South America cruises – your own discovery of the continent
South America cruises represent a fascinating journey with a full range of impressions. This continent offers a surprising combination of exquisite scenery, varied climatic zones and an entire mosaic of cultures.
One of the options is to start your cruise in Rio de Janeiro and Santos – this can be either a relatively short cruise along the shores of Brazil and Argentina or a cruise package that will take you to travel all the way south and around the continent. Santos is located next to a famous city of San Paulo. Everyone has heard about legendary carnivals in Rio de Janeiro. Generally, if you want to catch the carnival, you have to book your trip well in advance.
The route goes through some very beautiful places and is actually a quite pleasant ride in warm tropical waters. There is definitely a sightseeing aspect here but mainly it is all about endless beaches and islands and simply relaxing and enjoying the laid back atmosphere.
Alternatively, you can start you South America cruise in Argentina. Buenos Aires represents a colorful mix of European and American styles, old and new. Dorrego square is a home to numerous antique shops, and on the weekends the area is transformed – you can watch tango dancers and mime performances. Just outside of Buenos Aires you can experience “Fiesta Gaucha”: a spectacular rodeo.
While making its way around the edge of South America cruise line will pass Cape Horn. If the cruise starts in Rio or Buenos Aires the ending point is usually in Santiago de Chile. If you do not plan any activities right after your cruise, this is the best route to choose. So from Buenos Aires or Rio the trip goes through multicultural Uruguay. Then there is a short stop at Falkland Islands and then on to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia – the closest city-port to the South Pole and the gateway to Antarctica. Cape Horn is the realm of penguins, sea lions, bird colonies, and even further south – crystal clear icebergs and glaciers.
After rounding Cape Horn, the cruise ship will travel up the Chilean coast. Here you will see incredibly beautiful cliffs and fjords – the true highlight of the cruise, and visit Valparaiso – a small port town near Santiago. In addition to staying and doing some sightseeing in Santiago, one of the after cruise options is a trip to Easter Island – a very sacred and extraordinary place.
Another option of a South America cruise is the so called “Three Americas” trip, which covers Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru. This route usually starts in San Diego and also includes Mexico and Panama. It is a wonderful option of a cruise which covers combines entertainment, education and ethnography. So much is written about legendary Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, the islands of the Sin and the Moon and the mysterious patterns of Nazca desert. Mysterious Incas, which we can only learn about from the remains of their cities, still confuse scientists: extraordinary cruelty, incredible enlightenment, unique knowledge of mathematics and astronomy and amazing structures, the purpose of which still isn’t clear to anthropologists.
The highlight of this cruise isn’t so much discovering of wild nature, but the most amazing ethnographic component worthy of not just a sightseeing tour but a real expedition, and in this case, a very comfortable one. Some of the after cruise options, while you are still in Peru, include a short and memorable trips to Bolivia.
To conclude the review of this diverse region, all of the above South America cruise travel options are a terrific opportunity for your own discovery of the continent, because no matter where you travel specifically, sooner or later you will want to collect the entire kaleidoscope of vivid impressions of this almost fairy tale land.
