ARGENTINA:

Argentina is filled with stunning natural wonders, an elegant capital with a European-flavored sophistication and a passionate culture and is now one of the best travel bargains around.

Buenos Aires: More European than South American in flavor, Buenos Aires boasts bustling streets, grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish restaurants. Buenos Aires delivers cobbled streets, architectural glories and colourfully painted metal houses.

Córdoba: Argentina's second city, Córdoba boasts a fine collection of colonial buildings, the old market, the Iglesia Catedral the Jesuit Iglesia de la Compañía. The Museo Histórico Provincial Marqués de Sobremonte is one of the most important historical museums in the country.

Iguazú Falls: Situated in the Parque Nacional Iguazú near Puerto Iguazú, these spectacular falls lie just east of the confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná rivers. At least 5000 cubic m (176,570 cubic ft) of water per second plunge the 70m (230ft) into the abyss below. The area has historic ruins of Jesuit missions and is home to pristine subtropical rainforest with abundant wildlife and plant species.

Mar del Plata: Summer means the beach to the inhabitants of Greater Buenos Aires, and Mar del Plata is most often the beach they have in mind. Situated 400km (228mi) from the capital on the northern Atlantic coast and is home to sophisticated mansions from the area's heyday as an upper-class resort.

Pampas: The unrelentingly flat Pampas is Argentina's agricultural heartland and home of that symbol of romantic nationalism, the gaucho. Its varied environments include forested hills, extensive grasslands and flamingo-flecked salt lakes. The Parque National Lihué Calel is a popular detour, with wildlife including puma, guanaco, rhea, native hares and a variety of wild chinchilla called a vizcacha. The cities of La Plata, Luján, Rosario and Santa Fe are worth seeing for their many museums, churches and faded colonial buildings.

BRAZIL:

Brazil is a land of staggering beauty and mythic proportions, from the mad passion ofCarnaval to the immense Amazon region.. There are stretches of unexplored rainforest, islands with pristine tropical beaches, and endless rivers. And there are the people themselves, who delight the visitor with their energy and joy.

Rio de Janeiro: The cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) is one of the most densely populated places on earth. Rio isfilled with things to see. There is a good collection of museums housing everything from 20th-century Brazilian art to information on Brazil's indigenous people; charming old neighbourhoods; exotic parks and gardens, and unforgettable mountain views of the city.

Brasília: Brasília, the world's most ambitious planned city, is Brazil's capital. This World Heritage site was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx, the city was built in an incredible three years (1957-60).

Iguasu Falls: The Rio Iguasu arises in the coastal mountains of Paraná and Santa Catarina and snakes west for 600km (372mi) before it plunges in tiered falls at the border with Argentina and Paraguay. The falls are over 3km (2mi) wide and 80m (262ft) high and their beauty is unsurpassed.

Salvador da Bahia: Founded in 1549, Salvador da Bahia was Brazil's most important city for 300 years, and the Portuguese Empire's second city, after Lisbon. Salvador is Brazil's most Africanized state and as its capital, it is a fascinating city and one of Brazil's cultural highlights. As the centre of the sugar trade, it was famous for gold-filled churches, beautiful mansions and the slave trade.

São Paulo: South America's biggest city in one of ethnic neighbourhoods, with around 17 million people, many of Italian and Japanese descent, living in this plateau megalopolis. Sáo Paulo offers the excitement and nightlife of one of the world's most dynamic places. Attractions include the baroque Teatro Municipal, Niemeyer's Edifício Copan, the Museu de Arte de Sáo Paulo and the 16th-century Patío do Colégio.

The Amazon: The Amazon basin contains 6 million sq km of river and jungle and spans eight countries. Just over half is in Brazil. There are 80,000 kilometres of navigable rivers, and ocean-going vessels can sail 3500km inland up the mainstream to Iquitos, Peru. Travellers enter the Amazon by bus, boat and air. Within the Amazon, boats are definitely the transport of choice, but flying can save a lot of time, is sometimes quite affordable, and most larger Amazon cities have airports.

The Pantanal: The Pantanal is a one of the country's best places to see wildlife. This vast area of wetlands, about half the size of France, lies in the far west of Brazil and extends into the border regions of Bolivia and Paraguay. Birds are the most frequently seen wildlife, but the Pantanal is also a sanctuary for giant river otters, anacondas, iguanas, jaguars, cougars, crocodiles, deer and anteaters. The area has few people and no towns, and access is often by plane.

CHILE:

Chile is a perfect picture of nature's beauty and power. This narrow trickle of a country is jammed with geysers, mountains, beaches, forests and volcanos. Travellers are mostly drawn to Chile because of its spectacular Pacific coastline and Andean highlands, and because of the opportunities it offers for adventure sports. Despite having the most European community in South America, indigenous traditions persist in the Andean foothills and in the southern plains, while some of South America's finest national parks draw trekkers.

