrase.
- from Salta to the province of Formosa is relatively close, less than 1000 km. On the other side of the Parana, the second most full-flowing river in South America after the Amazon, or as they call it Paraguay, stands Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. They need visas. Paraguay remains one of the most closed South American regions to this day. But there are also many Argentines there - unlike Russians, they are allowed visa-free entry into the 60-kilometer border zone of this country.
- in Paraguay, you can and should get to Iguazu (possibly through the entrance back to Argentina at the border checkpoint near the city of Posados and then along route 14 to Iguazu). Anyone who has set foot on this continent should visit Iguazu. This is one of the most impressive places in South America.
- further - to Brazil. Brazil is interesting from several angles. I'll try to explain. Someone admires the endless beaches of its Atlantic coast. And it's worth it. The beaches are truly endless and fantastic. Others are attracted to Jesuit church missions. Still others like the untouched nature, and they tend to visit the shores of the Amazon with the Area Protected, inhabited by Indian tribes, at some risk to their health. In Brazil, there are more than 50 protection zones protected from civilization, in which the equatorial Indians live in accordance with their norms and ways of life adopted many centuries ago. Kind of like a zoo. A separate buzz is participation in off-roads on the Brazilian off-road, especially during the rainy season. Who wants to tickle your nerves - climb into You Tube to the link Transamazonica, this is such a road that goes through the very heart of Brazil along the Amazon River, and everything will immediately become clear to you. Our Siberia with its impassable roads will seem like children's entertainment.
But seriously, I would recommend for the first time to make a “small cruise” in Brazil: almost immediately after Foz de Iguaçu, turn left, along the border with Paraguay, drive through Campo Grande to Cuayaba, from there turn due east, get to the capital of Brazil , and there through Bela Horizonte, visiting the most beautiful Jesuit missions on the way, get to Rio de Janeiro. Further - along the ocean, tasting all the delights of the beach, to Sao Paulo and through Curtiba back to Iguazu on the side of Argentina.
- and only then - to Uruguay. It is also famous for its beaches, its warmth and regularity. A visit to Montevideo is a must. You can go back to Buenos Aires both by car and by ferry, as you like.
This is also quite an acceptable route, without special opportunities for extreme tourism (except, of course, the Brazilian roads in the Amazonian region) and quite feasible, as they say, from the first arrival on this continent.
In general, I was going to drive along this route this year and, no matter how simple it may seem, wish me luck ...

3. Route "On the Altiplano".

This is something that I partially succeeded in the past year, and I reported in detail about this adventure in my blog. Partially - because I didn’t have my own car, and they didn’t allow me to drive in one rented car, no matter how I got out. I had to rent cars in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador separately. And between these countries to travel by plane. As a result - I confess: it is expensive and inconvenient. Although interesting. Each of these countries is unique and attractive in its own way.
Altiplano is a flat highland in the Andes, such a plain, located at a level above 4000 m above the sea. For comparison, the Tibetan capital of Lhasa stands at an altitude of about 3400 m, about the same as the Peruvian Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. On the Altiplano, you have to hard adapt to the altitude. Often you have to call in at altitudes up to 5000 m and even higher. There are many interesting natural and cultural sites on the Altiplano. Inca heritage led by Machu Picchu and the sacred Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. Bolivian Death Road and Peruvian Colca Canyon. Salar de Uyuni salt flats and an engineering creation - the Polvorilla railway bridge in Argentina. And this is not a complete list of Altiplan attractions.
Ideally, of course, this route should be done on your own car. Drag it from here or buy it there. It is possible to do both. But this must be done thoughtfully. For the first visit to South America is definitely not suitable.

4. I can relate the same to the next route, which is called "Across the Pan American". Driving along this many-sided and mysterious highway from the north of the USA to the southernmost point of Argentina is, one might say, a very standard dream of any inhabitant of the American continent. And often unrealistic. Because there are a lot of obstacles on the way to it. For cars, the Darien Isthmus usually becomes an insurmountable difficulty, where you have to hand over your iron horse in cargo luggage for a month or more, buy a plane ticket to Colombia yourself, and there it is painful to wait for his arrival. For motorcyclists (see above) it is much easier, but more tiring, the length of the roads, especially primers in Patagonia. In short, this route is absolutely unrealistic on rented vehicles. On my own - I saw several heroes and even talked about them in my notes. Here, for example, here: www.RidingTheAmericas.com If you are attracted to this route, read this site for sure. And keep it up. There will be a lot of impressions. I especially remember the stories of Vadim Ovchinnikov from the aforementioned site about dumb Mexican and Colombian roads.

