South America is one of the most varied places on Earth. In the span of a single continent you get the world's largest rainforest, the longest mountain range, the driest desert, the highest navigable lake, and some of the most biodiverse terrain anywhere. It is also a place of extraordinary cities, ancient civilizations, and a human mix — indigenous, African, European, Asian — that has produced distinctive cultures in every country.
The Andes run the full length of the continent's western spine, from Venezuela and Colombia in the north to the tip of Chile and Argentina in the south. They define the climate, history, and character of the countries they pass through. East of the Andes, the Amazon basin stretches across Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela — a forest so large it generates its own weather. South of the Amazon, the continent narrows through the grasslands of the pampas into Patagonia, a near-empty region of glaciers and wind.
Twelve countries, one territory (French Guiana), and a handful of islands make up the continent. Most of South America speaks Spanish. Brazil — by far the largest country — speaks Portuguese. The three Guianas speak English, Dutch, and French. Beneath the colonial languages, indigenous languages survive: Quechua in the Andes, Guaraní in Paraguay, and hundreds of others across the Amazon.
The continent rewards slow travel. Peru alone could occupy months — from the desert coast to the cloud forest to the Amazon lowlands. Argentina stretches from the subtropical north to Antarctic latitudes in the south. Even a small country like Ecuador contains four utterly different regions: the coast, the highlands, the Amazon, and the Galapagos. Budget more time than you think you need.
