Fodor's South America, 4th Edition: Expert Advice and Smart Choices: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore On and Off the Beaten Path (Travel Guide) - Softcover

Fodor's

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0679004416 ISBN 13: 9780679004417

Publisher: Fodor's, 2000

Synopsis

Fodor's South America 4th ed."Fodor's guides are always a pleasure." - The Chicago Tribune

"Teeming with maps and loaded with addresses, phone numbers, and directions." - Newsday

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Completely up-to-date, Fodor's Gold Guides are essential for any kind of traveler.

Insider info that's reliable and smart
Local experts show you all the things to see and do -- from top sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from sports to shopping, from nightlife to recommended walks.

Hotels and restaurants in all price categories
From B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to elegant restaurants, we list hundreds of detailed reviews that show what is distinctive about each place.

Practical info that's completely up-to-date
Useful maps and background information; key contacts; how to get there and get around; when to go; what to pack; local do's and taboos; costs, hours, and tips by the thousands.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Destination: South America

For everyone from bird-watchers to beach bums, South America is the perfect destination. Increasing numbers of restless vacationers are being drawn by the continent's fascinating contrasts, its bustling metropolises, and its dramatic landscapes. Often those who visit are dreamers, escapists, lovers of the unusual. Those who visit often do so with great expectations and few prejudices.

Any number of appetites can be satisfied on the same vacation. In Rio, for example, you can spend the afternoon touring the historic Palácio Catete after a splendid morning of sunbathing on the beach at Ipanema or hiking through the lush Floresta da Tijuca that surrounds the Corcovado stature. In Buenos Aires, you can pass the day at one of the all-season horse-racing tracks, followed by an excellent dinner (accompanied by a superb Argentine wine) and a night of tango in La Boca, the city's picturesque waterfront district. Such diversity means that there's something, somewhere, for everyone, on any budget, to see, do, and treasure in South America.

Archaeology

The mysteries of ancient ruins such as the silent, windswept stones and temples at Tiahuanaco, near La Paz in Bolivia, and the majestic remains of Inca civilizations never fail to tantalize. Peru alone has a wealth of pre-Columbian sites that would take weeks, if not months or years, to fully explore. Almost everything in the country is worth seeing, but the especially exceptional sights include Machu Picchu, the fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and the Coricancha. If you have more time, visit the Nazca lines, gigantic, mysterious "drawings" in the desert; the Chimú city of Chán Chán, outside Trujillo; and the Moche tomb of the warrior priest at Sipán. In Colombia, you can visit la Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City), near the Caribbean coast, or the intricately decorated tombs of Tierradentro and mysterious megaliths of San Agustín, near Cali. In Ecuador, there are Inca and pre-Inca ruins at Ingapirca.

Natural Wonders

Volcanoes, some still active, run the length of the Andes; at their feet lie everything from the desolate, windswept desert and dunes of Peru's Paracas National Reserve to the turquoise lakes and burbling hot springs of Chile's lake district. The 30,000-year-old Perito Moreno Glacier broods in Argentina's Glacier National Park, while spires of ice slide off the San Rafael Glacier, south of Puerto Montt in Chile. A mighty roar fills the air as the raging waters of Iguazú Falls -- higher and wider than Niagara -- plunge over basalt cliffs where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet. Angel Falls crash nearly two-thirds of a mile down a cliff in a corner of Venezuela so remote that it was unknown to the world until 1937.

Wildlife

You can come nose to nose with sea lions and giant tortoises in the Galápagos Islands or spot the pterodactyl-like hoatzin on Venezuela's vast savannas. In Argentina, see whales and elephant seals frolic at Península Valdés and attend the annual gathering of the Magellanic penguin clan on the beaches at Punta Tombo. Flamingos, llama-like guanacos, and foxes inhabit Chile's Torres del Paine National Park.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fodor's
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0679004416
• ISBN 13: 9780679004417
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 688