10 Dreamy and Cheap South America Destinations That Look Straight Out of a Painting

I never knew my travel budget could stretch so far until I hit South America. That moment I first gazed up at Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, watching the morning sun light up those crazy colorful stripes against a bright blue sky. I couldn’t believe this view cost less than my monthly coffee budget back home. Nature really went all out here.

From watching toucans soar over the misty Amazon in Bolivia to exploring the whitewashed colonial streets of Cartagena, these are the most beautiful places in South America that won’t drain your bank account. I’ve found 10 destinations across this incredible continent where your dollars go further than you’d imagine, while the views seem absolutely priceless. Let me show you exactly where to find these budget-friendly wonders.

Top Must-See Places in South America

Visiting South America? Spend the day exploring the ancient wonders of Peru, immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes of Ecuador, or uncover the rich culture of Bolivia. Experience the vibrant cities and natural beauty of Argentina, stroll through historic streets, or indulge in delicious local cuisine. Whether you’re into history, outdoor adventures, or stunning scenery, South America has plenty to offer.

1. Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru

• 📍 Location: Sacred Valley of the Incas, southeastern Peru, about 1 hour flight from Lima
• 🏆 Best For: History enthusiasts 🏛️, trekkers 🥾, culture seekers 🎭
• 📸 Top Experiences: Exploring the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, wandering Cusco’s cobblestone streets, hiking the Inca Trail
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: May-September for dry season and clear mountain views, avoid February when the Inca Trail closes 🌦️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Belmond Hotel Monasterio – Former monastery turned luxury hotel where you’ll sleep surrounded by centuries of history

If you’re only ticking one place off your South America list, make it Cusco and Machu Picchu—but do it right. Start with at least two full days in Cusco to acclimate. Hit San Pedro Market early for breakfast (quinoa pancakes and fresh papaya juice), then explore Sacsayhuamán’s fortress walls—built so tight you can’t slip a sheet of paper between the stones.

The classic Inca Trail is 4 days of hiking through cloud forests and ancient ruins—book 6 months ahead. Not a trekker? Take the Vistadome train from Ollantaytambo (best light for photos is the 7 a.m. ride). Get to Machu Picchu by sunrise—gates open at 6 a.m.—for golden light and fewer crowds. For the best panoramic shots, hike Huayna Picchu (1.5–2 hrs roundtrip) or the less-crowded Machu Picchu Mountain (about 3 hours roundtrip).

Avoid February—the trail closes, and the rain kills visibility. May to early July offers dry skies and lush green mountains.

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2. Quito, Ecuador

• 📍 Location: Northern Ecuador, nestled in the Andes Mountains at 9,350 feet elevation
• 🏆 Best For: Colonial architecture lovers 🏛️, equatorial explorers 🌍, culture enthusiasts 🎨
• 📸 Top Experiences: Strolling the UNESCO-listed Old Town, visiting the Middle of the World monument, taking the cable car up Pichincha volcano
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: June-September for dry season, year-round spring-like temperatures thanks to equatorial location 🌡️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Casa Gangotena – Elegant boutique hotel in a restored 1900s mansion overlooking Plaza San Francisco

You don’t visit Quito—you climb into it. Sitting at 9,350 feet, this city hits you with altitude and architecture in equal measure. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is compact enough to walk in a day: start at Plaza Grande, tour La Compañía de Jesús (go inside—it’s all gold), then climb the Basilica del Voto Nacional’s towers for eagle-eye shots over the city.

For epic views, take the TelefériQo to 13,000 feet and hike the short trail to Rucu Pichincha (3-4 hours roundtrip if you’re feeling strong). Bring layers—the temperature drops fast up top—and arrive around 9 a.m. for soft light and clearer skies. Afternoons often cloud over.

To straddle the equator, head to the real line at Intiñan Museum (not the touristy monument nearby). For nightlife and chocolate, Mariscal Sucre is the spot—La Ronda Street has solid live music and local food joints that stay open late.

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3. La Paz, Bolivia

• 📍 Location: Western Bolivia, situated in a dramatic valley at 11,975 feet above sea level
• 🏆 Best For: Urban adventurers 🏙️, altitude seekers ⛰️, indigenous culture enthusiasts 🎭
• 📸 Top Experiences: Riding the world’s highest cable car system, exploring the mystical Witch Market, visiting the surreal Moon Valley
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: May-October for dry season and clear views of snow-capped peaks, avoid January-March rainy season 🌨️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Atix Hotel – Modern luxury with panoramic views of the city’s dramatic canyon setting

La Paz looks like a city poured into a canyon—and it’s built like it, too. Ride the Mi Teleférico cable cars (Red and Yellow lines are best for views) to understand its layout: upscale neighborhoods at the bottom, working-class communities up high. Start your day early—by 8 a.m.—for clear skies and killer photos of snow-dusted Illimani looming in the background.

Walk Calle Jaén for museums (Museum of Musical Instruments is quirky and underrated), then hit the Witch Market for dried llama fetuses, spell kits, and handmade textiles. Don’t treat it like a gimmick—this is real Aymara culture.

