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SOUTH AMERICAColombia’s inland cities are worthy trips in their own right, but the country’s Caribbean coast is an idler’s dream. Imagine lounging on a beach towel and listening to waves while staring at the mountains of Santa Marta. Jungle trekking, river tubing and canoeing are just a few of the ways to get active on this eight-day trip, which traces the shoreline to tick off the first free African town in the Americas, howler monkeys in Tayrona National Park, the Rosario Islands by boat, and peaceful, palm-shaded Palomino.
You’ve seen Colombia’s coast, but don’t miss its Andes. This enormous mountain range – the longest in the world – is home to snow-capped volcanoes and mist-flanked foothills. Immerse yourself in this unforgettable landscape with an off-the-grid mountain adventure led by Culture Trip’s local insiders. The eight-day journey begins in Bogotá, preparing you for an epic road trip to the city of Medellín. Along the way, you’ll go river rafting on the Río Negro, hike in the Cocora Valley and ascend to 3,700m (12,100ft) above sea level as you cross the Cordillera Central.
The Galápagos: a bucket-list destination for any animal lover. Land and sea set the ultimate stage for the fauna that informed Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in the 19th century. Viewing the archipelago’s endemic species with the naked eye is breathtaking enough; imagine how unforgettable interacting with them will be. This five-day adventure around these protected Pacific islands will see you snorkeling with penguins, swimming with sea lions and walking (very slowly) alongside giant tortoises.
Is five days too short for Ecuador? Tack on the country’s Andes and Amazon with this additional eight-day trip, which tackles the mainland. The rich biodiversity and varied landscape of the country deserves exploration in every way imaginable. You’ll learn the ropes at a moderate pace, heading through mountains and rainforest, cycling across the Baños Waterfall Route, hoofing it around the crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa and seeing Cotopaxi National Park on horseback – all worthy ways to work off a chocolate-tasting session in Quito.
The vastness of Patagonia means that it pays to have someone else do the driving – and this 15-day Intrepid-led trip offers just that. The journey starts in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, before zipping down to the climbing capital of El Chaltén, crossing over to quaint El Calafate, and giving you a view of the soaring blue shards of Perito Moreno Glacier. Crossing over into Chile, you’ll tick off the tooth-like peaks of Torres del Paine national park and skip to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, for a cruise across the Beagle Channel.