South America

You can reach the west coast of South America from Los Angeles, Miami or even from the UK as part of a longer world or exotic cruise. Call into the high Andes capital of Ecuador Quito from the port of Manta and Lima from Callao to visit the remains of pre-Inca and Inca civilisations including the world-famous citadel of Machu Picchu. Calling onto Arica or Iquique you can visit the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. From Quito it is possible to fly to the legendary Galapagos Islands and cruise all the major islands here, to see up close and personal some of the most extraordinary wildlife on earth.

Sailing between stately Buenos Aires and Santiago in Chile, visit the Chilean Lake District & Fjords and cruise the Strait of Magellan, one of the most difficult to navigate paths in all of cruising, yet one of the most rewarding journeys you can undertake. Round Cape Horn and past Tierra del Fuego you may call into the remote Falkland Islands or Puerto Madryn in Patagonia.

Many cruises to South America will include at least one, if not two nights in vibrant, samba-capital of the world, Rio de Janeiro. Home to the carnival, the best football on earth and the incredible 98ft statue of Christ the Redeemer Rio is a an absolute must on anyone's travel "bucket list". Straddling the Argentine-Brazil border is the immense Iguazu Falls, a mighty set of waterfalls which collectively make the largest in the world - it is possible to visit these at the start or end of a South America cruise with an extended land stay.