For those of you enjoying summer vacations, and for those us making plans for our vacation when winter ends, here is a great list of places to visit in Latin America. If you can’t visit Europe, it doesn’t mean you have to stay local for your holidays! For the purposes of this list, I have generally left out more frequently-visited spots such as Cancun, Acapulco, Costa Rica and Miami (considered by many to be part of Latin America) in the hope that people will want to venture beyond the tourist route and explore the real soul of this immense, diverse and beautiful part of the world. Feel free to share your own favorite Latin American travel experiences.
10 Peten Region, Guatemala
Take one of the direct international flights into Flores to explore this wondrous region. From the cobblestone streets of colonial Flores to the imposing Mayan ruins of Tikal, Peten offers an affordable and safe alternative for visitors to Guatemala. On a steamy summer day, you can dip into the cool waters of Lake Peten Itza or tour the caves of Ak’tun Kan. And make sure you take away some of the great local habanero chile salsa, unless you’re just too afraid of it.
9 Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world’s largest salt flat is located in Bolivia, and it offers one of the most unique landscapes on the planet. The Salar de Uyuni covers over 12,000 sq km, and the salt is over 10 meters thick in the center, creating in effect a salt tundra. In summer, the salt planes are a completely flat and bone-dry expanse, but in the wet season, it is covered with a thin sheet of water that is still drivable. Rent a land rover for a camping trip, or stay in a hotel that’s completely made of salt! Definitely for the more seasoned trekker, but a truly unforgettable experience. You’ll probably never walk on the moon, but in Uyuni, you’ll come pretty close.
If you’re like me and passionately detest the hordes of tourists one associates with Costa Rica or other destinations, Panama might be a great alternative for you. Bocas del Toro is a small archipelago on the country’s western coast. Remote and difficult to access even today, the region’s indigenous and West African cultures have flourished over the centuries, and one usually hears more English or Creole than Spanish here. Check out nearby Red Frog beach for a quiet getaway, or take in some great snorkling in the reefs. Stay too long, and you’re likely to stay for good.
If there is such thing as a perfect climate, you’ll likely find it in Jalisco. Most come to Jalisco for the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, and it is undoubtedly a beautiful place. But if that’s not your thing, stay in the historic center of Guadalajara for some great food, music and museums - Old Mexico at its finest. Or tour the Jose Cuervo distillery for some free samples. You can also find less-crowded beaches like Barra de Navidad, La Manzanilla or San Patricio. Jalisco has much to offer, and you could easily spend weeks wandering around without even leaving the state. [Image Source]
Founded in the 16th Century as a fortification against French pirates stalking the Portuguese trade routes, Rio has become one of those places whose very name conjures images of steamy tropical nights, sensual Latin rhythms and beautiful, scantily-clad women. And that’s pretty accurate. Take in the Carnival atmosphere of the “cidade maravilhosa” along Impanema or Copacabana beach, or a panoramic flight around Sugarloaf Mountain in a helicopter (well worth it). Sadly, Rio does have a reputation for crime, and you should take certain precautions while visiting, but don’t let it keep you away.
5 Torres del Paine, Chile
At the southern tip of the New World lies Torres del Paine National Park, in Patagonian Chile. Visiting here might leave you with the impression that you have reached the end of the earth, and that you’d be crazy to go one step further for fear of falling into some infinite abyss. In other words, it be way down there. The park is home to lakes, vast glaciers and mountains massive and sheer. It’s certainly a must-do for the outdoorsman, but it offers something else, not easily explained in a travel brochure. Somewhere between the deafening silence in the air, the mighty rocks crowned with mist and snow, and the eternal and inexorable march of the glacial ice, you will feel as though you have borne witness to the dawn of creation itself, and it’s extraordinary.
4 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tango, Madonna and escaped Nazis. That’s the extent of most people’s knowledge of this sprawling Argentine metropolis. Nevermind the quintessentially European feel of the place, it’s affordability, its world-class restaurants, its nightlife, its wine, its art. Nevermind the flourishing rock/hip-hop music scene, the internationally-renowned fashion industry or the cultural diversity born from being the capital of a nation of immigrants. Nevermind that you can fly there directly from the U.S., Europe and Australia for a reasonable price. Madonna? Who’s that?
3 Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The Galapagos archipelago was claimed by the newly-independent Republic of Ecuador in 1832. Three years later, some egghead named Darwin visited the islands and came up with some universally popular scientific theories. Come to the Galapagos and it’s easy to see why he chose this spot. Giant tortoises, sea lions, penguins, albatrosses and countless other species rarely seen anywhere else can all be witness in this relatively small 19-island chain. Arrange your trip early, as restrictions to the delicate biosphere are understandably tight. And make sure you spend a few days there to help the local economy.
