Isolated places are becoming that much more enticing as the world slowly opens again, and we all step out of the pandemic-haze a bit wiser and more climate-conscious. The great news is that society at large is finally facing the problem of over-tourism in too many countries and looking for more sustainable alternatives and off-the-beaten-path travel plans to protected destinations.

The following six South American destinations represent some of the most isolated places on earth, offering untold adventures and memories to be cherished over an entire lifetime! Join us on our north to south exploration of these remote cities, archaeological wonders, rain forests, salt flats, and archipelagos!

Ciudad Perdida (“The Lost City”) – Colombia

Calling all hikers, Colombia has the perfect remote city for ou! La Ciudad Perdida (in English, The Lost City) predates Machu Picchu and is set deep in the mountainous jungle terrain of the Sierra Nevada and Santa Marta Mountain Range. The Tairona people built this sprawling settlement of over 150 stone terraces, connecting roads, and central plazas in around 800 A.D. and many scholars speculate that it served as their political center.

This incredible landmark was uncovered to the western world, or “RE-discovered,” in 1972, unfortunately at the hands of looters, who considered themselves “treasure hunters.” However, descendants of the Tairona in the area (the Koguis, Arhuaco, and Wiwas) claim they always knew of the city’s existence but preferred to keep it secret from the outside world.

But the good news is, the Colombian government still keeps the site relatively protected because the only way to get there is on foot. You will hike a challenging yet extremely rewarding 46 kilometers through exciting stretches of Colombian jungle flora to see this marvel for yourself.

The Galapagos Islands – Ecuador

Charles Darwin once said of the Galapagos, “the natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable: it seems to be a little world within itself.” And nearly two centuries later, this is, remarkably, still true! The group of 19 islands that sparked Darwin’s theory of Evolution, six hundred miles from Ecuador’s coastline, is now protected by the Ecuadorian government in a team effort with the World Wildlife Fund.

Due to the Galapagos Islands’ isolated nature, these protections have been relatively easy to enforce, with only about 160,000 tourists arriving and departing each year. And many other rules ensure that the abundant wildlife remains as undisturbed as possible. For example, visitors can only explore the Galapagos National Park with an authorized Naturalist guide. Flash photography and drones are prohibited, and all recyclable waste and trash are sorted and heavily controlled.

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve – Peru

What is the most isolated city in the world? Many argue the title belongs to Iquitos, Peru! Iquitos is the world’s largest city only accessible by boat or by plane; in other words, no road can take you there. Smack dab in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, the city itself is something to behold. Almost 500,000 residents wiz by on their motorbikes or moto-cars, street vendors hawk grilled beetle larvae skewers called suri, and small children fish piranhas off the river docks. Both the city and the surrounding jungle teems with life.

The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve lies just beyond Iquitos city limits and is Peru’s second-largest protected area. The biodiversity here is astonishing, with 965 plant species and over 1000 animal species (and many more yet to be discovered). There are plenty of jungle lodges in Pacaya Samiria; however, this region of the Peruvian Amazon is best explored via Amazon cruise. These are small, and companies such as Delfin Amazon Cruises create policies to protect the flora, fauna and remain respectful of the many indigenous communities in the area.

Salar de Uyuni – Bolivia

Bolivia, known as the “land of superlatives,” is home to the world’s largest, flattest, and most remote salty desert. Uyuni is so flat that satellites frequently use its surface to calibrate their instruments. The quickest way to arrive at Uyuni is a flight from La Paz or Santa Cruz. And you can also take an exciting road trip from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, all the way to the flat.

If you really want to feel the beautiful weight of Uyuni’s isolation, you can choose to stay in Kachi Lodge. Kachi is Uyuni’s first luxury accommodation comprised of a minimalist wooden dock and six ultra-sustainable futuristic domes.

Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) – Chile

Isla de Pascua, Easter Island in English, and also known as Rapa Nui to its original Polynesian inhabitants, lies 2,300 miles off Chile’s coast. There is much debate about when settlers from Polynesia first arrived, and it could have been anywhere from 100-800 A.D. Even more mysterious are the larger-than-life Maoi stone statues (almost 900 in total) scattered throughout the landscape.

