“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo da Vinci

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a waterfall’s delicate mist gently floating all around you, in contrast to its undeniable force. This striking opposition is precisely why waterfalls can so easily capture your heart and imagination. And where best to experience this magical energy than amongst the most breathtaking waterfalls in South America. 

There are almost too many out-of-this-world waterfalls in South America to choose from, but our travel experts have narrowed it down to the top twelve. From Argentina to Chile, through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, all the way to the tippy-top of Colombia, each of these cascading beauties offers something unique and adds an authentic experience to your private journey.

The top twelve waterfalls in South America 

We have broken our list of the twelve must-see South America waterfalls down by country, starting at the southern tip of the continent in Argentina and working our way up to Colombia. And the draws of each waterfall range from the geography of that particular region to the size of the waterfall itself and the local culture and folklore surrounding these natural wonders.

Argentina | Los Amigos Waterfall and Chorillo del Salto

These first two Argentine waterfalls can be found in one of nature’s most coveted playgrounds: Patagonia! This incredible 260,000 square mile expanse between Argentina and Chile has become synonymous with eco-conscious travel in the past couple of decades and remains one of the most spectacular demonstrations of the natural world in all its glory.

To get to the Los Amigos Waterfall, you must travel to the world’s most southernmost city in Tierra del Fuego, called Ushuaia. Ushuaia is a spectacular destination in and of itself, home to five quirky penguin species, including the Magellanic penguin, endemic to Patagonia. The trail to Los Amigos Waterfall is 2.7 miles through breathtaking Tierra del Fuego scenery.

Further north lies the Chorillo del Salto, also known as the Cascada del Salto, in the town of El Chalten. The Chorillo del Salto was formed from the melted glacial snow accumulating in the grand Fitz Roy Massif. Exploring this waterfall also means hiking through the starkly beautiful glacial mountain landscape of El Chalten.

Argentina + Brazil | Iguazú Falls 

The next waterfall on our list may need little to no introduction: Iguazú Falls! Many people plan their personalized travel experience in South America around the great Iguazú Falls, and with good reason, seeing as it is the world’s largest waterfall system. Argentina claims roughly 80% of the 275 individual waterfalls, and Brazil the remaining 20%.

Our travel designers recommend staying physically on the Argentine side because you can make a simple day trip to the Brazil side to see the renowned Devil’s Throat waterfall. And the National Park of Puerto Iguazú in Argentina deserves to be well-traversed.

Chile | Cascada Apoquindo, Salto Grande, and Salto el Claro

Visiting Cascada Apoquindo in Chile is an excellent addition to your private itinerary, especially if you are also planning on spending some concentrated time in Santiago, Chile’s capital city. Cascada Apoquindo is in the Parque Natural de Aguas de Ramón east of Santiago and lying against the Andes Mountain Range. If you love multi-day hiking trips with the reward of a waterfall at the end, the Cascada Apoquindo is for you!

Getting back into the Patagonia region, but this time within the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park, we encourage you to consider the lookout over the Salto Grande waterfall. Salto Grande means “big jump” in Spanish, and this particular big jump of gushing water lies against the stunning Pehoe Lake. But the water itself flows from another lake, Lake Nordenskjöld, before falling 10 meters into Pehoe.

Our final must-see waterfall in Chile is called Salto el Claro, which lies in Pucón City, in the Araucanía region, home to Villarrica Volcano and beautiful Villarrica Lake. Salto el Claro, also known as the “hidden waterfall,” is an off-the-beaten-path destination for the ages. You also have the option of arriving by car, hiking, or biking from Pucón – a great choice for some added adventure!

Bolivia | Las Siete Cascadas

Sucre, Bolivia is an up-and-coming tourist destination for many reasons, including the footprints of 15 different dinosaur species and precious colonial architecture. However, there are also ample opportunities to escape into nature. If you’re looking for another easy day trip while in Sucre to dive into Bolivia’s natural surroundings, hike a little, and see a precious waterfall, Las Siete Cascadas hits the spot.

Peru | Gocta Waterfall

Gocta Waterfall in the Chachapoyas region of Peru was only rediscovered and made known to the international community in 2005. It also happens to be the world’s third tallest waterfall! This impactful water flow falls from 2,530 feet high and can be seen from several unique vantage points. You can either hike or horseback ride to Gocta; and for a luxury travel experience, you can stay in the Gocta Andes Lodge.

Ecuador | Peguche Waterfall 

Reaching the small but mighty country of Ecuador further north, you have the chance to visit a sacred waterfall with immense cultural significance in the Otavalo province. The Peguche waterfall is about 50 feet tall and most known as an indigenous ceremonial site, where community members cleanse their bodies before the Sun festival called San Juan or Inti Raymi (in Peru).

