Things to Do in Central And South America

The largest of three atolls in Belize and the Caribbean as a whole, Turneffe is known for offering some of the best diving in the country, thanks to deep walls filled with marine life. The most famous dive site is The Elbow, a steep drop off inhabited by beautiful eagle rays, snappers and other creatures. The atoll is also a top Caribbean fly-fishing destination, where anglers try to achieve the “Grand Slam”--catching bonefish, tarpon and permit in one day.

While most visitors day-trip to Turneffe, there are options to stay overnight at the couple of resorts on the atoll, including Blackbird Caye Resort and Turneffe Island Lodge or at a research facility on Calabash Caye, known to have a beautiful stretch of beach.

Rising from a blindingly white sea of salt, Tunupa volcano is a multi-hued cone that pokes from an alpine wonderland. Here in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, everything you think you know about landscapes is completely turned upside down, as the massive salt plane plays tricks on your eyes, and pink flamingos hang by lakes that burst in deep shades of red. Above it all stands Tunupa Volcano, a dormant and often snow-covered peak that rises up to 17,457 feet. Though ascending up to the frigid summit requires some mountaineering, a viewpoint at 15,500 feet offers visitors a sweeping, panoramic view of the Salar de Uyuni beneath you. Like gazing out on a blanket of clouds from the slopes of a colorful mountain, the white down below is actually formed as part of the world’s largest salt flat. Many tours to Salar de Uyuni incorporate scaling the volcano, and while the air is cold, thin, wind-whipped, and it’s noticeably harder to breathe, the view from the slopes of Tunupa volcano is one you won’t ever forget.

A burgeoning hotspot for gourmet cuisine, Buenos Aires’ lively barrio of Villa Crespo lies just southwest of Palermo and has become a fashionable haunt for the city’s young and hip. The district is most notable for its array of bars and eateries, just as chic yet more affordable than many of those in neighboring Palermo and makes an atmospheric place to spend the evening hours.

The variety of cuisine on offer is the biggest draw, with popular restaurants including the Middle Eastern themed Sarkis, a favorite among locals; Almacén Purista, one of Buenos Aires oldest and most celebrated vegetarian restaurants; and Scannapieco, specializing in delicious homemade Italian gelato. Other dining options include Italian, Argentine, Jewish, African and Chinese cuisine, and the area also boasts two of the city’s most exclusive nightclubs, Ocho7Ocho and Club Silencio, both hidden behind unsigned doors.

Villa Crespo is also a popular area for shopping with a number of brand stores opening up around Aguirre and Gurruchaga streets and some of the city’s best leather stores lining Murillo street.

Inspired by the French resort Les Arcs, Valle Nevado contains almost 7,000 acres of skiable domain – the largest accessible ski spread in South America. This new ski center rests snugly in one of the best locations of any resort in Chile and caters to all levels. It also offers off-piste runs and hosts an extensive terrain park full of rails, boxes, jumps, and a quarter-pipe suitable for even the most enthusiastic freestylers.

Detachable lifts have changed the ski industry forever – and Valle Nevado´s The Andes Express was the first one to be built in Chile, reflecting just how modern the resort aims to be. Five new runs were built in 2010.

The ski area also contains a spa, sauna, Kid´s Zone, emergency services, a cinema, and an outdoor heated pool with nearby cocktail bar.

Squeezed on a curved slice of land at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain and its shorter, wider companion at the other end of the cable car, tiny Urca remains one of Rio’s most unique neighborhoods in that it has retained its intimate feel and close-knit character for decades, despite rapid and unrestrained development in other sections of the city. Facing west across an inlet of Guanabara Bay and overlooking the stately districts of Botafogo and Flamengo, Urca is home to several restaurants and bars that make the trip from other parts of town worthwhile if only for the ambiance.

The site of a Portuguese fort erected in 1565 to fend off the nascent city from French colonial ambitions, Urca developed as a neighborhood much more recently. In the 1920s, the amount of buildable land in the area was expanded with landfill and the first housing developments sprung up. By the end of the decade, the district was a thriving commercial and residential community with its own casino, built to compete against the luxe but barely-accessible Copacabana Palace Hotel. Much of the architecture in the area reflects the development of the 30s and 40s, with a mix of faux Spanish and Tudor-style stucco houses and apartment buildings that render the entire neighborhood a historical treasure.

Founded as a penal colony, Ushuaia is the southernmost town in the world. This rustic town is also the jumping off point for cruising to Antarctica or exploring the Tierra del Fuego (“Land of Fire”). As such, it is a major tourist destination for Argentinians and foreigners alike.

How to Get to Ushuaia
When you dock, you will already be in the heart of Ushuaia – and just a block from the main shopping street, San Martin. Taxis are available to take you further afield, but they are not metered, so you will need to negotiate your price.

One Day in Ushuaia
Chances are, you will be visiting Ushuaia to explore the surrounding mountains, forests or lakes. Cruise ships typically offer several possible excursions or you can arrange something independently through a travel agency, or by simply hiring a taxi when you arrive in port.

Tierra del Fuego National Park, about 10 miles outside of Ushuaia, is one of the largest nature reserves in the world. You can go horseback riding, bird-watching, hiking or mountain biking or visit the end of the Pan-American Highway at Lapataia Bay - almost literally the “end of the world.” You might also ride the “Train at the End of the World,” a steam-driven train that follows the River Pipo into the park.

Those who haven’t yet had a chance to see penguins on their journey may want to visit the Hammer Island Penguin Rookery, which provides an up close look at Magellanic penguins. Discover some of the region’s wildlife on a catamaran trip through the Beagle Channel, or take a chair lift to the top of the Martial Glacier for a magnificent view of the channel.

If you want to explore the town, start with a stroll along Malvina Argentinas Street, passing a reconstruction of the old town. Then head down San Martin to Yaganes, where you will find the Ushuaia Prison Museum. The museum is a combination prison museum and maritime museum and includes exhibits detailing the history of Usuhuaia from the time it was first settled. Retrace your steps to San Martin to do a little shopping and then take the ski lift up above the city. Enjoy an amazing view while indulging in an Argentinian steak or some of the area’s superb seafood.

Port Information
The official language is Spanish, but it is common to hear English, German and Portuguese as well. The currency is the Argentinian peso. ATM's are widely available and credit cards should be accepted in most places. There is a visitor information center at the dock with maps and information about the area, as well as an internet kiosk and handicraft vendors.

A bustling Andean metropolis of thousands of cars, dozens of high-rise buildings and nearly two-million people, visitors to Bolivia’s Valle de la Luna are shocked to find a massively-eroded desert moonscape located only six miles from the urban city center of La Paz.

Wind and rain have taken their toll on the soft clay formations outside the south end of the city, and the result is a canyon full of hoodoos and stalagmite-shaped formations that crawl up the canyon walls and create an otherworldly scene just minutes from the bustle of downtown. The road to Valle de La Luna follows the canyon carved by the Rio Choqueyapu, and passes natural cactus clusters which are home to over 30 different species of cacti. Arid, windswept and dramatically eroded, the entrance to Valle de La Luna is a surreal landscape set silently on the outskirts of chaos.

Many private tours in La Paz run day trips out to Valle de La Luna, although since wandering the trail among the eroded formations takes only an hour, it’s best to combine Valle de La Luna with another day-trip heading further afield. Or, given the weird combination of South Dakota’s Badlands meeting the red rock pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, a foray down to Valle de La Luna is a unique way to simply kill a couple of hours in the highest capital city in the world.