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Best destinations to visit in May in South America

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Cusco
Gateway to the Incan Empire's Heart
8.4
Qorikancha was the main Inca temple of the sun and a Spanish church now rests on its walls. The rainy season fades so hills stay green and skies turn clear. Crowds are thinner than in June to August. At about 11,150 feet this city is the base for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Stroll through Plaza de Armas and admire colonial architecture
  • 🏔️ Take the train or trek to the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu
  • 🧱 Visit the ancient Inca site of Sacsayhuamán overlooking the city
Galapagos Islands
The Wildlife Paradise of Ecuador
8.5
Charles Darwin visited in 1835 and noted how mockingbirds and tortoises differed from island to island. May ends the warm season so the sea is still warm for snorkelling. Sea lions, giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies are easy to see. Visitors fly in from Quito or Guayaquil and hop between islands by boat.
Highlights:
  • 🦩 Walk among blue-footed boobies on North Seymour Island
  • 🐢 Spot giant tortoises roaming freely in the highlands
  • 🐢 Snorkel with sea lions and turtles at Isla Lobos
Salta
Colonial Charm and Andean Landscapes
7.1
Hernando de Lerma founded Salta in 1582 and the colonial centre still has a pink cathedral. Autumn brings dry sunny days and cool nights in May. Day trips run through red rock canyons to Cafayate, known for its white wine called Torrontés. Empanadas here are baked with beef and cumin in a clay oven.
Highlights:
  • 🚠 Climb San Bernardo Hill via cable car for stunning views
  • 🚂 Ride the Train to the Clouds, one of the world’s highest railroads
  • 🦴 Visit the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña for mummies
Iquitos
Amazon’s gateway to jungle adventures
8.4
This Amazon city has no road to the rest of Peru and is reached by air or boat. Rivers peak in May so skiffs paddle through flooded forest among the trees. Pink river dolphins surface near boats and sloths hang in riverside trees. Belén market sells fish, fruit and jungle herbs.
Highlights:
  • 🍴 Stroll through San Pedro Market, taste quinoa empanadas
  • 🗿 Explore Sacsayhuamán ruins, trace Inca stonework
  • 🏔️ Climb Machu Picchu sunrise, capture the misty peaks
Puno
Lakeside town where cultures converge
7.9
The Uros Floating Islands are built from layers of totora reeds from the lake. Families live on them and travel in reed boats. May days are sunny with nights that can fall below freezing. Puno is a market city with a baroque stone cathedral finished in 1757.
Highlights:
  • 🪨 Visit Sillustani pre-Inca mausoleum, admire stone columns
  • 🌾 Explore Uros floating islands, learn traditional reed boat building
  • 🚤 Take a sunrise cruise across Lake Titicaca's turquoise waters
Pantanal Matogrossense National Park
World's largest tropical wetland paradise
7.6
The wider Pantanal wetland is larger than Greece and floods each rainy season. By May the water falls and animals gather along the rivers. Watch capybaras, caimans and giant otters from slow boats. Jaguar sightings along the Cuiabá River become more likely as the dry season starts.
Highlights:
  • 🐎 Experience horseback riding across flooded plains and trails
  • 🛶 Take a boat tour through the Pantanal’s winding waterways
  • 🐆 Join a guided wildlife safari to spot elusive jaguars
Machu Picchu
Lost Inca city among clouds
Most Inca Trail hikers end the four-day trek at the Sun Gate at sunrise. The Inca built this hilltop citadel around 1450 for their ruler Pachacuti. The trail closes in February and May has mostly dry days. Trains from Ollantaytambo reach Aguas Calientes below the ruins in about two hours.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore the ancient Inca temples and ceremonial sites
  • 🥾 Climb Huayna Picchu for panoramic mountain views
  • 🌅 Watch sunrise from the iconic Guardian’s House viewpoint
Huacachina
Desert oasis with turquoise lagoon and dunes
7.7
Sand hisses under sandboards and dune buggies roar across the ridges. This tiny desert oasis near Ica has a lagoon ringed by palm trees and tall dunes. May is sunny and mild with cool evenings. Tours leave in late afternoon so riders catch sunset on the dunes.
Highlights:
  • 🐪 Ride a camel through the desert, capture panoramic views
  • 🌅 Stroll along the beach at sunrise, watch waves crash
  • 🏜️ Sail dune buggy across the shimmering sand dunes
Sacred Valley
Ancient terraces echoing timeless Andean rhythms
8.3
Corn and potato harvests peak from April to June so fields are busy and golden. Ollantaytambo still has its Inca streets and water channels beside a fortress with steep terraces. Moray has round terraces that Inca farmers may have used to test crops. Maras has thousands of salt pans cut into a hillside.
Highlights:
  • 🛍️ Stroll through Pisac market, shop woven textiles
  • 🗿 Explore Ollantaytambo ruins, climb fortress walls
  • 🏔️ Hike to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail
Atacama Desert
Endless dunes under starlit desert skies
This desert lies between the Andes and the Pacific and is among the driest places on Earth. May brings cold clear nights that suit stargazing. Valle de la Luna has ridges crusted with salt that glow orange at sunset. Join a dawn tour to the El Tatio geysers at about 14,000 feet.
Highlights:
  • 🗻 Hike to El Tatio geysers before sunrise
  • ✨ Stargaze from San Pedro observatory, record constellations
  • 🌄 Explore Valle de la Luna during golden hour
Lake Titicaca
Crystal waters echo ancient Andean legends
May starts the dry season on the high plain with clear days and cold nights. The lake lies at about 12,500 feet on the border of Peru and Bolivia. Men on Taquile Island knit hats and its weaving is on a UNESCO heritage list. Boats leave daily from Puno on the Peruvian shore.
Highlights:
  • 🍲 Taste quinoa soup in Puno market
  • 🏛️ Explore Tiwanaku ruins on Isla del Sol
  • ⛵ Float on a traditional Uros reed boat
Salar de Uyuni
World's largest surreal salt mirror
Dry salt crunches underfoot and the glare off the flat is almost too bright to bear. By May the wet season is over and jeeps cross the dry salt to Incahuasi. Giant cacti cover the island and some stand taller than a house. Nights at 12,000 feet are freezing.
Highlights:
  • 🚂 Explore the eerie Train Cemetery near Uyuni town
  • 🌵 Visit Incahuasi Island and climb among giant cacti
  • 📸 Take surreal photos with salt flat perspective illusions
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