South America is a continent of extremes: it is the highest, driest, largest, deepest, and home to the rarest of species. While consumers can select between upmarket boutiques in major cities like Rio de Janeiro or the vibrant markets of Andean towns, environmentalists will enjoy the well-preserved Pantanal in Brazil. Explore the ruins of long-gone civilizations, take in the breathtaking scenery practically wherever you walk, or indulge your palate with local cuisine.

You have many options, and South America provides you with many of them. An overview of South America's top tourist destinations:

1. Peru's Machu Picchu

The Inca culture before the arrival of the Spanish is magnificently represented by Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu, which is tucked away in the Peruvian Andes, served as an imperial palace, a fortification, and a place for religious rituals involving the offering of human sacrifices to the gods.

The location was unexplored by the Spanish and left after the conquest before being "discovered" by an American professor in the early 1900s. Machu Picchu is a magnificent example of traditional Inca architecture and was constructed from polished stones. Machu Picchu is the most popular tourist destination in Peru due to its breathtaking views.

2. Brazil's Rio de Janeiro

You must learn the samba, Rio's most well-known dance, when you visit Rio de Janeiro; even The Girl from Ipanema performs it. In addition to the samba, this international metropolis is well-known for Copacabana Beach, Carnival, and bossa nova.

The Christ the Redeemer statue that is located atop Corcovado Mountain might be its most well-known landmark. Rio was the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics, however the majority of its citizens prefer football: One of the biggest football stadiums in the world is Maracana Stadium.

3. Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil

Iguazu Falls, one of the top tourist destinations in South America, must be experienced in person because mere descriptions cannot do them credit. In fact, they are as impressive as their name, which means "big water:" With 275 waterfalls of varying proportions, the largest of which being Devil's Throat, they are the largest waterfall system in the entire globe.

The Iguazu River flows through Brazil for a large portion of its journey to the ocean, but the majority of the falls are in Argentina, perhaps in an effort to foster international harmony.

4. Ecuador's Galapagos Islands

Visit the Galapagos Islands if you want to see what animals might have looked like in the distant past. Giant tortoises and menacing-looking iguanas are among the unique species that can only be found here.

They served as the inspiration for Charles Darwin's contentious book On the Origin of Species from the 19th century. This 18-island archipelago was created—and is continuously creating—by volcanic activity, and it is located around 900 kilometres (550 miles) off the coast of Ecuador.

5. Argentina's Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is home to 17 million inhabitants, making it the fourth most populous city in the Americas. The city, which is known for its cosmopolitan flare, is situated on the Argentinian coast along the Rio de la Plata.

The most visited city in South America is Buenos Aires, which is known for its architecture and vibrant cultural scene. The Recoleta, a residential area renowned for its history, is a must-see here. The district's most well-known landmark is the Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Peron is interred.

6. Chile's Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine National Park is one of Chile's largest and most popular parks despite being situated in the far-off region of Patagonia, Chile. Why? The scenery is indeed breathtaking.

One amazing sight you'll witness is the Torres del Paine (Paine means blue in the local indigenous language). In the Paine Mountains, the three peaks dominate the scenery. A favourite of outdoor enthusiasts, the park is filled with mountains, glaciers, rivers, forests, and steppe. A deer species that is threatened lives in the park.

7. Rainforest of the Amazon

The Amazon jungle contains 390 billion trees, if you had the time to count that high. Unbelievable as this statistic is, the Amazon rainforest occupies around 34 of the Amazon River basin, making it an outstanding piece of real estate.

The largest tropical rainforest in the world is there. Brazil accounts for 60% of the world's rainforest, with sizable portions in Peru and Columbia; neighbouring nations only make up a minor portion. The rainforest undoubtedly has a diverse range of plants and animals.

8. Chile's Easter Island

Being the most distant inhabited island in the world, getting to Easter Island can take some time. The nearest people are located over 1,300 kilometres distant. However, this Chilean area is not renowned for its isolation. When you arrive, you'll see around 900 prehistoric statues carved by early Polynesian settlers.

Moai, or these magnificent statues, may date back to nearly 1,000 years. The majority of the statues were carved from solidified volcanic ash, with the black eyes being made of obsidian.

9. Bolivia, Peru, and Lake Titicaca

Bolivia and Peru share a border with Lake Titicaca, the biggest lake in South America. There are smaller lakes higher than this one, but at little over 3,800 metres (12,500 feet), it is regarded as the highest navigable lake in the world.

Many of its 41 islands, including the floating islands the locals construct out of thick reeds, are populated. The lake is home to a substantial number of water birds and approximately 500 types of aquatic life. According to local legend, the sun was born at Lake Titicaca.

10. Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, is located in the Andes at a height of around 3,700 metres (12,000 ft) above sea level. The salt flat, which is situated in southwest Peru, has a thick crust that protects a brine and provides salt.

The salt flat is as flat as it gets and appears otherworldly due to the hard landscape, especially after rain when the Salar transforms into a huge mirror. It's also one of the strangest tourist destinations in South America and a significant flamingo breeding area.

11. Peru's Cusco

Cusco's history has been quite colourful. Cusco, which is situated in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 3,400 metres (11,000 feet), historically served as the seat of the powerful Inca Empire. Then, in the 16th century, the Spanish invaded, effectively wiping off the Inca population.

The constitution of Peru designates it as the country's historical capital even if it is not the nation's capital. Many Inca monuments still have remnants in the vicinity, and the Old Town is home to Spanish colonial architecture.

12. Venezuela's Angel Falls

The Guayana Highlands of Venezuela most certainly have a scene-stealer in the form of Angel Falls. It is 15 times higher than Niagara Falls, which is located in both Canada and the United States, and is the highest unbroken waterfall in the world. More than 950 metres (3,200 ft) of water fall into the Rio Kerepacupai Meru from Auyantepu Mountain.

Jimmy Angel, an American, was the first pilot to fly over the waterfall in 1937, and his name is given to the waterfall. There are airline and river boat excursions involved in the journey there.

13. Chile's Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is exceptional because it is the world's driest non-polar desert; it may only rain there once every four years. It extends 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) along Chile's coast, sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific.

The soil resembles that of Mars; in the film Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets, parts of it served as Mars. Just a few of the region's unique features include vast salt flats, erupting geysers, and intensely blue lagoons.

14. Peru's Colca Canyon 14.

Colca Canyon is the third most popular tourist destination in Peru for a reason—it has breathtaking views. Although the canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States, it is not the deepest in Peru.

When you've had your fill of beautiful scenery, feast your eyes on the skies, where you might spot Andean condors and the largest hummingbirds you've ever seen. A good spot to purchase regional handicrafts is in a village.

15. Quito in Ecuador

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is unlike any other city in the world. It is the closest capital to the equator and the highest capital in the world (La Paz is higher but isn't Bolivia's official capital). Quito's vibrant old town, which the Spanish founded in 1534, is one of the largest, best-preserved, and least-changed in the Americas.

The city is surrounded by visible volcanoes and is situated in Ecuador's northern highlands. The only other capital in the world that has a volcano threat is Quito.