2 Jau National Park, Brazil
Amazonia. Vast beyond comprehension, remote, and tragically delicate. Spanning Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, the Amazon is one of the last frontiers, and it’s disappearing at a staggering rate. There are many points of entry to the region, and one of the best is located near Manaus in Brazil’s Amazonas state. Follow a straight-line road 200 km to Jau National Park, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tropical, constantly wet (it IS a rain forest) and home to myriad species of dolphins, fish, birds, crocodiles, turtles, monkeys, jaguars, tapirs and insects, the park can be explored by boat for the adventurous or by foot for the suicidal. Fall asleep in a hammock to the calls of the wild, and be grateful to have glimpsed the splendor of this ecological treasure before it’s gone forever.
The Empire of the Inca once ruled supreme across the inhospitable mountains of Peru. Remarkably, they constructed entire stone cities without the need for cement, and built sprawling networks of roads along the spine of the Andes which are still passable today. The most famous is the Camino del Inca, or the Inca Trail. Hire a guide to take you on the four-day journey from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, once a great mountain stronghold of the Inca. If the altitude gets to you, chew on some coca leaves (yes, it’s legal - no, it’s not cocaine) while you take in some of the most breathtaking vistas the Western Hemisphere has to offer. Passing through the Sun Gate as the morning fog slowly fades over the spectral city, long before the tour buses arrive from Cuzco, you might feel as though Machu Picchu has been waiting hundreds of years just for you.
Contributor: Gringo Joe
译文:
10大拉丁美洲度假圣地【Top List】
在这份详单里，列出了一些拉西美洲的度假圣地。其中有那些你会非常喜欢的度假圣地，还有那些我们打算冬天过去以后，前去度假的风景区，如果你不能去欧洲旅游，这并不代表你就不能在当地享受你的假期！出于这一目的，在列出这份详单的时候，对那些游客经常会光顾的地方，我予以忽略，比如坎空、阿尔普尔科、哥斯达黎加，还有迈阿密（被许多人视为拉西美洲的一部分），希望人们避开旅游路线，探索这世上巨大的、多样的、美丽的地域真正的灵魂所在。请自由分享你最喜欢的拉丁美洲旅行经历。
10
Peten地区，危地马拉
你可以搭乘国际航班，直接来到弗洛雷斯，探访这个奇异的地区。从殖民时期，弗洛雷斯铺着鹅卵石的街道，直到提卡尔那壮观的玛雅文化遗址，Peten给来危地马拉旅行的游客，提供了适宜的、安全的选择。在炙热炎炎的夏天，你可以一头扎进Itza那凉爽的Peten湖水中，或者是在Ak的tun Kan的山洞中游览。在你离开的时候，一定要带回去一些当地最有名的哈瓦那人的智利调味汁，除非你吃不惯它的味道。
9
de Uyuni盐湖，玻利维亚
世界上最大的盐湖平原，位于玻利维亚，它具有这个星球上最为独特的风景。de Uyuni盐湖覆盖了12000平方公里，中心区域的盐，有10多米厚，形成了盐的苔原。在夏天，盐构成的广阔表面十分平滑，极其干燥，但是在湿季，它的表面则覆盖着一层薄薄的水，仍然可以在其上面驱车行进。你可以租一辆轻便汽车，进行一次野外旅行，或是呆在完全用盐建造的旅馆里！这当然是指更有经验的野外旅行者来说的，但确实是令人难忘的经历。你可能从来没有在月光下漫步过，但是在Uyuni，你会离月亮很近的。
