14 legendary natural wonders of South America

1. Iguazu Falls, Argentina / Brazil

Tucked in a corner at the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the 275 falls of Iguazu dwarf Niagara and have to be one of the most amazing sights anywhere.

Photo: SF Brit

Photo: Mathieu Bertrand Struck

Photo: lighana

2. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

During the rainy season (~Jan-Mar), the world’s largest salt flat is covered in an inches-deep pool that perfectly reflects the sky, creating a truly alien landscape.

Photo: Luca Galuzzi
Photo: Haceme un 14

Photo: szeke

3. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

This archipelago 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is famous for its high number of endemic species and its influence on Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.

Photo: MARK-SPOKES.COM

Photo: zpics

Photo: A_E_P

4. Atacama Desert, Chile

The world’s driest desert covers 40,000 square miles of northern Chile and includes coastal plains, high volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, and, more recently, the state-of-the-art ALMA observatory.

Photo: Jonathan Emmanuel Flores Tarello

Photo: European Southern Observatory

Photo: Mariano Mantel

5. Amazon River

By volume, the Amazon is far and away the largest river on Earth. With hundreds of huge tributaries (such as the Rio Negro below), its drainage basin accounts for 40% of South America’s land area.

Photo: Zemlinki!

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: CIFOR

6. Angel Falls, Venezuela

Photo: ENT108

Photo: Da_Vinzy

Photo: ron brinkmann

Angel Falls is the world’s highest and certainly one of the most spectacular.

7. Torres del Paine, Chile

Daggers of mountain peaks, glacial lakes, and guanaco define southern Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.

Photo: Winky

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Photo: doug88888

8. Colca Canyon, Peru

This canyon, located 100km out from Arequipa, is about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and full of Andean condors.

Photo: gudi&cris

Photo: Kim Schandorff

Photo: Aureliano Nóbrega

9. Lake Titicaca, Peru / Bolivia

The superlatives keep coming. This gigantic lake spilling over the Altiplano between Bolivia and Peru is the world’s highest navigable body of water.

Photo: Marianne Tortorella

Photo: Benjamin

Photo: James & Christina

10. Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (the third-largest reserve of fresh water in the world), the Perito Moreno Glacier is the thing to see in Argentine Patagonia. You can also trek it.

Photo: Fernando J. Toucedo Urban

Photo: Chris Ford

Photo: Rodrigo SEPÚLVEDA SCHULZ

11. Laguna Colorada, Bolivia

This shallow, algae-rich lagoon attracts plenty of flamingos and is a main stop on tours of Bolivia’s Southwest Circuit.

Photo: Carlos Adampol

Photo: via

Photo: Ana Caroline Lima

12. Aconcagua, Argentina

The “Roof of the Americas,” rising up from the Andes between Argentina and Chile, is 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) tall.

Photo: Rafael Edwards

Photo: Winky

Photo: Xevi V

13. Kaieteur Falls, Guyana

While not as high-profile as the other falls on this list, Kaieteur is still the world’s largest one-drop by volume.

Photo: Allan Hopkins

Photo: Cody H.

Photo: Tim Snell

14. Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Things get extreme at the “End of the World,” the continent’s southernmost tip. The island’s scrubby trees grow horizontally in the face of strong Antarctic winds.

Photo: reurinkjan

Photo: José María Pérez Nuñez

Photo: Tania Mara Pimentel Gomes

This post was published in its original form on January 5, 2010.