Moon Valley is just 30 minutes away by taxi and best visited in the late afternoon when shadows sharpen the alien-like rock formations. Hike the short 45-minute loop trail for the best angles. Take it easy your first day—the elevation (nearly 12,000 feet) is no joke.

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4. Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

• 📍 Location: Southwest Bolivia, about 350 miles south of La Paz in the Altiplano region
• 🏆 Best For: Photographers 📸, stargazers ✨, adventure seekers 🚗
• 📸 Top Experiences: Capturing mirror reflections during rainy season, taking perspective-bending photos on the salt, stargazing in one of the world’s clearest skies
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: December-April for mirror effects, May-November for dry season and easier travel 🌟
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Luna Salada Hotel – Unique hotel built entirely from salt blocks on the edge of the flats

Uyuni Salt Flats isn’t Instagram bait—it’s a natural optical illusion factory. In the dry season (May–November), the flats look like an endless white chessboard. In the wet season (Dec–April), they become a surreal mirror reflecting the sky. Photographers: sunrise and sunset here are unmissable. That’s when the light hits low and golden, and the salt’s reflections are razor-sharp.

Standard tours run 3 days and include stops at Incahuasi Island (cacti as tall as a house), flamingo-filled lakes, geysers, and Dali-esque desert landscapes in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and extra batteries—cold drains them fast.

Stay at Luna Salada, a hotel made entirely of salt, and catch the stars after dinner. This is one of the darkest skies on Earth. Milky Way? Check. Shooting stars? All night.

5. Lake Titicaca, Peru & Bolivia

• 📍 Location: Shared border between Peru and Bolivia, 12,507 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains
• 🏆 Best For: Cultural immersion 🏛️, island hopping ⛵, high-altitude lake lovers 🏔️
• 📸 Top Experiences: Staying with families on Amantaní Island, exploring the floating Uros Islands, visiting the terraced hills of Taquile Island
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: May-September for dry season and calm waters, avoid December-March rainy season ⛈️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Titilaka Lodge – Luxury eco-lodge with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sacred lake

Lake Titicaca isn’t just high—it’s spiritually high. Start in Puno (Peru side) and take the early boat to the Uros floating islands. Locals will show you how they build and live on reed platforms. It’s touristy but real—go early (first boats leave around 7 a.m.) for better light and fewer crowds.

From there, head to Amantaní or Taquile Island for an overnight homestay. Amantaní is quieter and less visited, with a sunset hike to the Temple of Pachatata (about 1 hour roundtrip) offering views you won’t forget. Taquile has better textiles and steeper hikes—expect a 30-45 min uphill hike from the dock.

On the Bolivian side, Isla del Sol is all about Inca ruins and ridge hikes. The north-to-south trail (3–4 hours) is your best bet for sweeping lake views. Dry season (May–Sept) has calmer waters and the clearest skies—perfect for reflection shots of the Andes in deep blue lake water.

6. Lima, Peru

• 📍 Location: Central Peru’s Pacific coast, serving as the country’s capital and cultural hub
• 🏆 Best For: Foodies 🍽️, history enthusiasts 🏛️, urban explorers 🏙️
• 📸 Top Experiences: Exploring colonial architecture in Historic Center, savoring world-class cuisine in Miraflores, touring ancient Huaca Pucllana ruins
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: May-September for dry weather and clear skies, though Lima’s mild climate makes it pleasant year-round ☀️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hotel B – Boutique luxury in trendy Barranco district with art-filled rooms and rooftop terrace overlooking the Pacific

Come to Lima hungry—it’s the kind of city where even the street food can change your life. Start in Miraflores, where cliffside trails along the Malecón give you killer Pacific views—sunsets hit best around 5:30–6:00 PM from Parque del Amor.

Make dinner plans well in advance for Central or Maido, two of the world’s best restaurants. But don’t skip the low-key stuff—grab a plastic stool at a local cevichería and try the catch-of-the-day marinated in lime and rocoto.

History lovers should hit the Historic Center early (8–10 AM) for soft light and fewer crowds. Walk from Plaza Mayor to San Francisco Monastery for old-school baroque architecture and eerie catacombs. For pre-Columbian gold and ceramics, Museo Larco is a must—visit midday when the garden is in full sun.

Plan 3 days minimum to eat, explore, and soak in the contrast between colonial churches and coastal modernism.

7. Huacachina, Peru

• 📍 Location: Southern Peru near Ica, about 4 hours south of Lima in the heart of the desert
• 🏆 Best For: Adventure seekers 🏄‍♂️, photographers 📸, unique experiences 🌵
• 📸 Top Experiences: Sandboarding massive dunes, dune buggy rides at sunset, relaxing by the oasis lagoon
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: March-May and September-November for comfortable temperatures, though desert adventures happen year-round 🏜️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hotel El Huacachinero – Charming oasis-side lodge where you’ll fall asleep to desert silence under star-filled skies

Huacachina looks like a hallucination—an emerald lagoon ringed by palms, surrounded by golden dunes taller than most buildings. But it’s real, and it’s wild.