Santiago: Santiago de Chile is a modern metropolis with a shiny face and one of South America's most dynamic economies. It's first and foremost a city of commerce, but visitors will find much to enjoy in the city and its surroundings. Less than an hour from the city centre are world-class ski resorts and white-water rafting opportunities, famous beaches and the colorful port city of Valparaíso.

La Serena: The beachside city of La Serena is one of Chile's oldest post-Columbian cities. The region's silver, copper and agriculture were so important that the city had its own mint. Today, La Serena maintains a colonial air and its attractions include beautiful beaches, a handful of museums and a number of nearby quaint villages and vineyards.

Parque Nacional Puyehue: Situated in the beautiful Lake District, this is Chile's most popular national park. It preserves 107,000ha (264,290ac) of verdant montane forest and starkly awesome volcanic scenery. Dense forest hides puma, the rare pudú (a miniature deer) and prolific bird life, including the Chilean torrent duck. Nature trails, lake views, ski resorts, thermal springs, waterfalls and examples of some of Chile's strange plant life, in particular the umbrella-leaved nalca and multi-trunked ulmo, are some of the many attractions which draw visitors.

Puerto Montt: Settled by German colonists in the mid-19th century, this is one of southern Chile's most important cities. It features middle-European architecture, with shingles, high-pitched roofs and ornate balconies. The redwood cathedral on the city's plaza is the city's oldest building, dating from 1856. Puerto Montt is the transport hub and access point to the southern Lakes District, the island of Chiloé and Chilean Patagonia.

Valparaíso: Valpariso is Chile's principal port and second-largest city. It is Chile's most distinctive city and one of South America's most intriguing. Occupying a narrow strip of land between the waterfront and the nearby hills, its center has cobbled streets and is overlooked by precipitous cliffs and hilltop suburbs which are accessed by funicular railways and stairway footpaths. It is conducive to maze-like strolls and rides on the funicular, and its natural history, fine arts and maritime museums are justly famed.

PERU:

It's the multiple layers of great civilizations that make Peru so intriguing. You can wander around colonial cities that have preserved the legacy of the Spanish conquistadors, visit the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, explore the lost city of Machu Picchu and ponder the enigma of the Nazca Lines. It also has some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians, who still speak the ancient tongue of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life. The verdant Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots'.

Lima: A vast polluted metropolis situated in the middle of Peru's desert coastline, Lima has plenty to offer the adventurous traveller - a great selection of museums, striking architecture and an impressively restored colonial centre, churches, plazas, lovely old buildings and a zoo.

Arequipa: Nicknamed the 'white city', Arequipa is surrounded by great mountains, including the volcano El Misti. A feature of the city is its many beautiful buildings made of a light-coloured volcanic rock called sillar. Many of the city's beautiful colonial houses, such as Casa Ricketts, are now used as art galleries or museums. The Colca Canyon, arguably the world's deepest canyon, is a popular excursion from Arequipa.

Cuzco: The continent's archaeological capital and oldest continuously inhabited city, Cuzco is now an important link in the South American travel network. Its legacy as the hub of the Inca empire is readily apparent: Quecha-speaking Incan descendants crowd the Inca-built stone wall-lined city streets. West of Cuzco is Machu Picchu, the best-known of the areas ruins and most spectacular site on the continent. This 'Lost City of the Incas' still retains an air of grandeur and mystery.

Huaraz Area: Huaraz is the most important climbing, trekking and backpacking centre in Peru. The Andes around Huaraz offer a wide range of attractions, the most evident of which are the many permanently glaciated peaks. The climbing and hiking season runs May to September. There are also glacial lakes, hot springs and Inca and pre-Inca archeological sites, most notably Chavín de Huántar.

Iquitos: Peru's largest jungle city and the Amazon Basin's largest settlement without road links, is connected to the outside world only by air and river. Tourism is the focus of Iquito, and the main attraction is as a civilized gateway to the Amazon and jumping-off point for jungle excursions.

URUGUAY:

Uruguay may be a small country but it has an abundance of attractions. It contains one of South America's most interesting capitals, charming colonial towns, the hilly interior (true gaucho country) and a cluster of internationally renowned beach resorts.

Montevideo: Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, has a surprising cultural diversity for such a small population, and is a picturesque blend of colonial Spanish, Italian and Art Deco styles. Many Argentines come here to relax during their summer break and bask on the white sandy beaches.

The Uruguayan Littoral: West of Montevideo, covering the portion of Uruguay which fronts the Río de la Plata and the Río Uruguay, is the country's most important agricultural area. Its outstanding attraction is the lively yet under-appreciated colonial city of Colonia del Sacramento with its narrow cobbled streets and whitewashed buildings. Boating, fishing and swimming are good along the shores of Mercedes. There are also many excellent museums in just north in Paysandú, Uruguay's second largest city.

The Uruguayan Riviera: The area east of Montevideo is one of the most Westernized places in Uruguay, with innumerable beach resorts and plenty of water activities. Tthe surrounding countryside is home to Cerro Pan de Azúcar and Minas, a lovely town set in wooded hills. Punta del Este is one of South America's most glamourous and exclusive resort destinations with yachts, golf courses and the like.