6 Charming South American Cities We Couldn't Avoid

6 Charming South American Cities We Couldn't Avoid

Tourist towns inevitably appear next to major attractions and are usually completely devoid of charm. Here are five we couldn't avoid

Travelers go to Latin America with hope, anticipation and the knowledge that they will be amazed. The region is home to three of the Seven Wonders of the World and is rich in man-made and natural attractions.

Travelers also know that their journey across this vast continent won't always be full of rainbows and kittens. Amid the bright, great wonders will be dreary days in dull cities without a redeeming feature.

In South America it is almost a guarantee to find these two extremes side by side, as shown below. Tourist towns inevitably pop up near major attractions and are more often than not completely and utterly charmless.

Here are six disappointing South American cities we didn't avoid on our travels.

Guayaquil

Country: EcuadorBase for: Galápagos

• alt=“Guayaquil ist eine der charmanten südamerikanischen Städte“>
• alt=“ist eine der charmanten südamerikanischen Städte“>

We spent three nights in Guayaquil: one night on the way to the Galápagos and two on the way back. Our first hotel was a plain, nameless cardboard building near the airport.

We spent the evening wandering the main street looking for something to eat. We finally found a local shop on a side street that looked promising, but served days-old rice with greasy breaded chicken and a limp salad. Whatever, we said. We're on our way to the Galápagos! We will also spend the night in a more central location on the way back.

Unfortunately, the central stay offered no improvement. Dreary streets with closed restaurants forced us into a McDonald’s. And you know you're in trouble when you're happy to see a McDonald's.

Uyuni

Country: BoliviaBase for: Salar de Uyuni

• alt=“Uyuni ist eine der charmanten südamerikanischen Städte“>
• alt=“Eine andere Perspektive“>

We're not sure what we expected from Uyuni, but what we found wasn't it. Perhaps we were expecting a slightly less… lost place, considering it is the gateway to the Salar de Uyuni. Maybe it was our own fault for choosing a hostel 15 minutes outside of town; It gave us a chance to see what Uyuni is actually like outside of the tourist center.

As it “actually” is, stray dogs sniffing garbage bags are featureless landscapes of dust and rust and a sense of desolation that still haunts us today.

Copacabana

Country: BoliviaBase for: Isla del Sol

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We knew this wasn't the Copacabana of the song, but we would have appreciated a simulacrum of charm. Unfortunately, this lakeside town represents a lot of what is wrong with tourism.

Pushy restaurateurs force their employees to approach potential customers on the street, ticket sellers pile up like sardines, and grumpy women whip out fake sunglasses on street corners. Luckily, Isla del Sol is just a boat ride away. With no cars, few people and fewer hotels, it's a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of South America.

(Image left: Alex Proimos, Creative Commons)

San Augustin

Country: ColombiaBase for: San Agustín Archaeological Park

• alt=“San Augustin ist eine der charmanten südamerikanischen Städte“>
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The Parque Arqueológico of San Agustín is home to over a hundred 3,300-year-old statues carved in stone by the area's famous pre-Hispanic masons. It's a great day trip, but the town of San Agustín is a different story. The sloping streets and whitewashed walls have an old-town feel that's not entirely without charm, but there's not much to do other than sit in the square and watch the world go by, which we kept doing.

If you plan to spend more than one day here, we recommend La Casa de François, which offers great views of the surrounding hills. At least you can spend a few quiet days reading and relaxing.

(Image left: Jaime Hernando Duarte, Creative Commons)

Foz do Iguacu

Country: BrazilBase for: Iguacu Falls

• alt=“Iguazu ist eine der reizlosen südamerikanischen Städte“>
• alt=“Bootsfahrt zu den Iguazú-Fällen“>

We felt quite comfortable in Foz do Iguaçu. As we neared the end of our trip, we decided to stay at a hotel that was nicer than our budget would allow. As we set off we realized how disappointing the city really is.

With shops and streets indistinguishable from any other mid-sized city, Foz do Iguaçu could be anywhere in the world (anywhere with noisy traffic and charmless supermarkets). After a trip to the magnificent waterfalls, we saw no reason to stay here (other than finding out once and for all whether it is Iguaçu, Iguassu or Iguazu).

(Image left: Evgenia Kononova, public domain)

Nazca

Country: PeruBase for: Nazca Lines

• alt=“Nazca ist eine der charmanten südamerikanischen Städte“>
• alt=“Nazca-Linien-Flug“>

There is nothing offensive about Nazca; It's just a sleepy town with not much to do. We stayed in a local hospedaje and spent a few evenings walking up and down the main street... and that was it. A few half-decent restaurants, a good ice cream parlor and the sunny weather puts it a few notches above the aforementioned towns and of course the mysterious Nazca Lines that make it worth a visit.

El Chalten is perhaps the least hopeless in this list. In fact, if we had actually managed to see the nearby peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, it might not have appeared at all. As explained in the travel mistakes we made along the way, our rush to Patagonia to survive the winter was fruitless.

We had terrible weather anyway and despite several day hikes in the freezing cold, we saw nothing of the magnificent peaks that overlook the city. The gray streets and cloudy skies offered little comfort in the evenings. Maybe we'll return one day in the summer. Until then it stays on the list.

(Image left: Shoestring, Creative Commons)

Lonely Planet South America includes a comprehensive travel guide to the country, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the road less traveled.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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