After being first named and “discovered” by Dutch sailors in 1722, Easter Island became Chilean territory in the late 19th century and now is one of the country’s most intriguing tourist attractions. Part of the fun of visiting Easter Island is the journey because arriving at such an isolated place in the South Pacific Ocean involves a six-hour flight from Santiago, Chile (one-way!)

Tierra del Fuego – Patagonia (Chile and Argentina)

The final remote enclave on our list is another fascinating archipelago – Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia. This southernmost tip of South America is often aptly described as “the end of the earth,” seeing it contains the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia. The incredible convergence of glacial lakes, towering mountains, and windy steppes on these islands provide an otherworldly remote scenery unlike any other part of the world.

The most straightforward access point into Tierra del Fuego is Ushuaia, Argentina. Once there, you will be surely awestruck of not only the dramatic landscape but also by the fact that Anthropologists believe indigenous cultures to have inhabited this area starting 8,000 years ago. In reality, Tierra del Fuego was only made known to the Western World in the early 1500s by explorers such as Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan named the archipelago “Land of Fire” after the flickering flames of the Yaghan Selk’nam tribes, living in breathtaking harmony with the extremities of this natural world.

Now is the perfect time to start planning your next global adventure down south and be part of the responsible travel revolution! Any of these isolated destinations make an exciting addition to your South America bucket list. Grab the opportunity to commune with breathtaking natural surroundings and living history. Contact us to learn more about these remote places and craft your ideal getaway.

 It doesn’t take much digging to learn that penguins are fascinating creatures! For instance, the fact that penguins can only fly underwater makes them an evolutionary marvel. Penguins’ bones evolved, transforming from the hollow bones that allow most birds to fly in the air, to solid bones, specifically for underwater flight.

And there is no denying that penguins have captured international attention with overwhelming winter holiday associations and films like Happy Feet taking place in Antarctica and feature the regal Emperor penguin. But what of the numerous other penguin species (seventeen in addition to the Emperor) and their colonies, called waddles (yes waddles!), outside of Antarctica? It turns out, of the seven penguin species found in South America, the following three species are unique to the diverse and exciting South American continent.

The Humboldt Penguin of Peru and Chile

Named after one of the most intriguing ocean currents, the Humboldt, these penguins exclusively reside on Peru and Chile’s rocky Pacific coastlines. The Humboldt penguin is unique in its bullet-shaped body that evolved to swim at speeds up to 30 mph and dive to depths of about 400 feet, searching for food! A good place to spy this speedy avian devil is the Ballestas Islands in Paracas, Peru.

The Galapagos Penguin of Ecuador

Another penguin whose home can be determined by its name, the Galapagos penguin, is also the world’s smallest penguin. Being the only penguin that lives on the Equator, the Galapagos penguin belongs to the impressive group of endemic Galapagos Islands’ species.

If you plan a trip to the Galapagos and are eager to catch a glimpse of their tiny tuxedos, then your best bet is a cruise that includes Isabela or Fernandina Islands. It is also possible to spy the Galapagos penguin on Floreana, Santiago, or Bartolome Islands, however less likely.

The Magellanic Penguin of Patagonia and the Falkland Islands

Moving ever closer to Antarctica’s shores, you will find the Magellanic penguin, residing in Argentine and Chilean Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. What’s fascinating about this particular penguin is the origin of its name; the Spanish chronicler and explorer Ferdinand Magellan was the first to discover them.

Like all penguins, the Magellanic mate for life, and the males of this particular penguin species produce an alarming braying sound, somewhat like a donkey, when searching for its life partner. If you are interested in witnessing this curious mating ritual, it would be best to travel to Patagonia in September. However, another popular time to visit is December-January, when you can spy their fuzzy chicks just learning how to socialize and move around.

