Leading independent travel publisher Bradt Guides have just released their picks for the best places to visit in the region, following the centenary edition of their iconic South American Handbook.

Founder Hilary Bradt says: “Conventional lists of this kind are all about conventional places: Machu Picchu, the Iguazu Falls, Rio de Janeiro – deservedly popular and not to be missed – but being Bradt, we suggest places that are less well-known but equally extraordinary – and without the crowds.”

Here are some of the highlights of the list, chosen by a panel of authors including Hilary Bradt and Ben Box (editor of the South American Handbook for over 40 years). 

Discover Hidden Civilisations in Northern Peru

Northern Peru’s Pacific shores and Andean interior rarely get the attention they deserve, overshadowed by the celebrated attractions of the south. Yet this area is packed with remarkable remnants of ancient cultures - sites every bit as impressive and evocative as those you have likely already come across in the typical tourist brochures. 

Drive the Carretera Austral in Chile 

A third of Chile lies to the south of Puerto Montt, but until recently its inaccessibility and rainy climate meant that it was sparsely populated and rarely appeared on a traveller’s itinerary. 

The Carretera Austral, or Southern Highway, has changed that, delivering a shifting sequence of experiences along its length. The southernmost section is the wildest and most dramatic with beautiful unspoilt scenery around Lago General Carrera, trekking in the fairytale peaks of Cerro Castillo and world class fishing in the turquoise waters of Río Baker. 


Take a Road Trip through Northwest Argentina

Northwest Argentina is a delightful chocolate box of sweeping rural landscapes, exquisite vineyards producing some of the best wine in Latin America, and enough outdoor activities to keep even the most restless traveller occupied. 

Venture into the wild heart of the Brazilian Pantanal 

The Pantanal, which covers a staggering 195,000km² (the size of Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands combined), between Cuiabá, Campo Grande and the Bolivian frontier, is one of the world’s great wildlife preserves.

Follow El Salvador’s Ruta de las Flores through Coffee Country

El Salvador is one of the few places in Central America that still feels untouched, offering the kind of authentic experience adventurous travellers crave. Nowhere is this rustic charm more vivid than along the Ruta de Las Flores. This scenic route winds through the western highlands, linking five colonial towns. Visitors will share rum with locals at pop-up carnivals in Nahuizalco, explore coffee plantations like the El Carmen Estate and sample more pupusas than you’ll care to count.

Visit Bradt Guides’ stand (AA120) for more travel inspiration and expertise – and the world’s best guide books to Latin America and other destinations, including a brand new edition of the legendary South American Handbook, first published in 1924.