5. Well, finally, I have another super route in South America slowly ripening. This is for the future. It must also be done exclusively on your vehicle. We are talking about a real big circumnavigation of the continent. Naturally, without the northwestern countries of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, since the road connection with them is only one-way and extremely unstable.
"The Great South American Circumnavigation".

So, it is proposed to go around the world from Buenos Aires through Iguazu (you can stop by Uruguay) straight to Brazil, there visit Rio de Janeiro and the capital, and then get to the administrative center of the province of Amazonas, the city of Manaus, cross the Amazon at this place (almost the whole road, oddly enough, is asphalt), drive through a lot of Area Protected inhabited by natives, then, after passing through the equator, enter Venezuela and see enough of the Table Mountains. This is a real adventure on wheels. From there there is a completely sane route through Caracas to the border crossing to Colombia. With all precautions, this can be overcome. It is better to cross Colombia along the main highway, the same Panamerican. Then there will be a rather difficult entry into Ecuador - these two countries have not been very friendly in recent decades. But that's not a problem either. And from Ecuador to Peru and beyond - it's easy. Be sure to visit Lima, this is one of the most beautiful and civilized cities in all of South America. Well, then - everything is quite simple - along the coast to Chile and further to Argentina. I have already spoken about these roads in great detail above.
Time for such a circumnavigation should be allocated at least two months. I think that our spring or autumn will be ideal so as not to fall into the equatorial rainy season.
Go?))

Our itinerary in South America

1.5 days

Rio de Janeiro.

Watching: Mount Corcovado, botanical garden, Sugarloaf at sunset, Copacabana beach, Platforma night show.

We fly to Foz do Iguacu with GOL, arriving at 00:30.

1 day

foz do iguacu

Waterfalls (3 hours is enough), a bird sanctuary (1.5 hours is enough), if you wish, we fly by helicopter over the waterfalls (helicopter for $ 120 per person).

At 18:30 we take the last bus to Argentina in Puerto Iguazu (it takes about an hour).

1 day

Puerto Iguazu

We watch the waterfalls, take a boat trip to the waterfalls, before 16:00 we have time to visit the throat of the devil, if it is open. In the evening we dine in their fine restaurants with live music.

1 day:

In the morning we fly to Buenos Aires with LAN.

Not a full day we walk around the city center, visit the Japanese garden (open until 18:00).

1 day:

In the morning we fly to Salta by LAN.

For 3 hours we explore the center of Salta and climb the cable car. We took a taxi to the center for 70 pesos.

At 14:00 (no later, otherwise you won’t see the mountains in the dark) we take a taxi for 1100 pesos to the city of Tilcara with a stop in the city of Pulmamarca to visit the seven-colored mountains.

Overnight in Tilcara. A very beautiful town.

Altitude sickness can begin here, it is better to have the appropriate pills in reserve.

In the morning we climb Mount Pucara de Tilcara and descend.

1 day:

By bus no later than at 11:30 we leave for the city of La Chiaca, buses run approximately every 1.5 hours, we bought tickets in the evening. We love the views around the roads.

From the La Kayake bus station we move 10 minutes on foot towards the bridge, there is the border with Bolivia.

We cross the border (Ukrainians must obtain a visa in advance) and get to the city of Villazon. Don't forget to change the time.

By taxi for 14 Bolivianos we reach the railway station. The taxi driver needs to say "Train" and he will understand.

at 15:30 Bolivian time, a train departs, which runs once a day, in any case, the second train did not arrive that day.

At 02:00 we arrive in Uyuni and easily find a hotel without prior booking.

2 days:

At 08:00 we buy a tour to the salt marsh, you don’t have to look for a travel agency, they themselves will find you near the hotel.

We buy pills for mountain sickness in the pharmacy if necessary, and sunglasses for 30 bolivianos.