If you take a waddle of your own down to South America, and you are a bird-watcher/general lover of penguins, make sure to add some time on the Peruvian or Chilean coast, the Galapagos, or Patagonia!

Ever wonder, what’s the difference between a mountain lion, cougar, and puma?

Well, there actually is no difference! These three regional names (along with over 80+ others, like the Florida panther and the catamount), describe one of the world’s fiercest big cats. These felines historically inhabit Canada’s northern reaches to Patagonia’s Southern reaches along the Andean mountain range, and even into the Amazon jungle.

Known ubiquitously as the puma in South America, and more specifically as the puma concolor (its scientific name), this stealthy creature is revered by many cultures and shrouded in myth and mystery. Let’s learn a bit more about the magnificent puma and its habitats. And if luck is on your side, where you can potentially experience your own respectful encounter with a puma on your bespoke South American adventure!

What’s unique about the puma?

The puma stands out in the big cat family because of its ability to adapt to a wide range of climates and habitats. They also are incredibly solitary creatures, roaming vast land masses on their own. Puma cubs are quite unique in that they are born with distinct spotted markings and a ringed tail that gently fade to a smooth greyish brown as they grow older.

In many corners of South America, the puma means so much more than a wild animal roaming large land tracks on its own. For example, the Incas believed the puma takes on great symbolic significance, representing earth-bound strength, intelligence, wisdom, and patience.

The city limits of Cusco are believed to form the shape of a puma. And although it is not unanimously agreed upon, Lake Titicaca’s name is thought to mean Mount of the Puma from the Aymara words “titi” meaning mount or rock, and “caca” meaning puma (another of the 80+ regional names!)

Where can you find them in South America?

The puma’s solitary nature has made it quite difficult for scientists to ascertain the exact number that still exists in the wild. Thus, long-term scientific studies involve mapping puma prey and habitats, which are decreasing fast due to over-hunting and human settlements pushing them out. This said, it’s estimated that only about 50,000 pumas currently exist globally. They can be found in 28 countries spanning the Americas.

Sightings in South America include Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Peru. And if you are traveling through the Andes, to be quite honest, your chance of spotting one is, well, pretty far-fetched. Make no mistake, while hiking in the Andes, a puma is very likely to spot you, but definitely not the other way around.

However, if you are keen on testing your luck, head to the Peruvian Amazon, where you will have a slightly better chance at catching a ghostly glimpse of its powerful stride at a lodge deep in the jungle, like the Tambopata Research Center. In Santiago, Chile, local residents got really lucky during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine when a puma came down from the hills searching for food.

How can we protect them?

Although pumas are not yet on the endangered animal list, their endangered state is only a matter of time due to illegal poaching or sport hunting, habitat destruction, and poisoning. In the Andes, especially, farmers poison pumas frequently to protect their livestock during the puma’s twilight hunting hours.

Like most predator/prey relationships, however, killing individual pumas will not stop others from coming along. At the end of the day, wildlife biologists agree that their protection is crucial moving forward because pumas are a keystone species. This means that the puma’s role in the natural landscape as the top predator will not be replaced by any other species after their extinction. This would permanently disrupt nature’s balance from North to South America.

Raising awareness about these elusive beauties is a necessary start to ensure their protection long term. And simply knowing that their majestic souls are out there while hiking through the Andes or wandering the Amazon jungle floor will definitely add some extra magic to your trip!

“There she blows!–there she blows! A hump like a snow-hill! It is Moby Dick!” – Herman Melville

The giant size and might of Moby Dick may have been a figment of Melville’s imagination. However, the stories of an albino sperm whale off the coast of Chile attacking various whaling ships in the mid-nineteenth century were anything but imaginary. So, whale watchers looking to get up close and personal with the legend of Moby Dick, and maybe catch a glimpse for themselves, should make South America their next destination!

Peru

In the northern waters of Peru’s Pacific Coast, a magical current called Humboldt allows for an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem. The extreme cold of the Humboldt current collides with the warm Pacific. This creates an ideal habitat for an array of oceanic species. In Peru’s Pacific waters alone, you will find a whopping thirty-two species of whales and dolphins. Some of these include orcas, Bryde’s whales, humpback whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, and dusky dolphins.

