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Best photography destinations in South America

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Iguazu Falls
Breathtaking waterfalls spanning two countries
These falls are about 2.7 kilometres wide, more than twice the width of Niagara Falls. They are also taller. The Brazilian side has the broadest panoramas of the whole cascade. A walkway reaches the base of Devil's Throat, where spray creates rainbows on sunny days.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Walk the forest trails and spot colorful toucans
  • 🚤 Take a boat ride beneath the cascading falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the roaring Devil’s Throat viewpoint
Galapagos Islands
The Wildlife Paradise of Ecuador
8.5
Park rules ask visitors to stay on marked trails and keep about six feet from wildlife. Sea lions, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas ignore cameras, so close portraits come easily. The Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz has tortoises to photograph. Snorkelling trips add underwater shots of turtles and rays.
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
Easter Island
Mysterious Moai and Volcanic Landscapes
8.1
About 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile, this is one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth. Close to 900 moai statues stand on its slopes. Fifteen of them line up at Ahu Tongariki, where the sun rises behind the row. Rano Raraku quarry shows dozens of unfinished figures.
Highlights:
  • ⛏️ Explore the Rano Raraku volcanic quarry of moai
  • 🏖️ Relax on the white sands of Anakena Beach
  • 🗿 Visit the massive moai statues at Ahu Tongariki
El Chalten
Hiking Capital of Argentina
7.7
Hiking season runs from October to April, with red beech forests adding colour in March and April. Fitz Roy rises 11,171 feet above the village. On clear mornings its granite spires turn orange at sunrise. The trail to Laguna de los Tres leads to the classic viewpoint.
Highlights:
  • ⛰️ Climb steep trail sections for breathtaking mountain panoramas
  • 🌊 Explore Laguna Capri’s peaceful turquoise waters
  • 🏞️ Hike to Laguna de Los Tres for Mount Fitz Roy views
Canaima National Park
Tepui Peaks and Angel Falls Wonder
7.7
Mist and thunder fill the air around Sapo Falls, where a trail passes behind the curtain of water. The lagoon glows a tea red from natural tannins. Angel Falls drops 3,212 feet from Auyán-tepui, the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world. Small planes give aerial angles on the flat topped mountains.
Highlights:
  • 🗻 Explore the unique tabletop mountains called tepuis
  • ⛰️ Hike the summit of Auyantepuy tepui for breathtaking views
  • 🌊 See Angel Falls, the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Otherworldly dunes with turquoise lagoons
6.9
Lagoa Azul fills with clear blue rainwater between white dunes from the rainy season. The park was created in 1981 and covers about 580 square miles. Lagoons are fullest from June into September. Golden evening light turns the ripples of sand into patterns. Scenic flights from Barreirinhas give top-down views.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch the sunrise reflect on the mesmerizing lagoons
  • 🚙 Take a thrilling 4x4 ride across the vast dunes
  • 💧 Swim in the turquoise lagoons after a hot dune trek
Los Glaciares National Park
Where glaciers meet towering peaks
8.4
Argentina created this park in 1937. UNESCO listed it in 1981. Perito Moreno Glacier has a wall of ice about 70 metres high and five kilometres wide. Walkways face the front, so photographers can watch blocks of ice crash into the lake. Boat trips pass floating icebergs on Lake Argentino.
Highlights:
  • 🛥️ Take a boat tour on Lago Argentino to glaciers
  • 🥾 Trek Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre trails
  • 🚶‍♀️ Walk along the Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalks
Iguazú National Park and Reserve
Epic Waterfalls and Wild Rainforest
7.9
Almost 80 percent of the falls lie on the Argentine side, in the rain forest of Misiones province. Catwalks lead to the edge of Devil's Throat. Upper and Lower circuits offer close views of many smaller cascades. Toucans, coatis and butterflies add subjects along the jungle trails.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Walk the Upper Circuit trail to view multiple cascading waterfalls
  • 🛶 Take a jungle boat ride through the mist of the falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the breathtaking Iguazú Falls at Devil’s Throat
Cristo Redentor
Iconic guardian of Rio's skyline
Builders worked from 1922 to 1931 to place this 98 foot statue on Corcovado peak. Its soapstone skin reflects light that shifts hour by hour. Clouds often drift around the figure, so patience pays. From the platform at 2,300 feet wide views take in Sugarloaf, Guanabara Bay and Rio's beaches.
Highlights:
  • ✝️ Admire the iconic statue's immense 28-metre arm span
  • 🌆 Enjoy panoramic views of Rio from Corcovado summit
  • 🚋 Take the cogwheel train through lush Tijuca Forest
Copacabana Beach
Lively iconic Rio shoreline
The black and white wave pattern of the beachfront promenade is a photo subject on its own. Roberto Burle Marx designed the mosaic in 1970. The beach curves for about 2.5 miles towards Sugarloaf Mountain. Arpoador rock at the Ipanema end gives silhouettes at sunset.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch the vibrant sunset from the famous boardwalk
  • 🏐 Play beach volleyball with lively local enthusiasts
  • 🏖️ Relax on the iconic crescent-shaped sandy beach
Salar de Uyuni
World's largest surreal salt mirror
Salt crunches underfoot on the dry white crust of this flat. It gives endless space for forced perspective shots. After rain a thin layer of water turns the ground into a mirror. Isla Incahuasi has giant cacti. The night sky is rich with stars at about 12,000 feet.
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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