At 10:30 we go on a two-day excursion, it cost us $ 75 / person. If you wish, you can also go for one-day, three-day and four-day trips. The tour agent was found right at the bus station at 06:00.

We return at 17:00 the next day.

At 20:00 we leave by bus for La Paz. The bus ticket will be sold to you by the travel agency when you buy the tour. A night bus ticket cost $15/person.

From La Paz, we immediately went to Copacabana, but in La Paz you could visit:

Bike tour "Death Road" for $37 per person, starts at 07:00.

Lunar Valley.

1 day:

At 06:30 we arrive at the La Paz bus station and buy tickets to Copacabana.

At 08:30 we go by bus to Copacabana.

At 13:00 we arrive in Copacabana and find ourselves a hotel without booking. At the bus station, we buy a ticket for a night bus to Cusco for tomorrow evening for 110 bolivianos per person. If you wish, at 13:30 you can immediately go on a shortened version of the tour to Isla del Sol.

Excursion to the island is sold literally at every step and in every hotel.

Just walking around Copacabana.

1 day:

At 08:30 we go on an excursion to Isla del Sol. It costs 35 + 10 + 15 + 5 bolivianos per person, you don’t pay everything right away. We walk around the island for 5 hours and sail back.

At 17:00 we are back in Copacabana.

At 18:30 we go by bus to Peru in Cusco.

1 day:

At 05:30 we are in Cusco.

We buy a two-day bus tour to Machu Picchu, the tour agent will find you right at the station for $ 110 per person (Transfer there, transfer back, entrance to Machu Picchu, meals, overnight, English guide to Machu Picchu, 10 km walk to Aguas- Calientes, 10 km walk back, walk to Machu Picchu, walk from Machu Picchu, 4.5 hours to Machu Picchu.) You can get there by train, but we calculated that it is much more expensive.

If we have enough strength, we immediately go on a one-day tour around Cusco, there are very beautiful places there. You can leave your luggage at the tour company.

If you don’t have enough strength like we do, then visit on your own that day:

Sights of the center of Cusco

Ollantaydambo

Salt Mines

Moray (Probably closes at 16:30)

2 days

Machu Picchu.

At 07:30 we left for Machu Picchu.

Returned at 21:00 the next day.

If you take three days to Machu Picchu, then you will not be in a hurry to catch the minibus and, accordingly, you will be able to see two more attractions there:

sun gate

Inca Bridge

We didn't have enough time or energy for them.

1 day:

We flew to Lima in a couple of hours by StarPeru (the cheapest airline in this direction) or by bus in 20 hours.

Watching in Lima:

Center

Park of lovers, if you're lucky, then with a sunset.

1 day:

We fly to Brazil Foz do Iguazu.

1 day:

In the morning we fly to Rio and fly home.

This route cost two $2260 excluding airfare. Including all excursions, ground transportation, hotels, meals, vaccinations, visas and more.

Travel date: 09.10.2014 - 27.10.2014

Duration: 19 days

Countries visited: Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru

Flights: Luftgansa, LAN, TAM, GOL, StarPeru

Hotels: Booking.com + on site

Excursions: Everyone watched for themselves. Or bought from local travel agencies, which were found on the spot.

Duration of the story: 42 hours, 36 A4 sheets

Difficulty of the trip: 10/10 (very difficult)

How we organized the trip

Winning Tickets

To travel, you need to take a vacation of at least two weeks, since you really need to see a lot. Next, we make a list of places we want to visit.

From a bunch of information on the Internet, for a 17-day itinerary, I highlighted the following top interesting places:

What are we watching

The most interesting sights:

1. Viewpoints from the Corcovado and Sugar Loaf mountains, Rio (Brazil)

2. Foz de Iguaçu Waterfalls (Brazil)

3. Puerto Iguazu Falls (Argentina)

4. Seven-colored mountain in Purmamarca (Argentina)

5. Salt marsh (Bolivia)

6. Mount Machu Picchu (Peru)

Most interesting cities:

1. Foz do Iguazu, Brazil (tropical cozy climate)

2. Tilcara, Argentina (themed city)

3. Puerto Iguazu, Argentina (Romantic Evenings)

4. Cusco, Peru (Everything is beautiful everywhere)

5. Aguas Calientes, Peru (Simply nice and cozy)

6. Lima, Peru (Park area over the Pacific Ocean)

Resolving visa issues

According to information from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have the visa country Bolivia on the list.

