Brazil/Bolivia The Pantanal Conservation Area is an immense conservation area located in the vast wetlands of the South American interior. Though not quite as isolated as pars of the Amazon Jungle further to the north, The Pantanal is remote, historically unpopulated and filled with one of the largest and most diverse animal populations in the Americas. A thousand bird … [Read more...]
LAKE TITICACA
Bolivia/Peru Lake Titicaca is one of the world’s most famous bodies of water, and it holds several records. First and foremost, it is the world’s highest lake that is considered navigable (its surface level is at 12,507 feet in elevation). It is also the largest and deepest body of fresh water in South America. Finally it is one of the coldest major freshwater lakes in the … [Read more...]
GUANABARA BAY
Brazil Guanabara Bay is considered by many to be the world’s most spectacular bay. Home to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara is a visual feast, from its waterfront cityscape to its huge and odd rock formations. Unfortunately, rampant overdevelopment and lack of sanitation regulation has left much of the bay in ecologically poor shape, but significant efforts are now … [Read more...]
HUAYNA PICCHU & MACCHU PICCHU
Peru (2,720 m, 2,430 m) – Secret Mountain Retreat of the Incan Emperors The two mountains known as Macchu Picchu and Huayna Picchu are among the most famous natural and historic sites in the Americas. The former, recently designated as one of the New Seven Wonders, was the site of last secret palatial residence of the Incan Emperors. The latter is the magnificent peak that … [Read more...]
MOUNT HUASCARAN
Peru (6,768 m) – Sacred Incan Site Honoring Huascar Mount Huascaran is the tallest mountain in Peru, and one of the tallest mountains in the world when measured from the Earth’s polar axis. Held to be sacred to the Incas, the mountain was named in honor of Huascar, who served as emperor during the 16th century. Huascaran is the centerpiece of Huascaran National Park, which … [Read more...]
SUGARLOAF
Brazil (396 m) – Most Iconic Mountain in Brazil Sugarloaf is the most iconic of the spectacular granite peaks that rise up out of Guanabara Bay in Rio De Janeiro. Jutting up almost directly from the harbor, it is arguably the most famous natural landmark in Brazil, and an indelibile part of any postcard photograph of the Rio skyline. For clarification, Sugarloaf is not the … [Read more...]
MOUNT FITZ ROY & CERRO TORRE
Argentina/Chile (3,359 m, 3,128 m) – Jagged Peaks of Patagonia Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre are part of the absolutely unparalleled range of peaks that demarks the Patagonia region at the southernmost tip of South America. The mountains of this region are among the narrowest, sharpest peaks anywhere, and no mountains anywhere are better described as dragon’s teeth. Fitz … [Read more...]
PICO CRISTOBAL COLON & PICO SIMON BOLIVAR
Colombia (5,700 m, 5,700 m) – World’s Highest Coastal Mountains Pico Cristobal Colon and Pico Simon Bolivar are the tallest mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range. These mountains, close to the northernmost tip of South America, overlook the Carribean Sea. Essentially twins, they both clock in at 5,700 meters in height, and the verdict is currently out as to … [Read more...]
MOUNT ALPAMAYO
Peru (5,947 m) – The Most Beautiful Mountain in The World Mount Alpamayo is one of the great mountain peaks of the Andes. Though shorter than some of Peru’s other great mountains, Alpamayo bears the distinction of being named the most beautiful mountain in the world, at least to some worldly mountaineers. Its name means “Slim and Snow Covered Mountain”. Alpamayo was … [Read more...]
MOUNT CHIMBORAZO
Ecuador (6,268 m) – Farthest Point from the Polar Axis Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is, by an alternative method of measurement, the tallest mountain in the world. The reason for this is that it is located close to the Earth’s equatorial bulge, which makes Chimborazo’s peak the farthest point on Earth from the Polar Axis. The exact meaning of the name Chimborazo is uncertain, … [Read more...]