Book a dune buggy and sandboarding tour for the late afternoon (4 PM) when the light hits the dunes just right. Tours last about 90 minutes and offer time to bomb down 500-foot slopes or cruise standing up. Cameras out: the golden hour here is unreal, especially from the ridge west of the oasis.

You can hike that same ridge in about 30–45 minutes for panoramic shots—sunset from the top is unbeatable. Back in the village, grab a cold Cusqueña and kick back by the pool as stars fill the sky.

Best times to visit? March–May or September–November for comfortable temps without the summer crowds. One night is enough to see it all—unless you’re coming back for round two on the dunes.

8. Mendoza, Argentina

• 📍 Location: Western Argentina at the foothills of the Andes, about 1 hour flight from Buenos Aires
• 🏆 Best For: Wine lovers 🍷, mountain adventurers 🏔️, outdoor enthusiasts 🚴‍♀️
• 📸 Top Experiences: Wine tasting in world-famous vineyards, hiking in the Andes foothills, cycling through Maipú wine region
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: March-May for harvest season and perfect weather, September-November for spring blooms and fewer crowds 🍇
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Cavas Wine Lodge – Luxury vineyard retreat where your room overlooks endless vine rows with the Andes as backdrop

Mendoza is what happens when wine country collides with the Andes. Malbec may be the star, but the real magic is the setting—rows of vines backed by snow-dusted peaks and 300 days of sun a year.

Go wine tasting in Luján de Cuyo or cycle through Maipú (rent bikes from Mr. Hugo)—you’ll stop at family-run bodegas offering tastings, empanadas, and vineyard views. Peak harvest season is March to early April, when some wineries let you help crush grapes.

Want big scenery? Drive or tour up to Aconcagua Provincial Park and hike the Laguna de Horcones trail—a flat 1-hour loop that gives you full-frontal views of South America’s highest peak. Best photography light is between 10 AM and noon before clouds roll in.

Post-adventure, soak tired legs in the Cacheuta Hot Springs, nestled in a canyon west of town. Mendoza is best enjoyed over 3–4 days: wine, mountains, repeat.

9. Baños, Ecuador

• 📍 Location: Central Ecuador in the Andes foothills, about 3 hours south of Quito near Tungurahua volcano
• 🏆 Best For: Thrill seekers 🪂, nature lovers 🌿, waterfall chasers 💦
• 📸 Top Experiences: Swinging at Casa del Árbol with volcano views, canyoning down waterfalls, soaking in natural hot springs
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: June-September for clearest mountain views, though adventure activities happen year-round in this spring-like climate 🌤️
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Sangay Spa Hotel – Mountain lodge with thermal pools where you’ll unwind while gazing at active Tungurahua volcano

Baños is for anyone who wants to jump off cliffs in the morning and soak in hot springs by night. It’s Ecuador’s adrenaline capital, tucked between jungle and volcano, with a lush valley that sets the stage for some truly wild adventures.

Start with the Swing at the End of the World—a short 20-minute hike from the drop-off point at Casa del Árbol. Go early (7–8 AM) to beat the lines and get clean volcano shots in the morning mist.

For more action, book a canyoning tour down Rio Blanco (half-day, includes rappelling and cliff jumps) or ride the Ruta de las Cascadas—a 3-hour bike route to massive falls like Pailón del Diablo, where you can hike behind the thunderous curtain of water.

Evenings call for a soak at Termas de la Virgen, with views of Tungurahua Volcano lit up on clear nights. June to September offers the clearest skies and best light for photography—pack quick-dry everything.

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10. Florianópolis, Brazil

• 📍 Location: Southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina island state, connected to mainland by bridges about 1 hour flight from São Paulo
• 🏆 Best For: Beach lovers 🏖️, surfers 🏄‍♀️, nightlife enthusiasts 🌙
• 📸 Top Experiences: Surfing world-class breaks at Joaquina Beach, exploring colonial architecture in historic center, partying in Lagoa da Conceição
• 📅 Best Time to Visit: December-March for peak summer beach weather, April-May and September-November for fewer crowds and pleasant temperatures 🌊
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Pousada dos Chás – Charming beachfront inn in Campeche where you’ll fall asleep to ocean waves steps from pristine sand

Florianópolis, or “Floripa,” is where beach bums, surfers, and party people all collide—over 40 beaches, each with its own rhythm. Want waves? Head to Joaquina Beach, famous for hosting world surf competitions. Want chill? Campeche has Caribbean-clear waters with barely anyone around on weekdays.

For beach hikes and views, trek to Lagoinha do Leste—a 2-hour trail from Pântano do Sul that ends at a wild beach with epic views from the clifftop lookout. Go early for the best light and fewer hikers (trail opens around 7 AM).

At night, Lagoa da Conceição wakes up with live samba, fresh seafood, and packed clubs. If you’re here in December–March, expect peak beach weather and full-on summer energy.

Don’t miss the colonial downtown—wander cobblestone streets, visit the 18th-century Public Market, and grab a pastel de camarão (shrimp pastry). Stay 4–5 days if you can. You’ll need it.

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