Air travel pass

There is such a thing as an airpass. This is a ticket that includes a number of flights, which in total are cheaper than buying separately. But there are a number of problems here:

1) Not always cheaper

2) Not all countries can fly under the airpass system

3) It is not always possible to choose a convenient flight time, as the system suggests, it will be so.

There are two types of GOL Airpass and Latam airpass. The price depends on the number of flights and whether you fly to the mainland itself with the same company or not. For example, I flew Kyiv-Rio with Lufthansa, which means I have to buy a more expensive airpass. Buying a ticket is not easy.

During the purchase of Latam airpass, I had to contact the airline operator, and as a result, the operators began to freeze and never sold it to me.

Buying tickets separately

After an unrealistic chitchat with the airpass, we took the path of least resistance. Bought tickets from different vendors separately. Some tickets were bought through the Multi-City section.

Our itinerary looks like this:

Ticket 1: Rio(GIG) - Foz de Iguazu Falls(IGU) - Rio(GIG) (GOL Airlines)

Ticket 2: Puerto Iguazu Falls(IGR) - Buenos Aires(AEP) - Salta(SLA) (AirlineLAN)

Ticket 3: Cusco(CUZ) - Lima(LIM) (StarPeru Airlines)

Ticket 4: Lima(LIM) - Foz de Iguazu Falls(IGU) (TAM Airline)

*purchasing tickets online on South American sites took 3.5 hours

Names of airports are in parentheses. Tickets were bought directly on the websites of these airlines. On the LAN website, there was a problem with the purchase through the Mastercard card, I had to use the Paypal service, which additionally robbed the card for $ 40, the fact of theft was established by the bank, but nothing came of it.

This is what it looked like after all the changes were made.

Many thanks to these guys for a ton of valuable and detailed information about South America.

The Pan American Highway is the longest highway in the world, with a total length of 48,000 kilometers, connecting Alaska with Chile. It has good coverage, crosses a large number of countries and has many other advantages. However, if you want to see the real South America, you need to get off the flat pavement onto one of these legendary routes.

1. Northern Road Yungas or Death Road, Bolivia. Considered the most dangerous road in the world. The route partially passes along the edge of the cliff at an altitude of up to 600 meters, without any fences. For almost the entire length of the road, its width does not exceed 3.5 meters, which makes it very difficult for oncoming cars to pass. Especially in the rainy season, when an already dangerous road turns into a deadly attraction. Now the Death Road is used mainly for tourism purposes, since a bypass route was recently opened.

2. Trans-Amazon Highway, Brazil. The largest transport highway in the country, with a length of 5.5 thousand kilometers. The road was built in the 1970s to connect the outlying regions of the Amazon with the center of the country. During the rainy season, part of the road becomes impassable, when dust and dirt on unpaved sections turn into a reddish clay porridge, and the bridges are completely washed away.

3. Carretera Austral or South Road, Chile. The only highway connecting the north and south of the country. For 600 kilometers, this gravel road winds between volcanoes, rainforests, fjords and glaciers. An ideal route for diving into the wild nature of South America. The road was built during the reign of Pinochet.

4. Road No. 9 or Trans-Chaco Highway, Paraguay. Passes through a sparsely populated, hot tropical region with a semi-desert landscape of the Gran Chaco. For a long time it was considered the worst and most unpredictable road in South America. Mennonites live in these places - the descendants of radical representatives of the Protestant direction, who followed their spiritual leader, Menno Simons, in the distant 1543, whose activities in the Netherlands were outlawed. Mennonites consider the modern world to be the kingdom of Satan and try to minimize contacts with him, are principled pacifists, highly value the path of moral self-improvement in life, baptize only adults and lead a humble lifestyle, trying to reveal themselves in simple everyday work. Some Mennonite communities can be visited, but permission must first be obtained.

