Introduction
South America has it all; ancient civilisations crouch in Andean peaks, living dinosaurs stalk remote islands and local colour contrasts with colonial charm. It’s a true land of adventure, not least when it comes to the Amazon Rainforest.
Sailing along its river lifeblood you’ll take in everything from pink dolphins and squirrel monkeys to tribal villages and great forested islands. Or, swap river for ocean for the chance to explore the continent’s wild coastlines and city greats. There’s the faraway wilderness of Tierra del Fuego – one of the world’s wildest regions – while to the north, the Panama Canal links Atlantic and Pacific for a truly epic adventure, pairing spectacular Rio de Janeiro with Lima's colonial charm. Then, sail Peru’s cragged coastline for world-class surf and wildlife-rich islands, or hop inland to explore the Incan wonders of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Perhaps trumping it all, however, is the Galápagos. The Ecuadorian island chain that helped to form Darwin’s theory of natural selection certainly live up to the hype. Sail among this Pacific archipelago for the chance to swim with seals and sharks, marvel at endemic bird species and wander volcanic landscapes seemingly untouched by time, and human hand.
