Things to Do in Central And South America

Much of the wealth of Manaus came from its days as the region's major port city during the rubber boom. That era was also known for its beautiful architecture - and a fine example of that Belle Epoque style of the late 1800s is Manaus' opera house, the Teatro Amazonas.

The Teatro Amazonas was built between 1884 and 1896 and is a showcase of furnishings imported from far-off places like France and Italy, including nearly 200 Italian chandeliers and a painted curtain from Paris. The opera house's incredible dome is covered with 36,000 tiles painted in the colors of the Brazilian flag. The first ever performance in the Teatro Amazonas was the opera "La Gioconda" in January of 1897.

When the rubber boom dwindled, the theater lost its wealthy patrons and actually shut down for 90 years. In 2001 the government invested millions in renovations, and today the 700-seat Teatro Amazonas is home to the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra and an annual Amazonas Opera Festival. It is on the San Sebastian Square (Praça São Sebastião) in downtown Manaus, and visitors can either go on a guided tour of the theater when it's not in use, or consult the schedule to check out one of the many free performances.

Buenos Aires’ most iconic landmark, the Obelisk, or El Obelisco, towers over the intersection of the city’s two main thoroughfares, Corrientes Avenue and the ‘widest avenue in the world’ -9 de Julio. Erected in 1936 to commemorate the nation’s 400th anniversary, the pencil-like column marks the spot where the nation’s flag was first flown – a striking 220-foot tall monument that has become a memorable feature on the city skyline. Fashioned from 1,360 square meters of Cordoba white stone, the Obelisk was designed by Tucaman architect Alberto Prebisch and features poignant inscriptions on each of its 4 faces, referencing key moments in the city’s history.

Not only an important navigational landmark, the Obelisk also finds itself at the center of city celebrations and rallies, a common backdrop for sporting celebrations, political demonstrations, candlelit vigils and religious congregations. The ever-faithful landmark has even been known to make its own statement - famously donning a giant condom during World AIDS Awareness Day and draped in Argentine and German flags to mark the 150th anniversary of the countries’ bilateral relations.

Unfortunately, the only thing visitors can’t enjoy is the view from the top. The Obelisk features four windows at its pinnacle accessible by 206 interior steps, but sadly the stairwell has never been opened to the public.

Situated grandly atop downtown São Paulo’s Vale do Anhangabaú like a concrete wedding cake, the century-old Theatro Municipal still shines as an example of the city’s place at the vanguard of art in Latin America. Opened in 1911, the ornate showplace—styled in the tradition of the great European opera houses—has welcomed Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Duke Ellington, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Ellington to its stage. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation has restored the grandeur of the structure, which serves as the official home of the São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra and the São Paulo City Ballet, among other artistic organizations.

With a design inspired directly by Milan’s Teatroalla Scala, the theater was erected during the height of São Paulo’s wealth and influence as the center of Brazil’s coffee industry, though the location of the structure is called Morro do Chá—Tea Hill. The site of many debuts by Brazilian composers as well as host of 1922’s groundbreaking Week of Modern Art, which set the tone for the country’s multifaceted participation in Modernism, the theater welcomes visitors and offers guided tours arranged through its on-site historical museum, and purchasing tickets for any of the various artistic events at the theater’s turn-of-last-century box office is an experience in itself.

Iguassu Falls are famously shared between three nations: Brazil, Argentina and tiny Paraguay (which doesn't actually claim any part of the primary falls, only the rivers). Though the actual Tripitarte, or triple border, lies unmarked at the deepest part of the confluence of the Iguazu and Parana rivers, all three nations have erected monuments—built around obelisks painted patriotically with the colors of their respective flags—overlooking the spot.

Having reopened in 2010 after an exhaustive $35 million renovation, the stunning Teatro Municipal in downtown Rio de Janeiro looks as well-crafted and intricately designed as a Carnival float. Golden statues on the roof sparkle in the tropical sunshine while stately neoclassical columns buttress the façade. Inside, grand spectator suites and elegant balconies offer superb views of the stage where Sarah Bernhardt, Maria Callas, and Igor Stravinsky once captivated the audiences of the Brazilian capital, and where Brazilian presidents Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, and U.S. president Barack Obama more recently captivated audiences worldwide.

Inspired by the Paris Opera and inaugurated in 1909 as the most expensive theater ever built outside of Europe at the time, the Teatro Municipal hosted international orchestra and ballet performances for its first two decades, featuring French and Italian theater companies almost exclusively. Only in 1931 was Brazilian talent organized into the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre Orchestra, which focused on international as well as domestic works, including a grand production of the seminal Brazilian opera O Guarani, a melodramatic love story between a Guarani Indian warrior and the daughter of a wealthy Portuguese landowner in Brazil, based on a novel written in 1854 that was the first mainstream Brazilian work of literature to feature an indigenous protagonist.

Tayrona National Park, just 34 km from Santa Marta in northern Colombia, has abundant natural and archaeological attractions. Named after one of the most important indigenous tribes in Colombia’s history, the Tayrona National Park was established in 1969 with an area of 19,000 hectares.

Eco-tourism is popular in this complex biological ecosystem. There are over 300 bird species, including the endangered Andean condor and woodpeckers. Puma, deer, bats, howling monkeys, iguanas, jaguars and marine turtles also call this forest home. Hikers can spot multicolored land crabs, reptiles and butterflies on the trails.

To get to the beaches, visitors walk along marked trails or hire a guide with horses. Explore the many golden sand beaches and snorkel near coral reefs and underwater treasures hidden around the huge rock formations.

The largest archeological remains in the park are found in Pueblito, an ancient commercial center used by the Tayrona Indians of the Sierra Nevada. It is estimated that it was inhabited by about 2,000 people between 450 and 1,600 A.D. Since the hike only takes about 2 hours, these ruins are a good alternative to observe the architecture of the Tayronas if you don't have enough time or the physical condition to visit the Lost City. And for many travelers, the trek through streams and past giant boulders is more of an attraction than the destination itself. Remember that the trails are often muddy, so it’s advisable to wear suitable walking shoes.

Lodging in Tayrona Park is also exciting, ranging from hammocks to luxurious eco-habs inspired by indigenous dwellings. Remember there’s no electricity in the park at night, so flashlights are useful.