5. Ruta 40 or National Road No. 40, Argentina. This legendary Argentine road, built in 1935, runs along the western border of Argentina. It starts in the south of the country at Tierra del Fuego and ends in the north near the border with Bolivia, passing along the Andean ridge and crossing 20 national parks, 18 major rivers, 236 bridges, 13 major lakes and salt marshes. Ruta 40 passes through 27 mountain passes, one of which reaches a height of 5000 meters.

6. BR-319, Brazil. Another Brazilian road built to explore the Amazon. Due to the lack of sufficient knowledge about the region, the road was laid through swampy terrain, which affected its quality. During the rainy season, entire sections of the road are washed away along with bridges. However, during the dry season the road is passable. The most persistent adventurers overcome the 800-kilometer road in about a week.

7. Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia It is an endless expanse of dried salt with a very smooth surface on which world speed records can be set. Of course, this is not a road in the full sense of the word, but you can ride it, and it's worth it. There are organized tours to the Uyuni salt marsh, but you can also come on your own. But do not forget that the plateau is located at an altitude of 3800 meters.

8. Marshy Pantanal, Brazil. Pantanal is a vast swampy area in the southwest of Brazil, attracting tourists with the opportunity to plunge into the rich world of wildlife in South America. It is home to 120 species of mammals, 200 species of fish, 100 different species of reptiles and 600 species of birds. The roads here are mostly unpaved, so you need a four-wheel drive car to move around.

9. Interoceanic Highway connecting the Atlantic coast of Brazil and the Pacific coast of Peru. This multi-billion dollar road was designed to spur Peru's economic development and give Brazil access to the Pacific Ocean. Construction of the road is still ongoing, although the official opening took place in 2011. This is the easiest route listed in this post, and the only one completely paved.

October 29, 2013 3:58 pm + 1 city - Argentina, Montevideo + 1 city - Uruguay, Valparaiso + 2 cities - Chile, Lima, Mancora - Peru April 2012

Description of the route (exclusively by land transport):

A Rio de Janeiro, B- Sao Paulo (Brazil);

C-Punte del Este, D- Montevideo (Uruguay);

E-Buenos Aires, F-Mendoza, G- Uspalata (Argentina);

G— Valparaiso, H-Santiago, I- Arica (Chile);

K-Mancora, L-Lima

They had to break their long journey through 6 countries of Latin America into 3 parts, otherwise even a simple description of the road with the removal of almost all the lyrics did not fit into the competition format (15,000 characters). To represent the entire journey, the map is given for the entire route.

Part I. Two Oceans

1. Uruguay

So, for 2 Lufthansa tickets to Rio de Janeiro and back, 45,000 rubles were paid on the card. I bought a Fujifilm camera with 10x zoom and a cheap DNS netbook with the Promt translator installed. They took dollars, 1 debit card and 2 credit cards with them. The stored alcohol (for disinfection), a boiler, as well as a universal adapter for sockets were very useful. Just in case, my wife and I were vaccinated against yellow fever (in Moscow) and against hepatitis A, as it turned out, without the need. To pay back the road to Moscow, they issued free visas to Bolivia there.

March 22 met at the airport Domodedovo. In flight, the Alps gave way to the deserted Sahara, and only near Dakar did human settlements reappear. Further, from the lambs of the ocean surf, visible from the height, near the African coast, the plane turned to the west. The distance from Africa to LA does not look huge, about 4 hours by plane, but on the map we are used to finding it in another hemisphere, as if looking through a nearby window.

At 18.40 (the difference with Moscow is 8 hours) we landed safely in Rio. The Brazilian border, like all others (except the Chilean one), passed easily, like a knife through butter. At the airport information kiosk, they gave us an excellent map of the city and several books for free, they told us where the bus to the city stops. At 19.05 we were already boarding it for 12 BR per person ( 1 brazilian real equal to the end of March 2012 16,08 rub). Being intimidated by rampant crime in Rio, we were afraid to look for a hotel at night and wanted to leave the city as soon as possible (as I later found out, the bus stops at Flamengo Beach, from where it is 100 safe meters to the Catete area with many hotels). Having left at the Rodovario bus station, we left for Sao Paulo by the flight of the "Company 1001" (1 ticket 73 BR) at 20.30.

