South America is an amazing continent to visit. It has an incredible landscape, delicious food and diverse culture that will leave you wanting to stay the moment you arrive. You might have seen some pictures of its beautiful landscape or have heard about it from a friend – by now, you’re probably asking yourself if you should pay it a visit yourself! Here are a few reasons as to why you should absolutely travel to this continent.
- Tour the Amazon forest – The Amazon forest is the largest forest on this planet. It has the largest river in the world, which flows through nine different countries. You can experience the rain forest best in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia. Exploring the forest and canoeing the river is an exciting South American activity. Most tourists relish the dense jungle exploration as they interact with nature and its inhabitants.
2. The Chilean eclipses – Another good reason to visit the continent this year is the total solar eclipse which will take place on the 2nd of July 2019. You can view the solar eclipse at the Elqui Valley found in Chile. This is because a total solar eclipse is only visible in a small area which is around 125 miles across – Elqui Valley happens to fall within this area. It is also used for stargazing, and it has about 360 clear nights in a year. You do not want to miss this great opportunity as a total solar eclipse doesn’t occur often, only happening once in two years. A total solar eclipse is an eclipse where the moon obscures the entire disc of the sun. This comes to be when a new moon gets between the sun and the earth. This results in a shadow cast to the ground. When a total solar eclipse occurs, it becomes as dark as night. It is different from the other types of the solar eclipse, such as the annular eclipse where the moon only covers part of the sun. The eclipse will last about 2 minutes, 18 seconds and will start at 3.30 pm. The totality will happen at 4.30 pm.
3. Visit one of the most majestic rivers in the world – The Cano Cristales found in Colombia in the La Macarena National Park is one of the most beautiful rivers you will ever find on earth. It is famously known as the “river that ran away from paradise”. From October to November, the river lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful river when a colourful bottom-feeding alga blooms. The bottom of the river has a red colour which brightens under sunlight. Later through the year, patches of yellow, red, blue, orange, and green brighten the river, making it even more beautiful. This is a site you should visit.
4. Diversity – South America is very diverse and not just in terms of culture but also food, tradition, and climate. It has thirteen different countries which you can tour. The continent is worth exploring for its diversity and you can get to experience different cultures and traditions. Introduce yourself to new types of food found in the different regions.
5. Tour one of the biggest waterfalls on earth – South America has some of the largest waterfalls on earth. The tallest waterfalls are also found here; a good example is the Iguazu Falls which has 275 different drops. The Angel Falls, located in Venezuela, covers a distance of one kilometre (3,281 feet). You may want to include these sites in your visit plans to South America.
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