2011 Guide to Latin America - (Page 18)

MEXICO GUATEMALA Guatemala City San Salvador BELIZE Belmopan San Pedro Sula Tegucigalpa HONDURAS EL SALVADOR THE Managua NICARAGUA San Jose Barranquilla Pta. Gallinas Maracaibo COSTA RICA PANAMA Panama City Medellín ena Caracas A T L A N T I C o O C E A N VENEZUELA G oc Or in Cabo Corrientes dal NORTHERN WILDLANDS Tropical beaches, vast wetlands, great rivers, idyllic colonial towns, of the trio of countries bordering the northern Caribbean shores of South America—Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. little-explored jungles and majestic mountains make up the landscapes Cali Mag Br Punta Galera an co Huila COLOMBIA Bogota U Or I A N A o GUYANA Georgetown Paramaribo FRENCH GUIANA Cayenne in oc H I G H L A N D S SURINAME Guayaquil ECUADOR Mar a nón Chimborazo Quito Ne Put gr Macapá na az o o B. de Marajó I. de Marajó Belèm B. de São Marcos Fortaleza umayo J apurá Manaus Am To c a n t i n s S J uruá E L V us A S M Punta Aguja ad e ir a T a p a jó s Xingu ia ua ag Ar Nevado Huascarán Pa r n ai ba N Gu S A S La Paz ATA ALT S Lake Poopó BOLIVIA C H A C O N an á C A M MATO GROSSO Brasília BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS A R A N CHILE Nevado Ojos del Salado ilc N om PARAGUAY ayo T P P A C I F I C O C E A N ar Belo Horizonte I Reprêsa Ilha Grande Volcán Llullaillaco U Sala Itaipu Res. u SER A R DO Asunción M O G M AR Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo a y S U ru A T L A N T I C Pôrto Lagôa dos Patos Lagôa Mirim P I N Lake Titicaca PLANALTO DE O Mar Chiquito D E ARGENTINA Rosario N Co lor ad o P A Ne M C u hub t P Santiago A gr o S Buenos Aires URUGUAY A g above one of the largest coral reefs in the Caribbean. HOTEL HIGHS: JUNGLE RUDY’S at Canaima, HESPERIA ISLA MARGARITA RESORT on Isla Margarita, MANCANO LODGE on Gran Roque, and HATO PINERO or HATO EL CEDRAL in Los Llanos. West Falkland Strait of Magellan Tierra del Fuego East Falkland C. San Diego Cape Horn TOUR SAMPLE: LOST WORLD ADVENTURES’ (BELIZETRIPS.COM) 13-night Best of Venezuela visits the Andes, Angel Falls, Los Roques, and Los Llanos; from $4,718 pp dbl, including meals and local air. A r Pu N Lima PERU T SI ER RA DO BRAZIL Barragem de Sobradinho Sáo ATI CA o cisc Fran S NGA D E S Ar M in os O S PA R EC IS apo ré U Salvador Mamo ré CAM IPL AN O A DESERT P do O C E A N Sa lad o Montevideo FALKLAND/MALVINAS ISLANDS Capital Cities FAST FACTS: GETTING THERE: From the U.S., nonstop air service to Caracas, Maracaibo, Porlamar (Isla Margarita) ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: U.S. passport, valid for six months from time of entry BEST TIME TO GO: Dry season, roughly November to May Isla Margarita in Venezuela boasts some 200 miles of coastline. VENEZUELA GUYANA C H A C O A R A N CHILE Nevado Ojos del Salado ilc N om PARAGUAY ayo T P Best known for its oil politics and feisty president, Venezuela is in fact an action-packed destination that travelers will ﬁnd endowed with an astonishing array of landscapes—from sugar-white beaches to snowcapped Andean peaks—and great outdoor adventures. After landing at CARACAS airport, head out to CANAIMA NATIONAL PARK, home to the ANGEL FALLS, which spills down 2,648 ft. to the canyon below to form the highest waterfall on earth. Travelers ﬂy over the falls (weather permitting) or approach by river boat and hiking from lodgings on Canaima lagoon. + ISLA MARGARITA, a short hop by air from Caracas, is Venezuela’s most popular resort destination. The island boasts 200 miles of coastline for beaching and surﬁng; highland villages