Otavalo is also home to the largest indigenous market in South America. So, you can easily pair your time here with a visit to the market before or after your hike to Peguche with your local guide, who will regale you with the captivating legends also associated with this waterfall.

Colombia | Caño Cristales, Tequendama Falls, and La Chorrera waterfall 

You will find the final three waterfalls on our list in Colombia, and they are nothing short of striking. Let’s start with Caño Cristales, which is technically not a waterfall but an ethereal multi-colored river. Traversing the otherworldly landscape of Caño Cristales, you will notice baby waterfalls here and there, so we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave it out; what a unique natural phenomenon!

This brings us to the Tequendama Falls, also known as the Salto de Tequendama. A visit to Tequendama makes for a memorable vacation because of the chilling and thought to be haunted Hotel Tequendama overlooking the falls. Local Muisca indigenous communities also believe the legend of this site that their Gods formed the falls to alleviate the flooding that prevented them from building their villages.

Finally, we have La Chorrera waterfall, which is by far Colombia’s highest waterfall and sixth-highest in Latin America at almost 2,000 feet. After a serene two-hour hike through the cloud forest of Colombia, you will reach La Chorrera and also pass some exciting sights on the way, such as the “monkey stones” – Simian-like rock formations – and another small waterfall called El Chiflon.

So, just this once, we encourage you to go against the words of the wise women of TLC and go chasing waterfalls in South America! Please contact us today to learn more about incorporating some of these forces of nature into your curated journey through South America.

What do tango clubs, the perfect steak, fantastic wine, icy wilderness, larger-than-life waterfalls, and romantic getaways have in common? They easily coexist on the classic Argentina bucket list, with destinations like Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Iguazu often stealing the show. But dig a little bit deeper, and you will find some absolutely stunning outside-the-box destinations in the heart of Argentina’s rough & tumble and exciting history. One such spot is Salta “La Linda,” meaning Salta “The Beautiful!”

Just now making a name for itself on the tourist circuit, Salta, Argentina (including both the entire province and the capital city with the same name) offers an impressive list of things to see and do. Some of these include wineries, salt flats, an exhilarating cable car ride, and a few of the most intriguing museums in Argentina, such as the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, or MAAM for short. But even more exciting is the rich cultural history and home cooking embedded within Salta’s borders. The following are some interesting tidbits to store away before embarking on your journey to Argentina, including the northwest region of Salta!

Let’s talk about the history!

The Incas made modern-day Salta the southernmost epicenter of their empire before the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s. Salta formed what was then the Collasuyo province of the Inca Empire, aka Tahuatinsuyo. However, after the Spanish conquest officially cut Tahuatinsuyo’s legacy short, Hernando de Lerma founded Salta city as “The City of Lerma in the Salta” in 1582.

Lerma’s intention was to form a trading axis with Chile, Perú, and eventually the booming industrial city of Potosí. However, throughout the following two centuries, strong resistance from local indigenous communities, especially the Calchaquí, consistently frustrated Spanish aspirations for Salta to become their new trade giant.

You can feel this resistance pulsing through Salta even today, as evidenced by the sheer diversity of local cultural identities, languages, and traditions in the region.

Let’s talk about the folklore!

Folk music and dance culminate in the “peña” in Salta, which represents the lifeblood of Salteño (people from Salta) identity. These peña celebrations are local concerts and dances that take place year-round and can be traced back to the 1500s during the Spanish conquest. Like other South American cultures, music from this region of Argentina can be described as criolla, which takes elements from traditional indigenous melodies and Spanish traditions like the Fandango.

These gatherings keep local dances like the chacarera (a couples’ dance), zamba, and malambo alive for future generations to come. And unlike the ubiquitous Argentine tango that has become mostly fuel for tourism in the country, these local dances sustain community in Argentina, connecting one generation to the next.

Let’s talk about the food!

Like Salta’s deep folkloric roots, the regional food culture (and a very proud one at that) reflects both authentic Andean roots and Spanish tradition. You can spy the Spanish influence in the custom of taking an afternoon merienda (snack), followed by a late dinner. And of course, Salta has its own version of the famous empanada (found throughout all of South America in varying manifestations), which is on the smaller side and baked versus fried.

Similarly, Salteños love humitas and tamales, two other dishes you would find in most corners of Latin America. However, Salteños have cultivated their a very unique spin, making the humita and tamal their own. Here, the carefully corn-husk wrapped tamales are filled to the brim with spiced meat, only containing a very thin outer-layer of cornmeal goodness. Whereas the humita (one of Salta’s signatures) combines sweet corn, cheese, and a bit of picante (spice).

