July 30, 2021 by Nicole Canún Our Top Picks 0 comments

10 Bucket List Places to Hike in South America

If you’re into adventure, the best places to hike in South America belong on your bucket list.

Whether you like untrodden wilderness, ice trekking, barefoot walks, or ancient ruins, read this post to decide your next travel destination.

South America has some pretty stunning places to offer. These ten pieces of paradise in eight countries will awaken the adventurer inside you. Take out your map and let’s get started!

¡Caminemos!
Let’s hike!

The Best Mountains to Hike in South America

This list includes 10 magical hiking spots in South America, their location, the trek’s length, difficulty rating, and how they are different from each other as well as a brief summary of what to expect on the trail.

1. Tercera Barranca a Sierra Baguales – Third Ravine to Sierra Baguales

Location: Chile

Length: 7.7 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Best for: Enjoying authentic wilderness

best places to hike in South America — Source

This first destination is a well-kept secret. Peacefully trek the ravine at the border of Chile and Argentina in Sierra Baguales. It’s a hidden jewel with unique features like fossils, tree trunks, and shark’s teeth that are over 20 million years old.

You’ll see wild horses roaming freely, and be sure to watch out for pumas. Bring your windbreaker because the weather is irregular and windy.

To communicate in the local lingo, prepare yourself to understand Chilean slang!

2. Machu Picchu’s Caminata Salkantay – Salkantay Trek

Location: Peru

Length: 46 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate to difficult

Best for: Going from tropical rain forests to glacier fields within 5 days

While Machu Picchu is a popular tourist destination, it’s also one of the best places to hike in South America.

If you want to hike the Inca Trail, you will need to go with a guide and get a permit, as they only give out 500 a day. The good news is that there are 6 fantastic trails available without either. One of those is the Salkantay trek. It starts at the Mollepata town near Cusco, lasts 5 days, and ends at the village of Aguas Calientes village.

Witness the gorgeous scenery, fauna, and flora that Salkantay has to offer. Admire the turquoise lakes with floating glacial masses. Feast your eyes on the Llactapata ruins, the Lucmabamba coffee plantations, and Humantay Lake.

The best months to hike here are May, August, or September, and the most crowded season of the year is from June to August.

3. Laguna de Los Tres – Lagoon of the Three

Location: Argentina

Length: almost 8 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Best for: A stunning natural vista point from which you can see Mount Fitz Roy.

One of the southernmost parts of South America is El Chalten, this trek’s starting point. A steep path takes you down to the Valle de las Vueltas River. Continue on the trail that leads up the Del Salto stream. This takes you to the most famous area of the Los Glaciares National Park, Poincenot Camp.

I recommend staying the night to continue to the Laguna de los Tres early the next morning. You won’t want to miss the spectacular sunrise view! This hike requires a robust physical condition, as it involves 8 hours of hiking up and down steep slopes.

4. La Ciudad Perdida del Parque Nacional Teyuna – The Lost City Trek to Teyuna National Park

Location: Colombia

Length: 27 miles

Difficulty Rating: Hard

Best for: Discovering an ancient city that was taken over by the jungle

How can a name like this not light up the adventurer’s heart? This is not only one of the best hikes in Colombia, but one of the best places to hike in South America. This challenging trail in Colombia’s northernmost point is perfect for avid hikers in top physical condition.

Take in the exuberant Sierra Nevada jungle before walking the 1,200 steps to the Ciudad Perdida. The Tayrona native people created this city, of which 10% has been unearthed. Imagine the hidden ruins that await you near the Buritaca River as you enjoy swimming and relaxing in a hammock.

5. Volcán Cotopaxi – Cotopaxi Volcano

Location: Ecuador

Length: 5.4 to 6 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate to hard

Best for: Unparalleled volcano sightseeing

Experience this Ecuadorian icon near the vibrant capital of Quito. Cotopaxi is one of the most active and highest volcanoes on the globe, which makes it one of the best places to hike in South America. Visitors love to hike, bike, and go horse riding here.

From the parking lots, it’s 2.7 miles to the José Rivas Refuge and 3 miles to the glaciers. Bring your passport or another form of ID, as it’s mandatory to show one at the entrance. There is no fee.