Most notably, however, the northern coast of Peru between Piura and Tumbes becomes a breeding hotspot for humpback whales between July and October (Austral Winter). In Piura, Los whales is the best spot to catch a glimpse of these genuinely majestic souls as they splash and play with their newborns. Many tour boats will also offer a listen on their hydrophone to hear the whales’ hauntingly beautiful calls.

Chile

Considering Moby Dick’s origin story links to Chile’s Pacific Coast, it should be no surprise that you have your pick whale watching hotspots. If you can’t make it to Peru from July to October, you can always head to Chile between December and May – feeding season!

During these months, you can spy the largest mammal on earth: the blue whale! Humpback whales, sperm whales, and small minkes also frequent Chile’s waters during this time. Some of the best destinations for whale-watching in Chile include Arica, Melinka (in the Guaitecas Archipelago), Francisco Coloane Marine Park, and Punta de Choros. But if you have your heart set on catching sight of a blue whale, then your best chance is in Chilean Antarctica!

Argentina

At the end of the day, Argentina reigns as South America’s Leading Whale Watching Destination. June to mid-December marks the height of the whale watching season in Puerto Madryn and the Valdes Peninsula, as the mighty southern right whales congregate in these areas to mate.

Orcas make for another spectacular whale sighting in this region of Argentine Patagonia. Valdes Peninsula remains one of the most exciting places to observe playful orcas in the wild, due to the abundance of prey, and in particular, seal pups. The best time to witness orcas up close as they hunt is during October and November when they venture closer to shore to feed on elephant seal pups.

Despite the nickname and association of orcas being “killers,” when it comes to humans, their extreme intellect makes them more curious, playful, and interactive during human encounters in the wild. The only documented orca attacks against humans have happened when orcas are forced into captivity, or bred in captivity.

Human beings have come a long way from the cruel days of whaling ships and oil harvesting that ravaged the Pacific Coast whale populations. But we still have some ways to go while orcas remain in captivity across the globe. So, now is the moment to pay our respects to these gentle giants. Let’s not only watch them with interest but also reflect on what we can do to protect them and their habitat along the Pacific Coast of South America.

All over the world, while we humans have been sequestered in our homes, wild animals have begun exploring the empty streets. From wild turkeys wandering downtown Minneapolis to dolphins frolicking in the canals of Venice, these curious creatures appear to be wondering where all of the people went. In South America, animals are also taking advantage of the stillness in the cities, wandering through Santiago streets, making mischief in Colombia, and taking their own private tours of Machu Picchu.

A Puma in Santiago, Chile

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One of the most surprising city visits was a puma in Santiago de Chile on March 24th, 2020. Santiago, being under a night-time curfew, was empty of people at the time. The puma decided to take advantage of the situation and come down to the city from the surrounding hills looking for food. Pumas are quite large, being the second heaviest feline in the Americas, with only the jaguar being larger. This guy was captured and taken to the Santiago Zoo, where he was found to be in good health before being released back into his natural habitat.

Foxes in Bogotá, Colombia

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Typically found in the hills and on the outskirts of town, a crab-eating fox was seen by several people strolling through Bogotá on the first day of Colombia’s quarantine. These adorable animals are quite common in the wilds of South America, being found along most of the eastern part of the continent. They look very similar to dogs (they’re also known as a ‘zorro perro’, or dog fox), and are often mistaken for pets. Around Bogotá, they tend to stick to the forested eastern hills, and while it’s common to see them in the rural areas, it’s rare to see them where the people are. This little guy seems to have found his way back home on his own, though, as he wasn’t seen again after this sighting.

