The Best Places to Go in Central & South America in 2025

21.11.2024 - 08:51 / cntraveler.com

Whenever we get asked the question, Where should I go in Central or South America?, it’s hard to answer in a hurry. Sure, there are some common threads that tie the region together. From Belize to Chile, a fascinating blend of Indigenous, European colonizer, and more recent immigrant cultures shape everything from cuisine to architecture. There’s a vibrancy, too, an unapologetic joy in both everyday life and special celebrations, that many visitors can’t help but feel drawn to. Beyond that, however, so much of what defines the best places to visit in Central or South America is personal. What do you want out of this rich and varied swath of land?

Do you, for example, dream of hidden surf spots, where every sunrise is practically your own, and evenings are spent in breezy bungalows shrouded by the oiti trees of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest? Or is it the bustle of street food vendors in Bolivia doling out tangy fermented juices and hearty ancestral stews that make you want to hop on a flight? Maybe it’s the possibility of kayaking through the rugged Chaco region of Argentina, where elusive jaguars and giant anteaters slink through the dusty surrounds. Whichever landscape moves you—the concrete jungles or the real ones; the well-trod or the burgeoning—you’ll find it here. Perhaps the only way we can answer the impossible question of which is the best place to visit in Central or South America is to share which feels most urgent in 2025 either thanks to new landing spots (Brazilian surf hideaway, Itacaré, is getting a slew of chic new villas by the sea), buzzy restaurant openings (La Paz is getting it’s time to shine, with chef-driven new restaurants), or totally new means of access (river safaris are opening up the remote Chaco in a first-time-ever way). For both their impressive pairing of evergreen allure and exciting newness, these are the best places to go in Central and South America in 2025. —Megan Spurrell

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2025—find more travel inspiration here.

Go for: remote adventures and wildlife spotting via new river safaris

In Gran Chaco—an over-300,000-square-mile swatch of dry forest that stretches across parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil—the heat can rise above 100°F in the summer, and jaguars and giant anteaters pace among quebracho trees, while black caimans skim along the surface of the Bermejo River. You may have been to Patagonia or the Amazon or the Galápagos, but the Chaco, home to one of the fastest-disappearing forests, has remained far off the tourist track. It was only in 2022 that hiking trails and rustic accommodations popped up. Things have evolved quickly since and in 2025, El Impenetrable, the national park within