Top Adventure Tours in South America
It is a diverse and rich continent, that one can list dozens of options for those who want to go on adventures. The geography is varied and beautiful, from thickly forested regions to steep mountain ranges and sand deserts to beautiful seashores. Adventure lovers, in particular, will be delighted by the intense travel opportunities throughout the continent. This article contains some of the best South American adventure tours and activities, highlighting those for first-timers and experienced adventurers.
Exploring the Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest is one of South America’s most popular adventure tourism products. The rivers run through several countries, and there are numerous guided tours of the world’s biggest tropical rainforest, the Amazon. Activities you could try include multi-day jungle treks, canoe trips through uncharted waters, and wildlife viewing. A regular tour of the Amazon contains meeting unusual animals, bird-watching, and exploring tribes that still stay in the forest.
Some of the fascinating things that any tourist to the Amazon would be privileged to see include pink river dolphins, jaguars, and innumerable bird varieties. There are also night tours, whereby people are taken for hiking activities at night when the forest is filled with characters of the night.
Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
For many adventure enthusiasts, the Inca Trail in Peru is where they have the ultimate toasting for their adventure. This historical route embodies travellers through the impressive marches as the Andes, where they get to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. One can holistically explore exuberant Inca trails, enterprise-clouded leeward slopes, meandering forests, and high country passes during the walk. Rising out of the mist to arrive at Sun Gate and then getting a glimpse of the brilliant and majestic Machu Picchu is beyond description.
However, there’s the Inca Trail, the high-altitude Salkantay Trail, and the picturesque Lares Trek, among other routes to Machu Picchu. For those who want to experience adventure while making the most of their travel to different cultures, this is one of the best trips to undertake in South America.
Sandboarding in the Atacama Desert
It is appropriate to visit such a place in December – February, although the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on the planet. One of the fun activities that can be tried in the desert is sandboarding, which involves surfing and sand—large mounds of sand that are ideal for surfboarding in the true sense of the term. The Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) is another famous sandboarding place, and its rocks make it more interesting, with a lunar look.
Thus, besides sandboarding, tourists can see the Salt Flats, Geysers and Hot Springs in the Atacama Desert. The skies are clear over the desert, and the area is considered one of the world’s best for astronomical observation; several night tour companies operate there.
Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park
South American Patagonia is a popular landmark that will always attract tourists and hikers alike into setting sight on it. Chile, especially the Torres del Paine National Park, is considered one of the most beautiful areas with massive granite spires, crystal clear lakes and incredible glaciers. The W Trek is the most well-known trail in the park, involving three or 4-day hikes through some of the most stunning landscapes in the entire region.
For the fauna, hikers can see different animals and birds like Guanacos, Condors, Pumas, etc. Other forms of trekking are more adventurous because the climatic conditions in Patagonia are more erratic due to the uncertainty of weather changes. As for adventurers striving to feel the wild spirit of nature, Patagonia does not disappoint.
Whitewater Rafting in Ecuador
River running in Ecuador is among the finest whitewater rafting adventures in South America. The country’s culture allows rafting adventures for beginners and pros along the Andes Mountains and in the Amazon Basin. The Pastaza and Quijos rivers are two of the most favourite destinations; they contain rapids of grade III to V circuits.
It is common to find a rafting tour in Ecuador that will provide one with deep gorges, rainforests, and areas with no road access. Besides thrilling in white water, rivers offer beautiful scenes for fascinated enthusiasts. However, for adventurers who want a high-octane, exciting experience, finding anything better than rafting in Ecuador is difficult.
Exploring the Salt Flats of Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt plane in the world and one of the most attractive natural attractions in South America. Most adventure tours to the salt flats entail@” going on a two or more days’ drive in 4 wheel drive vehicles over the stretchy, Martian lookalike space as the backdrop. In other parts of the year, mainly when it is rainy, the flats act as a mirror whereby the sky and the ground integrally form a whole.
The tours also involve other attractions, such as volcanoes, geysers, and multicoloured lagoons with flamingos. The challenging terrain and inaccessibility make this one of South America’s most exciting adventure tourism destinations.
Diving and Snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands
The most well-known place that should be mentioned is the island of Galápagos, situated near the Ecuadorian coast. With the help of diving and snorkelling, the newly minted divers will open the Gallery of the Galápagos Islands pages. The sea around the islands is rich in marine life, and the divers can see sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, and funny sea lions.
The Galápagos is exceptional for both inexperienced and professional dive lovers and admirers. Snorkelling trips enable tourists to swim and see beautiful fish around the shallow seas, while diving allows individuals to dive deep into the waters to catch big fish. Since the Galápagos National Park is mainly preserved, visitors can get an idea of what this one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world may look like.
Climbing to the Summit of Cotopaxi Volcano
People to tour as it is one of the major attractions of Ecuador as a country, especially for climbers and mountaineers. Cotopaxi, measuring over 19,000 feet, is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world, and scaling it is a tremendous challenge. But if courage and strength are present, the reward is the gorgeous landscape on the top of the hill.
Cotopaxi’s visibility is usually limited to extensive adventure tours of the volcano. Climbers spend three to four days in the area, which allows for the acclimatization trek to the volcano’s altitude. However, the climb is quite steep and laborious. The rewards include the beautiful scenery of Ecuador’s Andean Mountains and other volcanoes and snow-capped mountains. This trip is for those wishing to involve themselves in an extreme activity that combines a challenging climb to the top of the volcano.
Conclusion
South America tours are home to adventures of any kind, and many tours are available for everyone interested. There are numerous possibilities, from hiking in ruins as old as the pyramids to white water rafting or canoeing in high-energy level rivers to exploring land formations and phenomena that seem to belong on another planet. The best South American adventure tours offer exciting trips that make people feel the spirit of this incredible place. As people looking for the wildest experience, they never come empty-handed when they consider travelling to South America.