Mama Opossum and her babies in Neiva, Colombia

Another rare sighting in Colombia was that of an opossum carrying her babies on her back through Neiva, Colombia. Opossums are very common in all of the Americas, though they tend to stick to the wild. They are one of the few marsupials that you will find in the Americas, and are omnivores, in that they will eat nearly anything. While they are often considered pests or dirty animals, opossums are actually incredibly helpful animals, eating many disease-carrying bugs, especially ticks. These wonderful creatures can eliminate up to 5,000 ticks in a single year. So when you make it through a summer without getting Lymes disease, thank an opossum.

Chinchilla Rats in Machu Picchu

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The chinchilla rat is an adorable cat-sized rodent native to Peru who was long thought to be extinct. They were first identified in 1916 with remains that were found in Inca vessels, which were uncovered in Machu Picchu. In 2009, they were seen again by a park ranger named Roberto Quispe. They were found to be returning to Machu Picchu during the quarantine thanks to cameras installed by the Peruvian Service for Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP).

Spectacled Bear Touring Machu Picchu

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Another creature enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty Machu Picchu is the rare spectacled bear. Also known as the Andean bear, this shy animal usually stays far away from people. With the citadel closed to all except the guards, this spectacled bear has decided to visit the sanctuary for himself.

Guardaparques del Santuario Histórico de Machupicchu comparten nuevo registro de un oso de anteojos
¿Sabías que el Perú posee la mayor población de esta especie en Sudamérica?
Se encuentra en cerca de 30 áreas naturales protegidas.#PerúEstáEnNuestrasManos#YoMeQuedoEnCasa pic.twitter.com/FbqwtWFI0l

— SERNANP (@SERNANP) April 24, 2020

In 2016, a ten-year national plan for the conservation of these rare and beautiful bears was approved by the National Forestry and Wildlife Authority.

These are just a few of the curious creatures that have made their way into areas usually buzzing with humans. Hopefully, seeing this blending of nature and civilization will help us to see that the wilderness is much closer than we think.

When researching places to travel in Latin America, you will undoubtedly come across information about the people who were there before, stories of great empires and civilizations that have influenced the people and cultures that still thrive today. Sometimes it is easy to get them confused, as well, especially if you didn’t major in Spanish while you were in college. Three of the most famous, and therefore most commonly confused, civilizations south of the U.S. border are the Aztecs, the Mayas, and the Incas. What did these great empires have in common, and what made them very, very different? There is a wealth of information about each of these great civilizations, but here we will try to explain a little bit of what makes each culture interesting and unique.

Mayas (8,000 BC – 1697 AD)

We’ll start today’s lesson with the oldest, and longest-lasting empire, the Mayas. At its peak, (250 AD – 900 AD), the Maya empire occupied much of the territory that is now northern Central America (including all of Belize and Guatemala), as well as southeastern Mexico, containing the entire Yucatán Peninsula, though their society collapsed around 900AD due to political instability and environmental factors. Maya society had a sharp divide between the upper class, which included the royalty, middle class, which included artisans, merchants, soldiers, and some of the lower ranking priests, and a lower class that included laborers, servants, farmers, and slaves.

One of the biggest achievements of Maya society is their writing system, which was the most highly developed and sophisticated writing system developed in Mesoamerica. Their writing system is a logosyllabic writing, which combines phonetic signs with pictures representing entire words. They also had an advanced knowledge of mathematics, using a base 20 system, and were the first in Mesoamerica to have a concept of ‘zero’. Along with this, they had extremely sophisticated calendars, recording lunar and solar cycles, eclipses, and movements of the planets with incredible accuracy. Astronomy was used by the Maya for divination and prophecy, rather than for scientific reasons or calculate crop cycles.

The ancient Maya had a very sophisticated methods of food production, using many farming techniques which provided a great variety of crops, including maize, sunflower seeds, beans, squashes, chilies, and tomatoes, among others.

Like much of the rest of Mesoamerica, the Mayas were polytheistic, and believed in a supernatural world where powerful deities lived and needed to be satisfied with ceremonial offerings and rituals. One of the most famous Mayan rituals is human sacrifice – blood was seen as important nourishment for the gods, and human life was seen as the ultimate offering of blood to the gods. Those chosen as sacrifices tended to be high-status prisoners of war, or sometimes volunteers, as being a human sacrifice was seen as a great honor.

