Historical & Cultural Landmarks in South America

São Francisco Square in the town of São Cristovão is a historic plaza consisting of an open space surrounded by substantial early buildings. It is a well-preserved example of both the Spanish colonial and the Portuguese Franciscan architecture of northeastern Brazil.

Sewell, an outstanding example of a company town, is a deserted Chilean mining town located on the slopes of the Andes. It was built by the Braden Copper Co. to house workers at what was to become the world’s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente.

Teatro Amazonas is an opera house located in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. The Amazon Theater, or Amazonas Opera House, was inaugurated in 1896, has 700 seats and was constructed with bricks brought from Europe, French glass and Italian marble.

The picturesque town of Iruya, in northwestern Argentina, is known for its geographical beauty. It is situated along the Iruya River at an elevation of 9,120 ft and nestled within a dramatic mountainous Altiplano landscape.

Maras is a small town in the Cusco Region of Peru. Salineras de Maras, which date to pre-Incan times, are salt-evaporation ponds in the form of stepped terraces, that descend to the Rio Vilcanota and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

The Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site encompasses the entirety of Jornal do Comércio Square. It is in the former harbor area of Rio de Janeiro in which the old stone wharf was built for the landing of enslaved Africans reaching the South American continent from 1811 onward.

Zaruma, a town located in southern Ecuador, is known for its republic-era architecture, gold mines, culture, traditions and for having been founded by Spanish explorer Alonso de Mercadillo. The town is, more recently, becoming known for its coffee, gastronomy and art.