with lively craft markets and championship golf courses; historic fortress and churches; and nature reserves such as La Restinga National Park. Deluxe resorts cater to guests with spas and casinos. + Head out to LOS LLANOS, huge savannah-lands with hatos (ecocattle ranches) whose nature safaris introduce a natural wonderland of bird and wildlife galore. + For snorkeling, diving, sailing and ﬁshing, no location is more idyllic than the archipelago of LOS ROQUES, 80 miles off the coast. Small planes land on and visitors stay in posadas (guesthouses) on the main island of Gran Roque, taking boats to white-sand islets ﬂoating L18 This destination is tailor-made for adventure- and nature-loving travelers, welcomed at rainforest resorts, ranches, and remote Amerindian villages. Formerly a British colony, Guyana is one of only two Englishspeaking countries on the continent. The capital, GEORGETOWN, is a quaint mix of Victorian elegance and tin-roof mining town. + Fly southwest from here to two grand water spectacles: KAIETEUR FALLS, nearly ﬁve times as high as Niagara, spilling down into the birding wonderland called Kaieteur National Park, and ORINDUIK FALLS, located in the grassy savannahs of the Pakaraima Mountain foothills. Latin America-Ill_in-house + Fly directly south from Georgetown to the IWOKRAMA FOREST, whose inventory of ﬂora and fauna is mind-boggling—birdlife alone numbers ﬁve eagle species that perch above giant anteaters and river otters, capybara and black caiman. + North are the RUPUNUNI SAVANNAHS, with Amerindian villages and cattle ranches. + And the KARANAMBU RANCH is famous for owner Diane McTurk’s work with orphaned otters. HOTEL HIGHS: CARA LODGE in Georgetown, IWOKRAMA FOREST LODGE, KARANAMBU LODGE and ROCK VIEW LODGE in the Rupununi Savannah. Bermuda A T L A N T I C O C E A N HOUSTON G U L F O F M E X I C O MEXICO BELIZE Belmopan GUATEMALA San Salvador Guatemala City San Pedro Sula Tegucigalpa HONDURAS EL SALVADOR Managua NICARAGUA San Jose Pta. Gallinas Barranquilla Maracaibo COSTA RICA PANAMA Panama City Caracas A T L A N T I C O C E A N Medellín ena VENEZUELA G U oc Or in o Cabo Corrientes Cali Mag Br Punta Galera an co Huila COLOMBIA Bogota Or I A N A dal GUYANA Georgetown Paramaribo FRENCH GUIANA Cayenne in oc o H I G H L A N D S SURINAME Guayaquil ECUADOR Mar a Chimborazo Quito Ne gr Macapá na az o o B. de Marajó I. de Marajó Belèm Put umayo J apurá Manaus Am B. d To c a n t i n s nón S E L V A S Punta Aguja J uruá Pu ua ia r us M ad e ir a T a p a jó s Xingu ag SIE Lima N PERU A I N RR A DO Gu BRAZIL PLANALTO DE MATO GROSSO Ar Nevado Huascarán Lake Titicaca S TOUR SAMPLE: ADVENTURE LIFE’S (ADVENTURE-LIFE.COM) P A C I F I C La Paz ATA Brasília A BRAZILI S Lake Poopó BOLIVIA N an á C M HIGHLAN O C E A N ar Belo Horiz I Reprêsa Ilha Grande Volcán Llullaillaco Itaipu Res. u SER A R DO Asunción U M O G M AR Rio d Sao Paulo a y recommend.com S E U ru A T L A N T Pôrto Lagôa dos Patos Lagôa Mirim Mar Chiquito D ARGENTINA Rosario N Co lor ad o P A Ne M P Santiago A gr o S Buenos Aires URUGUAY A g Montevideo P O T S PA RE CIS apo ré Pa r n ai Barragem de Sobradinho ba S A N D E S Ar M in os O U Mamo ré ALT IPL AN O CAM A DESERT P Sala do Sa lad o http://www.BELIZETRIPS.COM http://www.ADVENTURE-LIFE.COM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2011 Guide to Latin America

Tourism Boards
Introduction to Latin America
The Andean Quartet
Patagonia Partners
The Eastern Trio
The Northern Wildlands
Cruising Central & South America, Expedition-Style
Eco-Lands
Mayan Worlds

2011 Guide to Latin America