Aztecs (1300 – 1521 AD)

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican society which occupied central Mexico. The Aztec culture included different ethnic groups, which organized into city-states and joined to form alliances. The term Aztecs is often restricted to the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan, however it can also be more broadly used to refer to the Nahua peoples of central Mexico. The empire reached its peak just before the Spanish arrived and brought about the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, and as such, the Aztec empire.

Similar to the Mayas, the Aztecs had a marked difference between nobility and commoners. Nobility was hereditary, and nobles had certain privileges, such as wearing fine garments or consuming luxury goods, as well as owning land and directing laborers. The second class was made up of commoners, with about 20% dedicated to agriculture and food production, and the other 80% dedicated to warfare, arts and crafts, and trade. They could be enslaved, usually as a way to pay off a debt, but enslavement was not hereditary. Commoners could also obtain privileges similar to those of the nobility by demonstrating prowess as a warrior.

Another similarity to other Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztec society was based around agriculture, growing maize, beans, squash, chilies, and amaranth. They also constructed artificial irrigation systems, and even in cities, people had gardens where they grew maize, herbs, fruits, and medicines. Unlike the Maya, the Aztecs did not have a fully developed writing system, though like the Maya, they did use logograms and phonetic syllable signs

The Aztec religion organized itself around important calendar rituals dedicated to different deities. Similar to both the Mayas and the Incas, the Aztec religion was a polytheistic religious with strong natural roots. One of the central practices was offering sacrifices to their gods as a way of giving thanks for the continuation of the cycle of life. For them, death was necessary to the perpetuation of creation, and so blood sacrifices were needed ensure the continuation of life.

The Inca Empire  (12^th Century – 1533 AD)

From Mexico and Central America, we move south to the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. The Inca people started out as a pastoral tribe in the Andes near Cusco, and according to legend, the first Incas emerged from caves in the mountains, captured Cusco, and built the first Inca homes in surrounding mountains and valley. From this small city-state kingdom, the Inca Empire began to expand, and brought much of modern-day Peru under Inca control. Pachacuti split the kingdom (known as Tawantinsuyo) into four regions, with Cusco as its capital. When conquering their neighbors, they always started with diplomacy, offering gifts and peace if they accepted Inca rule, which many did. Those who did not, however, were subjected to military conquest. At its peak, the Inca Empire included all of modern-day Peru, as well as a good portion of Bolivia, southwest Ecuador, and a good part of Chile. In 1532, the Spanish arrived to a Peru and an Inca Empire in the middle of a civil war. This civil war made it easy for the Spanish to conquer the weakened Empire, and the current leader was captured, and executed in 1533.

Unlike the Mayas or the Aztecs, the Incas had no writing system. To keep records, they used series of knotted strings called quipus, as well as ceramics and textiles. Though there are no hard and fast records, oral tradition gives us a good idea of what life was like for the Incas.

The Inca government had a central government with The Inca at the head, and four states – the four suyos of Tawantinsuyo. Cusco wasn’t a part of any of the states, but sort of a city-state apart, similar to Washington D.C. The Incas didn’t have hard and fast laws, but more customs and expectations of behavior, with three moral precepts governing how they acted:

• Ama sua: Do not steal
• Ama llulla: Do not lie
• Ama quella: Do not be lazy

Like other Mesoamerican cultures, the Incas were also polytheistic, with most of their deities related to nature, such as Inti, the Sun God, and Mama Killa, the Moon Goddess. Also, similar to other Mesoamerican cultures, the Incas performed some human sacrifices, usually at important events, such as the death of the Sapa Inca (head Inca).

While this gives a good taste of what makes each of these civilizations special, there is so much more to learn. You can also see that you will only learn more about one of these cultures during your trip to Peru – the mountain-dwelling Incas. When you come to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, you will walk down streets created by them and by walls that they built, as well as their mountain retreat that is now considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World – Machu Picchu.