In Salta, like in most corners of Argentina, the parrilla (grill) reigns, churning out the smokiest chorizos, morcillas, flank steaks, and belly cuts, which you can then top off with a local wine from the Cafayate region in Salta!

If you’re looking to capture an authentic slice of Argentine life and culture in your travels, contact us for more information on how to incorporate Salta into your bespoke Argentine adventure!

What does it mean to travel to the end of the world? Surely the imagery that comes to mind paints an extreme landscape, where human civilization takes a backseat. This is what it means to travel to Patagonia.

Straddling the southernmost regions of Argentina and Chile, Patagonia’s geographic area covers just about 400,000 square miles and houses glaciers, lakes, fjords, deserts, steppes, and the final stretch of the Andes Mountains. The expansive pampas, fjords, prairies, and lakes of Argentine Patagonia dwarf the Chilean side. However, don’t rule out Chilean Patagonia in your planning; it is home to some of the most spectacular glaciers on earth.

A real-life nature’s playground, Patagonia offers a backdrop for the adventurer’s trip of a lifetime. You could easily spend more than a month here, exploring every nook and cranny of giant mountain faces, crystalline waters, and wildlife teeming coastlines. But if you only have 1-2 weeks to work with, you could pick just one or two specific points within Patagonia’s extensive territory and still have a fantastic time. Either way, don’t wait too long to check this breathtaking wonderland off your bucket list with some of the following destinations representing the best of untamed Patagonia wilderness.

Argentine Lake District

Directly east of the Andes mountain range in northern Patagonia, you’ll find the Argentine Lake District centered around the capital city San Carlos de Bariloche. The combination of aquamarine lakes sprinkled throughout the region, thick pine forests, and fresh mountain air is nothing short of intoxicating.

Here, you will also be able to accommodate a wide range of interests, from hiking through the Nahuel Huapi National Park, kayaking in the tranquil waters, skiing in the backcountry of Cerro Catedral (in Austral winter from June – September), fly-fishing, and horse-back riding… just to name a few. All of these outdoor activities can be enjoyed on easy day trips from cozy accommodation in the center of Bariloche. Therefore, you can take on the rugged outdoor landscape without sacrificing creature comforts – it should be noted that this applies to most of Patagonia’s tourist hotspots.

General Carrera Lake aka Buenos Aires Lake (On the Argentine Side)

General Carrera Lake is the second-largest lake in South America, after Lake Titicaca. And much like Lake Titicaca, two modern-day countries share its shores. To access the Capillas de Marmol, one of the highlights on General Carrera Lake (and one of the highlights in all of Patagonia), you must traverse the Austral Highway in Southern Chile.

The Capillas de Marmol (or Marble Caves) are considered one of the most spectacular sights within Chilean Patagonia. Formed over thousands of years by melting glacial water, this network of tunnels and caves cast an otherworldly hue over the lake’s waters. The caverns themselves have also taken on a myriad of mineral blues, turquoises, yellows, and grays that are out of this world. The caves sit in the middle of the lake, so you can only access them by boat or kayak. If you have the time and the stamina, you won’t regret kayaking to this one-of-a-kind geological wonder.

Torres del Paine National Park

Continuing south along the jagged border of Chilean Patagonia, and you will reach the famous Torres del Paine National Park. The park itself covers 181,000-hectares of conservation land in the Magallanes Region of Chile. UNESCO also designated it a Biosphere Reserve in 1978.

Few places on earth capture the imagination like the W Trek, Los Tres Torres (The Three Towers), the Grey Lake, and a plethora of wildlife (such as the ubiquitous Guanaco). All of which can be found within the limits of Torres del Paine park.

Tierra del Fuego

Reaching Patagonia’s southernmost limit, you will find the archipelago Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia. Serving as the main port for Antarctica cruises, you really can’t get much closer to the end of the world than Ushuaia.

Tierra del Fuego is the spot to visit if you are looking to spy as much wildlife as possible while in Patagonia. Tierra del Fuego wildlife includes about twenty mammal species and ninety bird species, which you will observe in great abundance. For instance, the archipelago is home to the ever-cute Magellanic Penguin, the Fuegian fox, and an endangered sea otter locally known as the huillín.

There is just so much to say about Patagonia, and so much to do in Patagonia. You really can’t go wrong with any of the destinations mentioned above, and the many more that didn’t make it into this list. So what is the key takeaway here? You won’t regret traveling to the end of the world!