March 23 at about 2.30 am arrived in Sao Paulo. The station is the largest and most convenient of all seen in LA, with excellent free toilets, waiting rooms with free charging for gadgets, a fountain with drinking water, a metro station with the funny name Portugesa Titien. Everything is there, but there is no Wi-Fi. At the information desk we found out which companies go to Uruguay (each company has its own window at the station). We bought a direct ticket to Punta del Este, Uruguay, at EGA window 386 (departure only on Fridays at 23.30 for 283.90 BR plus a couple of reals, on Friday the box office is open from 13 to 19 and from 20 to 23.30). After dinner, we walked around the cathedral square of the city, planted with tall royal palms.

The bus "Marco Polo" (Brazilian manufacturer of bodies on the chassis of Mercedes, Volvo and Scania), service (hot and even alcohol were given in the cabin), as well as the road were the best of the whole trip. In LA, intercity buses have seats that fold out for sleeping.

On March 24, well-groomed pastures with buffaloes flashed before our eyes. Through Florianapolis and Porto Allegri, we reached the Uruguayan border, which we hardly noticed. The steward only collected our passports, and we didn’t leave the cabin and show our luggage, and didn’t even see the border guards. Crossing the border was impersonal, and with our passports it was possible to take out anyone.

March 25 at 5 o'clock in the morning arrived. The main attraction of the city's beach is a sculpture in the form of a five, protruding from the sand with two phalanxes of fingers. By the end of March, the water is no longer very comfortable for swimming.

On March 26, we indulged in a beach holiday in the morning, but in the afternoon it started to rain. The city of Punta del Este is located on a cape between the Atlantic Ocean and the bay (from the window of our room it was possible to observe both coasts at the same time). In the middle part of the cape there is a city with skyscrapers, at the base and at the end of it there are villas. Each villa is given a sonorous proper name by its owner, for example, "Egoist's Dream", which is indicated by a sign. The villas are surrounded by many subtropical trees and shrubs, over which small green parrots fly.

March 27 at 11.00 went by bus to Montevideo. From the metropolitan station, we took a city bus to Mercado del Puerto, inside which there are many restaurants with parilla (barbecue), where meat is cooked on an open fire.

At 22.00, a Pullman bus for 930 UP (1 Uruguayan peso equaled 1,572 rubles) for 1 ticket went to Buenos Aires.

2. Argentina

On March 29 at 7 o'clock in the morning we were at the Baires railway station. Of all the countries in LA, Argentina is the most problematic to exchange currency. They require a passport to copy, you have to go through two or three clerks and spend a lot of time. There is no exchange office at the bus station or nearby. The recommended bank on Florida Street was far away even for my long legs, but when I found it, I found out that it only opens at 10 am. Due to a fixed commission, it is unprofitable to withdraw a small amount. We took the metro to the central station of Piedras, where we rented a double room at the Kapac hotel on Tacuari street for 170 AP ( 1 Argentine peso was 6.71 rubles) per day.

We walked around the center with sprawling banyan trees. In the square near the theater, they found an installation in the form of music stands for an entire orchestra with hay instead of notes. Probably, under the impression of success in breeding cattle, Argentines are invited to chew on fresh senets and mumble in chorus with satisfaction.

The Ricoletto cemetery impresses with narrow streets with continuous crypts instead of houses, Evita Peron is buried in one of them. Lots of sculptures. I remember one on the crypt of Manvel Cerini in the form of a man with a gaze and an hourglass: be prepared to die! And the surrounding crypts demonstrate this readiness with funeral accessories left until the next occasion, which can be viewed through glass doors.

With Ricoletto, we walked for a long time along the coastal parks to the Las Canitas area (sorry, we missed the art gallery) to visit a restaurant between the hippodrome and the Carranza metro, where there was no menu in English. The Malbec beef tenderloin was delicious.

On March 29, at 11 o'clock, they came to the Congress, where at that time they conduct free tours (with a passport). From the Congress, we took a city bus to the La Boca quarter, where tango once originated.

We sat in the famous cafe Tortoni (100 AP). In the evening, in the basement of the cafe, we watched a tango show (240AP for two). When buying tickets, you need to be interested in places, at the end of the hall, the heads of the audience are obscured by the legs of the dancers

30.03 at 17.45 at 380 AP took a ticket to Mendoza of the El Rapido Argentino company.