8
Bocas del Toro，巴拿马
果你象我一样，非常不喜欢跟随那些大批的旅游者们一起去哥斯达黎加，或是别的景区，那么，对你而言，巴拿马会是一个很好的选择。Bocas del Toro是这个国家西海岸一个不大的海岛。即使今天，这座岛屿也很偏僻，很难接近，不少世纪以来，当地的本土文化，以及西非文化在这里得以极其繁荣的传播，在这里，比起西班牙语而言，更容易听到人们讲英语或克利奥尔语。退了房间以后，在附近的红蛙海滩静静地散步，或是在暗礁间潜水。你在这里的时间越长，就越想留在这里。
7
哈利斯科州，墨西哥
如果说，有哪个地方的气候非常适宜游玩，那么这个地方就是哈利斯科。很多人去哈利斯科，是为了去看那里的Puerto Vallarta海滩，而这海滩无疑是一处极美的地方。而如果你不喜欢去海滩玩，那么就留在瓜达拉哈拉的历史中心，尝尝美食，听听音乐，游览博物馆——去看看古老的墨西哥最美的一面。或者是到Jose Cuervo的酿酒厂转转，品尝一些免费的样品。你也会找到一些不太拥挤的海滩，比如Barra de Navidad， La Manzanilla或San Patricio。哈利斯科有许多值得游玩的地方，你可以很轻松地在这里度过几周的时间，在这个州里到处漫步。
6
里约热内卢，巴西
这里，建于16世纪，作为抵御法国海盗袭击葡萄牙商队的防御工事，因此，里约热内卢这个名字充满了魔力，它让人们想起了炎热的热带的夜晚，感性的拉丁韵律，还有美丽的穿着很少衣服的女人。的确如此。你会在Impanema或Copacabana海滩，感受到嘉年华的“cidade maravilhosa”音乐气氛，或者是乘坐直升机，飞越Sugarloaf山的上空，俯瞰下面的风景（这样做是很值得的）。不幸的是，里约热内卢确实有着社会治安不安全的恶名，你在游览的时候，务必要谨慎小心，但不要因为这一点，就使你裹足不前。
5
托雷斯裴恩国家公园，智利
在这个新大陆的最南端，是托雷斯裴恩国家公园，它位于智利的巴塔哥尼亚。到这里来旅游，会给你留下这一印象，即你觉得自己是到了地球的尽头，你甚至会不安地担心，一旦再往前走一步，就可能会掉进无底的深渊。换言之，你会觉得这里通往下面的深渊。公园里有许多湖泊，有巨大的冰河和山峦，高大而陡峭。对于野外爱好者来说，的确值得到这里游览，但这个地方，也给户外爱好者们提供了一些其他的东西，这些东西，在旅游手册里则难以解释清楚。在静寂的空气中，透过山顶蒙着薄雾和白雪的巨大岩石，透过整个无法解释的流动的冰川，你会觉得，似乎是你见证了造物的破晓时分，这种感觉极为独特。
4
布宜诺斯艾利斯，阿根廷
探戈、麦当娜，还有逃亡的纳粹，是许多人对于这座阿根廷无计划地扩张的都市所了解的有限范围。留意典型的欧洲人对于这里的感觉，这里的定价，使大多数人都能消费得起，这里有世界级的宾馆，这里的夜生活，这里的酒，这里的艺术。留意那些繁荣的摇滚、说唱音乐晚会，那些国际知名样式的工业，或是文化的差异，这些都来自于一个移民国家带给这个首都的特有景象。注意，你可以直接从美国、欧洲、澳大利亚乘飞机到这里来，你的钱会花得很值，比如说，你可以见到麦当娜。
3
加拉帕哥斯群岛，厄瓜多尔
新近独立的厄瓜多尔共和国，于1832年宣布了加拉帕哥斯群岛的归属。三年后，知识渊博的达尔文来到岛上，在这里，他提出了传世的科学理论。来到加拉帕哥斯群岛，就会明白，为什么他选择了这个地点作科学研究。巨大的海龟、海狮、企鹅、信天翁，还有无数在其他地方极其罕见的物种，它们都在这小小的岛屿上，见证了这里的食物链。尽早准备你的行程，由于脆弱的食物链已经相当紧张了，这一点是完全可以想象得到的。而且，请你在岛上多住几天，为当地的经济发展做一点贡献。
2
约国家公园，巴西
亚巴逊河，广阔得难以置信，它流经遥远的路途，而极其的脆弱。它跨越了巴西，哥伦比亚，厄瓜多尔，委内瑞拉，玻利维亚，秘鲁，苏里南，圭亚那，还有法国土亚那地区，亚马逊河，是最后一道边界，它正在以惊人的速度消失。可以从很多地方进入亚马逊区域游览，最好的游览地点，是巴西亚马逊州的马瑙斯附近。沿着一条笔直的路走200km，就会到达约国家公园，这里是联合国教科文组织指定的世界遗产。这里是热带，终年潮湿（这里是雨林），这里有神秘的物种，海豚，鱼，鸟类，鳄鱼，海龟，猴子，美洲虎，膜，还有昆虫。人们可以驾着小舟，在这个公园里探险，但是如果途步行走，则无疑于自杀。被野外所召唤，在吊床上熟睡，请你心存感激，因为可以在这美丽的生态体系宝藏永远消失前，有幸匆匆一瞥。
1
Machu Picchu，秘鲁
这里，曾是印加统治的帝国，这至高无上的帝国，跨越秘鲁荒凉的群山。印加人在建造这些全部用石头建成的城市的时候，非常引人注目地没有用水泥粘合，他们沿着安第斯山的山脊，建造了四通八达的公路网，这些道路，至今仍然可以供人通行。其中最为著名的道路是Camino del Inca，或 Inca Trail。你可以雇一个向导，带着你走四天的路程，从库斯科，来到Machu Picchu，这曾是印加人在山上建造的巨大要塞。如果你不能适应当地的海拔高度，可以嚼一些古柯叶子（不错，这样做不是违法的——不，这种叶子不是可卡因），这时，这里西半球的惊人美景会被你尽收眼底。在这光怪陆离的城市上空，清晨的雾色渐渐消散，你从阳光的大门走过，这时，旅行大巴还没有从库斯科来到这里，你会觉得，似乎Machu Picchu已经等待了几百年，就是为了等待你的出现。
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