Best photography destinations in South America

Vast high-altitude salt flats and colorful mountain valleys in South America

A vast salt flat becomes a giant mirror during the wet season, creating one of the most surreal landscapes available to photograph anywhere on earth, while ancient mountain ruins elsewhere offer a completely different, more historically layered kind of composition.

The destinations on this list range from vast, otherworldly salt flats that depend heavily on seasonal rainfall for their mirror effect to ancient mountain ruins photographed best in the soft light of early morning before crowds and cloud cover arrive.

Timing a salt flat visit around the wet season specifically matters enormously, since the mirror effect that makes it famous only appears for part of the year. Local guides familiar with the seasonal effect can save considerable trial and error.

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Worldwide (134) Africa (12) Asia (41) Europe (41) North America (24) Oceania (7) South America (11)
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