Argentina The Perito Moreno Glacier is the best known of the glaciers extending off of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field, and one of the most important and popular in South America from a tourism standpoint. Currently stretching just under twenty miles in length, it sprawls over a huge area in the Los Glaciares National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area of … [Read more...]
DEEP SEA VENTS
Ecuador The Deep Sea Vents off of the coast of Ecuador are one of the great spectacles of nature. Those who dive here can witness one of the world’s best underwater geysers, where geological forces similar to those found at land geysers churn heat and minerals into the ocean from deep below. While there are many such vents in oceans around the world, the Ecuador Deep Sea … [Read more...]
BELIZE BARRIER REEF/GREAT BLUE HOLE
Belize The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the Americas and the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia. The reef is also home to another one of the world’s amazing underwater sites, the Great Blue Hole. The combination of the reef and the hole make it one of the most popular dive spots in the entire Caribbean Sea. … [Read more...]
COLCA CANYON
Peru Colca Canyon is one of the largest, and considered by many to be the most beautiful, canyon in South America. Carved by the Colca River through the Andes Mountains, it is not only a place of great beauty but of ancient historic sites and exotic wildlife. Located somewhat off the beaten tourist path, it is one of Peru’s lesser known sightseeing gems but growing in … [Read more...]
ATACAMA DESERT
Peru/Chile The Atacama Desert is one of the highest, oldest and driest deserts on Earth. It averages barely half an inch of rainfall every year, and there are some regions where no rainfall is recorded for years at a time. Because of its altitude and especially dry conditions, the Atacama is a favorite destination for athletes, astronomers, filmmakers and (around Nazca) … [Read more...]
SALAR DE UYUNI
Bolivia Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt desert (or salt flat). A four thousand square mile patch of salt that spraws across southwestern Bolivia, the pure white surface is nearly perfectly level over almost its entire area, and is one of the most easily identifiable natural landmarks that can be seen from space. The great salt flats of Bolivia are among the most … [Read more...]
AMAZON RAINFOREST
Brazil/Colombia/Peru The Amazon Rainforest is the largest forest in the world, as well as one of its largest ecological zones. Sprawling across a huge swath of Brazil, Columbia and Peru (as well as a few other countries), this massive woodland makes up half of the world’s rainforests. Its dominant feature, besides its biodiversity, is the immense Amazon River which meanders … [Read more...]
KAITEUR FALLS
Guyana Kaiteur Falls (which possibly means the ‘Old Man’ Falls) is probably the least known of the world’s major waterfalls, but in magnificence is without a doubt one of the very best. It is the world’s widest single drop waterfall, with an immense flow and plunge that dwarfs almost all of its rivals. Located in Kaieteur National Park, it is considered to be Guyana’s … [Read more...]
IGUAZU FALLS
Argentina/Brazil Iguazu Falls (‘Big Water’), on the border of Argentina and Brazil, is considered by many to be the most spectacular waterfall in the world. Sprawling over a wide length of the Iguazu River, it actually consists of approximately 275 separate falls, the main site being at a location known as the Devil’s Throat. The site of the falls is split between Iguazu … [Read more...]
ANGEL FALLS
Venezuela Angel Falls is the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world. It is named in honor of Jimmie Angel, an aviator who flew over the falls in the 1930s. Plunging off of Auyantepui Mountain, it has a direct vertical drop of over half a mile, and a further broken drop of another quarter of a mile. Located in Canaima National Park, it is one of the most popular … [Read more...]
