South America Cruise Vacations

South America as a travel destination is too frequently overlooked. As far as natural beauty, it rivals any continent, featuring extraordinarily rugged and beautiful mountain ranges dotted with lakes at extraordinary elevations, the Amazon River and Amazon Rain Forest, the Galapagos Islands, the fjords of Chile, massive Iguacu Falls, and numerous active volcanoes.

This natural beauty surrounds vibrant coastal cities. Influenced by several European countries, the cities boast tree-lined streets, gardens and wide plazas. Galleries and museums are numerous. City life also demonstrates the vibrancy of South American cultures – exotic, colorful, sexy, flashy and uninhibited.

Throughout the continent are historic riches as well. Ancient ruins from advanced civilizations can be found in many locations. The lost city of Machu Picchu is most famous, and other ruins are equally fascinating.

South America Cruise Options

South American cruises generally focus on 4 areas.

Around the Horn - This popular cruise itinerary starts in either Valparaiso or Buenos Aires and travels one-way around Cape Horn at the southern tip of the continent. Highlights include the magnificent fjords of Chile and Tiera del Fuego National Park. Cruises will generally stop at the following ports:

Buenos Aires Montevideo Puerto Madryn

Ushuaia Punta Arena

Puerto Montt Valparaiso/Santiago

South America - West Coast Cruises on the West Coast feature the absolutely magnificent Machu Picchu, a lost Inca city situated high in the Andes mountains. It is a world-class attraction. The Nazca Plateau features one of the enduring mysteries of the world - who or what etched 300 straight line geometric figures in the high desert plateau that are only clearly visible from the air? Ports of call on a West Coast cruise include:

Calao/Lima Guayaquil

Quito Manta

Callao Arica

Often cruises to the West Coast originate in the Caribbean and travel through the Panama Canal.

The Galapagos Islands

Located west of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are one of the most sheltered and protected natural areas on earth. It is here that Charles Darwin, studying the unique species on this remote island chain, came up with the theory of evolution. The wildlife viewing here is spectacular, as is the scenic wonderland in which they live. The Galapagos Islands is chain consisting of 13 major islands, 8 smaller islands and dozens of tiny islands. Cruises here are limited at this point to one major cruise line - Celebrity - which uses a small yacht carrying 100 people to visit the islands.

Amazon Cruises

The Amazon and Orinoco rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil in the northeastern portion of South America. Many cruises make port in this area as well as the cities in this part of South America. This is near the Caribbean, so many cruises combine Southern Caribbean cruises with stops in South American ports. In addition to Caribbean ports, a cruise here may stop in some of these ports:

Cartagena Devil's Island Recife

Rio De Janerio Sao Paolo Montevideo

Buenos Aires Manaus

Season / Trip Lengths / Departure Ports

Being in the southern hemisphere, the summer cruising season runs November to April. Cruises around Cape Horn are generally January through March. Most cruises are around 14 nights long, with shorter and longer itineraries available.

The most frequently used departure ports are at Valparaiso, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. For cruises starting in the Caribbean, Barbados is popular.