Latin America is one of those places you have to explore at least once in life. Huge, with stunning landscapes, lost civilisations, and an energy like nowhere else on earth, you could spend months discovering, relaxing, tasting and tangoing your way from north to south.
Here are our favourite destinations, which are some of the best places to visit in Latin America. You can do one by one or all at once if you have the luxury of time. But be sure to savour every moment.
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Mexico, which has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Americas, is undeniably one of the best places to visit in Latin America. Add to that great weather, great food, great music and great vibes, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of the world’s favourite places to holiday. But there’s so much more to Mexico, and we recommend combining beach time with exploration. Join us in the Yucatan Peninsula, home to balmy Caribbean coastline and epic Mayan ruins.
We start out in Merida, capital of Yucatan State, and a prime example of living history. Founded by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, the architecture is utterly charming, with the Paseo Montejo inspired by the Champs-Elysees of Paris (stay at NH Collection Mérida Paseo Montejo not only for the location, but also the rooftop panorama). This runs all the way to the zocalo, the centre of the city and home to the governor’s palace, city hall and the cathedral.
We head east now on the road to Cancun, no introduction needed, by way of UNESCO World Heritage Chichen Itza. A place of pilgrimage for the Mayans for nearly a thousand years, there are multiple complexes spread across approximately 10 km to explore. Highlights include the Cenote Sagrado, or the Well of Sacrifice, and the Temple of Kukulcan. During the equinox, the temple’s feathered serpent seemingly descends the pyramid steps at sunset.
And now it’s time to relax, as we get back on the road to beautiful Cancun. Cancun really is just like the movies, with the ocean blue and brilliant, and the sands, wide, soft, white and stretching seemingly forever. Stay at Avani Cancún Airport Hotel, and you can explore all the different beaches, as well as the famous adventure parks of the Riviera Maya. 
Colombia is one of the best places to visit in Latin America for adventurers. If going full Indiana Jones is more your type of adventure, set out for Colombia’s Ciudad Perdida – the Lost City of Teyuna, hidden away in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the remote north. Built around 800 AD by the Tairona Indians, Cuidad Perdida only became known to the Western world in 1972, and trekking to it only made possible in the last two decades or so. Remains of the ancient city today include spectacular stone terraces carved into the mountainside. Starting out in the small city of Santa Marta, prepare for four to six days of trekking through dense jungle, the canopy above alive with swinging monkeys and hovering hummingbirds. We’re not going to lie, the trekking can be tough, but there are rivers and waterfalls to cool off in, and camps set up for each night. Along the way, you’ll get to meet the indigenous Kogi, descendants of the Tairona who watch over the Cuidad Perdida as its spiritual guardians, and who continue to live a traditional lifestyle.
As you near the site, the ascent will become steeper and steeper, and the trekking even tougher. But push on, and we promise it will all be worth it, as, climbing the last 1,200 steps carved into the mountainside, you’ll emerge from the jungle canopy to the most spectacular of views, misty valleys surrounding in every direction. This is what it feels like to be on top of the world.
Once you return to Santa Marta, trek completed, we’ll forgive you if you simply feel like collapsing. But for those with energy left, the world’s second biggest carnival is only a two-hour drive away in Baranquilla. Prepare for non-stop partying – and if you stay at NH Collection Barranquilla Smartsuites Royal, it’s right on the parade route, placing you in the centre of the action.
And now for island time, with the most spectacular in the world, Galapagos, 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador.
In the Galapagos Islands, time stands still, and evolution unfolds uninterrupted by mankind. Located right on the equator, and at the convergence of the ocean’s hot and cold currents, these islands host some of the most surreal creatures on earth, with over 1,500 endemic species.
Because of the remoteness, there are no direct flights to Galapagos, but you can instead fly into the capital, Quito, and stay overnight (we recommend the modern and comfortable NH Collection Quito Royal), then take the morning flight to the main island of Santa Cruz.
With roughly a dozen full islands, then a hundred more islets and rocky outcrops, the best way to explore the Galapagos is by boat. Take your pick of those departing from Santa Cruz, but not before stopping at the Charles Darwin Research Station to meet the giant tortoises that lend the Galapagos their name.
Then it’s time to set sail, and with so many different places to stop at, we’ve drawn up a list of our favourites.
First up is Espanola, the oldest island of the archipelago, meaning the wildlife has had the most time to evolve. Greeting you when you land will be colonies of sunbathing sea lions, as well as striking blue-footed boobies.
We head next to Fernandina, where hundreds of marine iguanas graze underwater, then warm themselves on volcanic black rock. If you take the plunge, you may also find yourself swimming with penguins, and further out, dolphins and whales.
Furthest of all are the twin islands of Darwin and Wolf, the holy grail for divers from across the oceans. Here, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the greatest concentration of sharks in the world, including the rare scalloped hammerhead.
The north of Chile is otherworldly, with roaring Pacific coastline on one side and the snowcapped mountains of the Andes on the other. Join us as we explore the famed expanse in between, the Atacama Desert – known as the driest place on earth.
Flying into Antofagasta to stock up on supplies (you can stay at the NH Antofagasta which is right on the oceanfront), we hit the road early in a 4x4, destination San Pedro de Atacama, a former mining town that now serves as base camp for adventures in the desert. On the way, we stop at the Valle de la Muerte to take in the stunning scenery, with towering red rock formations that make this arid region an unforgettable travel destination in Latin America.
The next day sees an early start, as we head out before sunrise to the Tatio geysers in the north. Shooting up 10 metres in the air, they’re most spectacular in the cold mist of the morning. Afterwards, you can warm yourself in the thermal pools nearby.
The third day takes us south to the Salar de Atacama salt flats, Chile’s largest. With volcanos in the background, and lagoons painted pink with flamingos, the scenery is surreal, and you’ll lose yourself to its beauty, as well as the vastness and silence of the surrounding desert.
Finally, we cross over to Argentina, starting in the vibrant capital of Buenos Aires. Visit in November (the southern hemisphere’s spring) and its grandiose avenues are sprinkled mauve and lilac as its jacaranda trees bloom. The best place to see this spectacle is Avenida 9 de Julio, the central thoroughfare of the city. Minor has a whole collection of hotels to choose from there – central-as-they-come NH Buenos Aires 9 de Julio and NH Buenos Aires Tango, but also NH Collection Buenos Aires Centro Histórico just round the corner with its beautiful rooftop.
November is also the beginning of hiking season in Patagonia – vast with mountains, glaciers, lakes and fjords crisscrossed by rugged gauchos on horseback.
Considered one of the best places to visit in Latin America for outdoor lovers, Bariloche is the usual starting point for treks, a mountain retreat on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Base yourself at NH Bariloche Edelweiss, just a block from the waterfront, then set out for day or overnight treks in the surrounding national park.
Trails vary from easy (one hour up to the peak of Mt. Campanario, where you’ll be rewarded with stunning surround views of lakes with snow-capped mountains in the background) to hard (multi-day trekking from refuge to refuge along rocky ridges and overnighting next to blue lagoons) – so there’s something for everyone. In between treks, you can kayak in the lake or ride on horseback across the foothills of the Andes. Adventure knows no limits in Bariloche, gateway to Patagonia.
