Although South America has thousands of miles of coastline, much of it is not actually beach friendly. The majority of the southern half of the continent – on both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sides – is connected to rainy, windy…
Peru is more than just Ceviche With all due respect to the cuisine of other countries in South America, many would agree that Peru is the pinnacle of gastronomy in the region. The country’s cuisine blends native, European and East Asian cultures, with…
Patagonia – What, Where and When? You heard that Patagonia is amazing, but are not sure when is best and how best to get there? Perhaps you heard about the Paine Towers (Torres del Paine) in southern Chile or the Perito Moreno Glacier, across the…
The Beavans are Back Two of our first and favorite passengers, Keith and Beth Beavan, were back traveling with Ideal South America in 2022. Planned years ago, before the pandemic, and cancelled and re-scheduled more than once, they were finally able to…
My 11-year old son and I were so excited to finally be visiting Costa Rica! Its reputation as a friendly, safe, warm, fun and incredibly biodiverse country preceded it … and it would not disappoint. From the Atlantic Caribbean to the…
Experience the Paradise of the World’s Best Sustainable Coffee Farms Connect with your coffee. It is a truly amazing experience, not only to visit the countries where it comes from – Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, El Salvador, the…
Rumor has it, you MUST be at Machu Picchu for “the sunrise”. Common wisdom (family, friends, and even experienced travelers) and many books highly recommend making it up to the site in time to witness the sun sprinkling its golden…
Santiago & Central Valleys Although some travelers arrive by land from neighboring Peru, Bolivia or Argentina, most trips to Chile start with an international arrival flight into the capital city, Santiago (airport code SCL). If you’re visiting more for landscapes and countryside than city, consider heading…
How To Get There The small town of El Calafate, named for a ubiquitous bush found across Patagonia, is in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina – one of the most southerly places in this barely civilized region of South America. It is…
How To Get There While one can certainly reach Quito by land, most tourists visiting it will fly to its international airport – airport code UIO. It receives direct, non-stop flights not only from cities in several neighboring countries, such…