14 Must-Visit South American Cities
Add any of the best cities in South America below to your travel bucket list
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South America may get a lot of attention when its comes to its vast unspoiled natural areas, but between the rainforests, jungles, deserts and pampas there are the often sprawling cities of South America. Jam-packed with history and cultures unique to the region, there are hundreds of amazing South American cities you could never see in a lifetime.
To narrow it down, we’ve selected 14 essential cities in South America to make the choosing a little easier. This includes world-famous cities that you’ll have heard of before, as well as a few more less-visited but still incredible places that won’t disappoint.
1. Lima
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Located at an interesting meeting point between the vast Pacific Ocean and the equally vast Atacama Desert, Lima enjoys some interesting weather. It can be cold and foggy in the morning, and baking hot and dry by lunch.
Lima is a tale of two cities, with affluent areas, like upmarket Miraflores, contrasting with poorer areas, some of which are still cut off by vast walls. This makes for an interesting blend of culture, architecture and even cuisine.
The Plaza de Armas, the main square, acts as the city’s heart, with street entertainment, street food and bustling cafes aplenty. It’s also a great place to enjoy views of Lima’s most important buildings, including the cathedral, the Palace of Lima and the Government Palace. It’s unsurprising that this historic focal point has gained UNESCO recognition.
2. Buenos Aires
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If there’s a city in South America that wouldn’t look or feel out of place if you picked it up and dropped it in Southern Europe, it’s Buenos Aires. Argentina’s sprawling capital is packed full of proud Argentines who wax lyrical about soccer, wine, tango and beef, in that order.
San Telmo, Palermo and Quilmes are the neigborhoods where intrepid explorers will love getting lost in the book stores, coffee shops and covered markets that are never far away in Buenos Aires. Leave enough time to visit Recoleta and the district’s famous cemetary, the final resting place of possibly Argentina’s most famous daughter, Eva Peron.
As mentioned, soccer is a religion in the city. If you’re lucky enough, you can witness carnage at an Argentina international fixture, but a league game featuring any of River Plate, Boca Juniors, Racing Club, Independiente, and San Lorenzo de Almagro (known as the big five) will leave a lasting impression.
Don’t get up too early though. Buenos Aires’ nightlife is an attraction in itself. The freshly-regenerated waterfront has transformed from gritty port to entertainment center, with outdoor bars and busy nightclubs populating the warehouses.
3. Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo’s scale and sprawl may seem overwhelming at first, but once you get a feel for the place, the high rises and helicopters give way to a city where art and culture are both taken very seriously.
One minute you’re perusing Goya, Picasso and El Greco at Museu de Arte de São Paulo, the next you’re watching the modern masters at work on Batman Alley, a narrow street where street artists paint murals.
And as for food, Sao Paulo takes things to the next level. Try street food in the Mercado Municipal, or grab a bite on the city’s most famous avenue, Avenida Paulista. This busy thoroughfare is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants – but the real fun starts after dark.
Even some of the buildings ooze style. Hop on an architecture walking tour of the city’s historic center, where the skyscrapers are closer to New York and Chicago than Latin America.
4. La Paz
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The world’s highest capital city will likely give you a headache if you land – not just from the noise of the city, but the thin air that comes with being situated at over 3,600 metres high in the Andes.
The mountains are a key part of the city, with the imposing Illimani constantly overlooking the city (unless its foggy). Hiking isn’t even a hobby – almost everyone spends their weekends either hiking the hills to get around, or setting out into the gorgeous mountainside trails that are snowbound year-round.
Take time to hop aboard the Mi Teleferico cable car for some unbelievable views of both city and mountains. This is a low-effort activity if you’re feeling the effects of altitude sickness!
5. Rio de Janeiro
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Quite possibly the most recognizable and iconic city on the whole continent, Rio de Janeiro simply has to be on every traveler’s bucket list. Whether it’s the humpback whale rising from the water that is Sugarloaf Mountain, or the globally-known Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer, Rio’s landmarks alone make it worth a visit.
Once your done with the typical tourist stuff, you face two choices; strap on your boots and explore the epic Tijuca National Park, the only jungle national park in a city, or flick on your Haivanas and head down to the beach. You know the beaches are good when two of Rio’s best, Ipanema and Copacabana, have songs named after them.
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival needs absolutely no introduction either. Time your trip around February, during lent to be precise, to witness the city at its absolute best.
6. Santiago
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Santiago de Chile , to give it its full name, leaves an impression at first glance. It’s one of those rare South American cities where financial success, in this case from the proceeds of lucrative mining and minerals, is on display with an entire district of glass skyscrapers. The effect is a stunning contrast against the dry and dusty mountains that surround the city.
But if you want to get closer to Santiago’s intriguing history, of which there is plenty to be seen, then the Plaza de Armas is your starting point. Explore the Royal Court Palace, now home to the Chilean Natural History Museum, before taking time to get in touch with Santiago’s colonial past at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Step even further back in time with a trip to the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, including fabulous examples of artwork and sculpture from all over South America.
7. Bogota
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Any trip to Bogota either starts in or heavily features time in La Candelaria. The historic heart of the city is home to the city’s (and possibly the country’s) best museums, art galleries and examples of colonial architecture. The Plaza de Bolívar is the best spot to grab snaps of the epic Palace of Justice, Capitol Building and Cathedral of Bogota.
