Things to Do in Central And South America

The Santiago skyline is dominated by San Cristobal Hill (Cerro San Cristobal), a forested mountain rising 2,821 feet (860 meters) above the city. The site is protected as part of the Santiago Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano), one of the most famous city parks in Chile, and was developed into a public green space at the start of the 20th century, after the astronomical observatory was constructed on top of the hill. Today, the park serves as a scenic escape above the smog that can grip Santiago on winter days, and offers fantastic views across this city of 6.5 million to the Andes Mountains.

Cartagena’s strategic significance as Europe’s conquest of the Americas intensified cannot be overstated. Some say that if the British had won the 1741 Battle of Cartagena, that South America would now speak English. They didn’t, largely because of massive El Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest and most formidable Spanish colonial fortress in the hemisphere.

Begun in 1536, almost immediately after the conquistadors arrived, the massive megastructure sits atop San Lazaro Hill, with flawless views across the harbor. Bristling with cannons and other armaments, it was enlarged and re-fortified in 1657 and 1763 as part of an ongoing arms race against other European powers. A marvel of military engineering, the compound’s angles and parapets offer maximum coverage, and are connected by a warren of secret tunnels threading the mountain of stone.  

It’s worth hiring a guide to explain the significance of the structure, though the beautiful views from the gracefully aging old turrets are stunning in and of themselves. Come close to sunset, when trumpet players take advantage of the crumbling structure’s acoustics.

Just outside the fortress is the Old Shoe Monument, a popular photo op that commemorates a poem by Cartagena wordsmith Luis Carlos Lopez, who famously compared the old city to a worn, but comfortable, pair of shoes.

Iguazu Falls aren't northern Argentina's only UNESCO World Heritage Site. History buffs may be tempted away from the falls by the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis, a cluster of well-preserved ruins of reducciones, or settlements, built here by the Catholic order in the 1600s. There are four of these beautiful walled cities to explore: Sao Miguel das Missoes, in Brazil, and Argentina's Nuestra Señora de Loreto, Santa Maria Mayor, and San Ignacio Mini, the finest of them all.

San Ignacio Mini was originally founded in 1611, and moved to the current location in 1696. Hewn from beautifully carved red sandstone, it was designed to both protect and convert indigenous Guaranis, primarily children, to Catholicism. The remains of a magnificent church, as well as sleeping and living quarters, can all be explored on a guided tour.

After the Spanish Empire evicted the Jesuits in 1767, the recciones were systematically destroyed and forgotten. The ruins, rediscovered in 1897, have been partially restored. A nightly light show spectacular tells the story of Guarani life inside these crumbling walls.

Lima’s baroque Church of San Pedro was built in grand style by the Jesuits in 1638. The Jesuit Order’s premier church in Peru, it’s also one of the country’s finest buildings.

With its three naves and dome, the church features lovely glazed tiles and Moorish-influenced carvings.

Interesting tours reveal the history of the church and highlight its richly ornamented altars and chapels. The San Ignacio de Loyola chapel is the most highly decorated, and some prime colonial artworks hang in the chapels. The tour includes a visit to the underground crypt.

San Blas is the artisan precinct of Peru’s most famous handicrafts town, Cusco.

This area of workshops and studios, galleries and shops is the home of Cusco’s weavers, sculptors and potters. The artists’ enclave is ideal for a stroll, its cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed adobe houses decorated with contrasting blue doors and window frames.

You’ll also see remnants of Inca walls in this hilly enclave, where some narrow streets are so steep they are stepped.

San Blas is a perfect late-afternoon destination, with bars and restaurants, galleries and studios for relaxed visits into the evening.