Cities & Towns in South America

El Calafate is a city in Argentina, situated on the southern border of Lake Argentino, in the southwest part of Santa Cruz Province, near the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It is an important tourist destination as the hub to visit different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park.

El Chaltén is a small mountain village in the Patagonian region of southern Argentina, near the border with Chile. It is a popular base for hiking numerous trails leading to the base of surrounding peaks and glacial lakes, including Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy and Lago del Desierto.

Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Olinda’s history is linked to the sugarcane industry. Rebuilt by the Portuguese after being looted and burned by the Dutch, the harmonious balance between the buildings, gardens, churches, convents and chapels all contribute to the town's charm.

The Historic City of Sucre, first capital of Bolivia, was founded by the Spanish in the first half of the 16th century. Its many well-preserved 16th-century religious buildings illustrate the blending of local architectural traditions with styles imported from Europe.

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity.

Monserrat is a neighborhood that features some of the most historic and important public buildings in Buenos Aires. Manzana de las Luces ("The Block of Enlightenment") is where in the late 17th century the Jesuits built their residence, the Saint Ignacio Church and adjoining College.

Leticia is Colombia's southernmost municipality and a major port on the Amazon River. It lies at the point where the borders of Colombia, Peru and Brazil meet. It is the capital of the Colombian department of Amazonas.

Recoleta is a downtown residential neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is an area of great historical and architectural interest due to its Beaux-Arts architecture as well as the distinguished La Recoleta Cemetery, one of the most unusual cemeteries in the world.

Rio de Janeiro's dramatic landscape is punctuated by a series of forested mountains that tower over the city and cascade down to the coast where the steep cone shapes of Sugar Loaf and Corcovado frame the wide sweeps of Guanabara Bay that shelters this spectacular city from the Atlantic Ocean.