31.03 did not have time to the local tourist administration, working until 14 o'clock. We went to the tasting room and the best wine store in the country, and therefore in the world in terms of price-quality ratio.

On April 01, we learned that there is no special excursion to the foot of the highest mountain in LA, Aconcagua (6962 m). You need to take the Uspallata Express, which leaves at 6.00 (7.00 on weekends), 10.15 and 15.30 from the bus station for 20-something AP. On a morning flight, you can get to the very checkpoint at the foot, while on a lunch flight, you will have to leave a few kilometers before it. We learned that on Sundays all the wineries (bodegas) in Mendoza rest.

On April 2 we left Mendoza. Three and a half hours later, we reached the so-called Inca Bridge. We walked 3 km along the mountain highway in about an hour. For the passage to the park (without a single tree) Aconcagua you have to pay 60 rubles per person.

Having reached the highway, they frivolously hoped to stop a hitch to the Chilean border, to which there were some 30 km. Although we were warned that trucks do not stop here. The failure at first did not bother us, and we did not take the Uspallata express, from which it was possible to catch the night bus to Mendoza to Valparaiso. We decided to move to the Inca Bridge, voting oncoming trucks. But all the Chileans calmly passed by. The bus to Santiago stopped only once, but the offered price and destination did not suit us. At the Inca Bridge, the vote was just as unsuccessful - the Chileans with such firmness and unwillingness to cut down the left peso reminded me of the Germans with their "Nein!". The private trader from the bridge broke too expensive. And in the mountains, meanwhile, it became quickly dark and cold. Since neither today nor tomorrow a bus was expected from the bridge to the border, we had to return by the last bus (departure at 20:00, to Uspalata 14 AP per person), hoping to take a passing bus to Valparaiso in Uspalata. While we were unloading, before we reached the ticket office, our bus left for Mendoza. And at the box office they made us happy that there would be nothing in Chile or Mendoza until tomorrow, although they said otherwise in the afternoon. Night, an unfamiliar city, we are with things at a closed deserted station. I had to go to the first one I came across, and, of course, the most expensive one in the city, which raised prices even more in connection with the Easter week (420 AP double room).

On April 03 we went out of town, where our hands were burned in 3 hours of the mountain sun. At 18.15 we left for Mendoza (1 ticket - 22 AP), where at 22.20 we took an inexpensive ticket to Valparaiso.

3. Chile

April 4 at night crossed the Chilean border. In Chile, the import of many foodstuffs is prohibited, so all luggage was carefully checked at the border. At night, from a high mountain far below, the fireflies of road trains were visible, winding dangerous spirals. Like the descent of sinners into the underworld!

In Valparaiso, next to the train station, for 18,000 PE (1 Chilean peso equaled 0.06017 rubles) we stayed at a hostel, where the hostess handed us a Lonely Planet guide to Chile and wrote down my profession, which sounds “consultant” in Spanish. We walk around, people greet each other, and in Spanish, hello sounds like ol I. Olya at first shuddered at her name, then she got used to it. That's how I walked around Valparaiso - a consultant with Hello and Lonely Planet (remember Bulgakov)! The streets on the way to the Mercado (market) were filled with stalls with the freshest products. On the second floor of the market there are inexpensive fish restaurants. We ordered a very hearty seafood paella (5000 CP).

April 5 at 10.20 for 2700 PE per person went to Santiago. The road (three hours) is easy and beautiful. We reached La Moneda Square with the presidential palace and the monument to Salvador Allende. We walked on the park mountain of Santa Lucia with good views of the city. We took the funicular to the top, where the statue of the Virgin Mary is installed. At 11:26 p.m. we left the bustling bus station for Arica at 43,500 CHP for 1 Tur-Bus seven-kama class ticket.

On April 6, we drove all night, day and half the night in a bus, including through the Atacama Desert. The bus air conditioner from the outboard heat had incontinence of water, which began to drip more and more from the ceiling. But the air conditioner did not crash, and we did not feel the desert heat.

April 7 arrived in Arica. The city stands on the ocean, to the beaches you have to pass by El Morro de Arica - a bare stone cliff 110 m high, on which Chile finally defeated the Peruvians in the Pacific War in the 19th century.