6. Cascadas de Kaieteur – Kaieteur Falls

Location: Guyana

Length: 3 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate to hard

Best for: Watching toucans from the world’s highest single-drop waterfalls

Explore the wild side of Guyana, trekking into the Iwokrama Rainforest, the Burro Burro River and the Kaieteur Falls. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot red howler monkeys, capybaras, pumas, and toucans.

The combined experience of the suspended jungle bridges, raging mountain streams, and peaceful forests provide some serious quality time with nature! Kaieteur Falls are approximately four times higher than Niagara Falls on the US-Canadian border and twice as high as Victoria Falls on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa.

7. Atins to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

Location: Brazil

Length: 9.9 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Best for: trekking barefoot through deep water and sand dunes

Located in Maranhao, a northern Brazilian state with an Atlantic coastline, Lençóis (”bedsheet” in English) Maranhenses National Park offers trekkers a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with nature. This sight is unlike any other in the world, which is why it’s considered to be one of the best places to hike in South America.

The rare topography of this place includes 65-foot high white sand dunes, as well as 30-foot deep freshwater turquoise lagoons. It makes for a unique, otherworldly sight. Step into this silky adventure in your bare feet to glimpse unparalleled sunrises and sunsets and the impressive silver full moon that illuminates the whole scene.

8. Caminata Ausangate a la Montaña Arcoiris – Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain

Location: Peru

Length: 43 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate to hard

Best for: Seeing alpacas and glaciers in the rainbow-painted mountains

The Ausangate trek is the crown jewel of the Andes, earning it a spot on this list of the best places to hike in South America. This majestic trek features glaciers, alpaca herds, small villages, snow-capped peaks, and way fewer tourists compared to Machu Picchu. What more could you ask for?

The best time to hike here is July and August, which are dry months in Peru. Expect cold nights and dry days. Be sure to acclimate to the elevation for a couple of days in Cusco.

If you are not familiar with the trail, consider hiring a tour guide. It will all be worth it once you see the vivid colors of the rainbow on the mountainside.

9. Glaciar Perito Moreno – Perito Moreno Glacier

Location: Argentina

Length: 19 miles

Difficulty rating: Intermediate to hard

Best for: Having an unforgettable picnic on top of a glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the 7 Most Remarkable Natural Wonders of Argentina, as well as one of the best places to hike in South America. This site is the pinnacle of ice trekking.

Adventurers like to climb into the ice caves, take a boat to experience the glaciers up close, and even have a picnic on top of one. This 100 square miles of frozen freshwater is named after the Argentinian explorer Francisco Moreno, who disputed the Chile and Argentina border location two centuries ago. Perito is a nickname that means “specialist.”

The glaciers formed during the Ice Age nearly 3 million years ago. Contrary to what is happening to the rest of the world’s glaciers, this one is moving forward 2 meters a day! Witness small ruptures in these 78-meter high ice walls. It is quite a spectacle. Trekking tours last from 1.5 to 5 hours.

10. Cordillera de Chichas, Tupiza

Location: Bolivia

Length: 13.6

Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Best for: Seeing deep red mountains with amazing forms

Cordillera de Chicas is a mountain range in south Bolivia, near the city of Tupiza. The deep red color of the rocks resemble the Red Canyon of Utah and China’s Rainbow Mountains. The best time to go is spring or autumn when the weather isn’t as extreme as in other seasons.

The most famous rock formations include Puerta del Diablo (Devil’s Door), Cañón del Inca (Inca Canyon), and Cañón del Duende (Elf Canyon).

Hand-picked for you: Totally Weird Facts About South America

Hike Through South America and Speak Spanish!

Home to the most famous hikes, the best mountain treks, and the craziest canyon trails, it’s no secret that South America is a top destination for adventurers and hikers. Travel easier to the best places to hike in South America by learning Spanish! It’ll empower you to talk with the friendly locals, exchange information, and make new friends from day one!

At Homeschool Spanish Academy, our 10 years of experience and more than 40,000 students enrolled in the last month alone. They serve as proof that the ideal way to learn Spanish is by practicing with a native speaker! Improve your conversational skills in preparation for your trip to South America with one of our friendly, native-speaking teachers from Guatemala.

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Want to learn more about Latin America? Check out our latest posts!

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Nicole Canún

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Blogger, content creator, and marketer. Proudly Mexican. Been to 30 countries. I love learning from different cultures and trying their cuisines. Obsessed with Asia. Fluent in Spanish and English, not so much in French.