CONTENTS PLAN YOUR TRIP 3

*BoliviaLa Paz 222

Markets ................... 226Tiwanaku ................. 228

Salar de Uyuni 240

Visiting the Salt Flats ................. 244Uyuni ...........................248

PeruLake Titicaca 250

Islas Uros................. 254Chullpas .................. 256Sillustani .....................256Cutimbo ......................257Isla Taquile .............. 258Puno ........................... 260

Cuzco & the Sacred Valley 262

Festivals & Events ...................... 266Pisac Ruins.............. 268Ollantaytambo Ruins ........................ 270Cuzco .......................... 274Pisac ...........................279Ollantaytambo .......... 280

Machu Picchu 282

Visiting Machu Picchu ...................... 286The Inca Trail .......... 296Aguas Calientes ........ 302

The Cordilleras 304

Cordillera Blanca .... 308Chavín de Huántar ....................312Huaraz ........................ 314

EcuadorQuito & the Central Highlands 318

Quito’s Old Town .... 322Adventures in Baños ....................... 328Parque Nacional Cotopaxi .................. 330Quito ...........................332Baños ......................... 338

Galápagos Islands 340

Visiting the Galápagos ...............344Puerto Ayora.............. 350

ColombiaCartagena 352

Cartagena’s Old Town .................. 356Islas del Rosario ..... 358

In FocusSouth America Today ..........................370History ........................372People & Culture ....... 380Outdoor Activities ......385

Survival GuideDirectory A–Z ............. 391Transport ....................401Language ................... 406Index .......................... 408Symbols & Map Key ...................... 415

Alpaca on the Inca Trail (p296), PeruMAX MAXIMOV MM / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

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Plan Your TripSouth America’s Top 20

Machu Picchu, Peru South America’s fabled Inca ruins This fantastic Inca citadel (pictured; p282), lost to the world until its discovery in the early 20th century, stands as a ruin among ruins. With its emerald terraces backed by steep peaks and Andean ridges echoing on the horizon, the sight simply surpasses the imagination. This marvel of engineering has withstood six centuries of earth-quakes, foreign invasion and howling weather. Discover it for your-self: wander through its stone temples and scale its dizzying heights.

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SOUTH AMERICA’S TOP 20 PLAN YOUR TRIP 7

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Galápagos Islands, EcuadorEnchanting islands packed with wildlifeThe famous Galápagos Islands (p340), with their volcanic, other-worldly landscapes, are a magnet for wildlife lovers. Here, you can get up close and personal with massive lumbering tortoises, scurrying marine iguanas (the world’s only seagoing lizard), pranc-ing blue-footed boobies and a host of other unusual species. On snorkeling trips, you’ll see playful doe-eyed sea lions, lightning-fast penguins and graceful sea turtles winging through the equatorial waters. Sea lions

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16 PLAN YOUR TRIP SOUTH AMERICA’S TOP 20

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The Atacama Desert, ChileOtherworldly landscapes in northern ChileSee the desert don its surrealist cloak as you stand atop a giant sand dune, with the sun slipping below the horizon and multicolor-ed hues bathing the sands, all with a backdrop of distant volcanoes and the rippling Cordillera de la Sal. This is just one small part of the Atacama Desert (p212), a mesmerizing landscape that encom-passes red rock formations, jagged mountains, glittering salt lakes and sputtering geysers, plus dazzling star-filled skies. Top: Salar de Atacama (p218); Bottom left: Mountain biking in the desert (p219); Bottom right: Tourists at El Tatio Geysers (p217)

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The Pantanal, BrazilWildlife-watching in the wetlandsFew places on earth can match the wildlife-watching of the Pan-tanal (p102), a wondrously remote wetland in the heart of Brazil. From cute capybaras to stately storks, the animal life simply abounds and is remarkably easy to see in the open marshy sur-roundings, whether you are traveling on foot, on horseback or by boat. Among the big draws is the elusive jaguar (pictured above) – this is one of the best places in South America to spot one.

The Cordilleras, PeruGround zero for outdoor adventure in PeruThe Cordilleras (pictured; p304) are one of the preeminent hiking, trekking and backpacking spots in South America. Every which way you throw your gaze, perennially glaciated white peaks razor their way through expansive mantles of lime-green valleys. The Cordillera Blanca is one of the highest mountain ranges in the world and boasts the enigmatic 3000-year-old ruins of Chavín de Huántar.

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