On the subject of museums, the Museo del Oro is home to the world’s biggest and best collection of pre-Columbian artworks. As the name suggests, practically all of the artworks are made from gold – around 55,000 in total – making it understandable why the ‘El Dorado’ myth pervaded for so long. Visit on Sundays when entry is free.
After you’ve pumped yourself on Colombia’s famous coffee, it’s time to get some excercise. The 10,000 foot mountain offers unmissable views of the city. If that sounds a bit like hard work, then the cable car is a less strenuous alternative.
8. Medellin
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Staying on a Columbian theme, Medellin is the ‘city of eternal spring’, where the mountains make for a much cooler climate than the hot and sweaty lower climes of Colombia.
Within living memory, Medellin wouldn’t have been recommended for outside travelers. Something of an epicenter for Colombia’s internal struggles surrounding the exploding drug trade, mixed with political instability, neighborhoods like La Comuna 13 were strict no-go zones even for locals and police officers. Today, organized tour groups wind through the hillside, admiring street art and hearing tragic and dramatic tales from times gone by.
You’ll likely find yourself drawn to El Poblado, a neighborhood packed with cafes, boutique shops and restaurants. Visit the district at dusk, before heading over to Parque Lleras. If you’re not sure where that is, just follow the loud salsa music and sounds of people having lots of fun.
9. Quito
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Awarding Quito UNESCO World Heritage status was a no-brainer. The historic center is practically perfect, featuring buildings that look exactly as they did when constructed in the 1700s. The Calle de La Ronda, one of the center’s most famous streets, features colorful houses and cobblestones that are more akin to a museum than a busy capital.
Beyond the city itself, the surrounding volcanoes frame this gorgeous city perfectly. Get views of both at the top of the Condor Tower, part of the Basilica del Voto Nacional – its 3USD to enter and worth every cent.
Alternatively, the telerifico (the city’s cable car) has equally appealing views, plus you can hop out at the other side atop the Volcán Pichincha and tell everyone you stood on top of an active volcano!
10. Cusco
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Many travelers treat Cuscuo as a transit point for the epic Machu Picchu, but the city itself deserves just as much attention as its more famous, deserted counterpart.
You don’t even need to go any higher into the mountains to see Peru’s Incan history. Cusco is the site of Sacsayhuamán, the Incan capital and citadel. This means there are fine albeit ruinous examples of Incan temples, houses and fortifications throughout the city. The city walls are a real feat of engineering, with stones that fit together so perfectly it’s difficult to seperate them even with a credit card.
Contrasting with the city’s Incan history, the Cathedral of Cusco is a poignant reminder of Spanish influence in Peru. It was actually built on top of the Incan palace, using stones taken from Sacsayhuamán.
If you insist on traveling onward, then Cusco is also well-connected to Lake Titicaca and the Uros Floating Islands. Take the famous luxury trains, equipped with a la carte dining and beds.
11. Montevideo
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Uruguay’s capital city is an interesting blend of hectic city and sleep beach community. The Atlantic coastline is home to some absolutely gorgeous beaches with prime surfing conditions. The neighborhood of Pocitos is the best place to catch some sunshine and sip coffee within a stone’s throw of the water.
Further into Montevideo’s center, the Plaza Independencia is the magnet that draws visitors and locals to take in some truly unique elements of old and new Montevideo. Like its cousin across the water, Buenos Aires, Montevideo wouldn’t feel out of place in Europe, especially with some fabulous neoclassical buildings. The Palacio Salvo and the Castillo Pittamiglio are notable highlights, so find a cafe in the plaza and take in the scenery.
12. Brasilia
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Brazil’s official capital city was purpose-built in the 1960s to act as a more central location for the government. The result is a completely unique city that is home to some of the most impressive and important modernist architecture on earth.
But beyond the smooth concrete facades and adventurous structures and city layout is a city that has developed a culture that doesn’t feel forced or planned. The embassies, headquarters and various international film and music festivals have created a cosmopolitan city that holds art and performance in high regard.
If you like your history, the Museo Histórico de Brasília is a must-visit, with exhibitions including natural and human history, all encompassing Brazil’s intriguing and often bloody past.
13. Paramaribo
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Suriname isn’t always at the top of adventurer’s South America bucket lists, so this is one to try if you prefer to get off the beaten track. The capital city, Paramaribo, is quirky, unique and a weird mix of Amazonian Creole jungle city and colonial Dutch port town.
You’ll spot the Dutch influence straight away (the city was a former Dutch colony) with intricate white-washed wooden houses that wouldn’t look out of place in a sleepy village in the Netherlands. Such is the preservation of these colonial edifices that the downtown area has made UNESCO’s world heritage list, including the Presidential Palace, Fort Zeelandia and the basilica, all dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
14. Ushuaia
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The world’s southernmost city acts as a gateway to a long-lost land frequently referred to as the end of the world – the Tierra del Fuego, or land of fire. As well as being the place to go if you want to visit Antarctica (around 600 miles away), it’s also ideal for exploring closer natural wonders like the Beagle Channel and the Alberto de Agostini National Park.
In the city itself, the excellent maritime museum and the Isla Martillo are both highlights to include if you’re spending time in the region.
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