6 charming South American cities that we could not avoid

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tourist cities inevitably appear next to large sights and are usually completely irrelevant. Here are five that we could not avoid

Travelers travel to Latin America in the hope, expectation and knowledge that they will be enthusiastic. The region houses three of the seven wonders of the world and is rich in artificial and natural attractions.

travelers also know that their journey through this huge continent will not always be full of rainbows and kittens. In the middle of the bright, big miracles will be bleak days in boring cities without a redeeming feature.

In South America, it is almost a guarantee to find these two extreme side by side, as shown below. Tourist cities inevitably appear near important sights and are mostly completely and absolutely irrelevant.

Here are six disappointing South American cities that we have not avoided on our travels.

guayaquil

Land: Ecuadorbasise for: Galápagos

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  • Alt = "is one of the charming South American cities">

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

We spent the evening roaming the main street and looking for something to eat. Finally we found a local shop in a side street that looked promising, but served daily rice with greasy breaded chicken and a silent salad. No matter, we said. We are on our way to the Galápagos! We will also stay a little more centrally on the way back.

Unfortunately, the central stay did not offer any improvement. Strist roads with locked restaurants forced us to a McDonald’s. And you know that you are in trouble when you are happy to see a McDonald’s.

uyuni

Land: Bolivean base for: Salar de Uyuni

  • Alt = "Uyuni is one of the charming South American cities">
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We are not sure what we expected from Uyuni, but it was not what we found. Maybe we have a little less ... lost place when you consider that it is the gateway to the Salar de Uyuni. Perhaps it was our own fault that we chose a hostel for 15 minutes outside the city; It gave us the opportunity to see how Uyuni is actually outside the tourist center.

as it is "actually" are stray dogs that sniff on garbage bags, contourless landscapes from dust and rust and a feeling of desolation that still follows us today.

Copacabana

Land: Bolivean base for: Isla del Sol

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We knew that this was not the Copacabana of the song, but we would have been happy about a Simulacrum. Unfortunately, this city on the lake stands for a lot that is wrong with tourism.

intrusive restaurateurs forcing their employees to address potential guests on the street, ticket sellers are stacked out like sardines and grumpy women whip fake sunglasses on street corners. Fortunately, the Isla del Sol is just a boat trip. Without cars, few people and fewer hotels, it is a nice relaxation from the hustle and bustle of South America.

(picture left: Alex Proimos, Creative Commons)

San Augustin

Land: Colombia base for: Archaeological Park San Agustín

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  • Alt = "San Agustin-Colombia AREUTE">

The Parque Arqueológico of San Agustín houses over a hundred 3,300 years old statues that were flawed into stone by the famous PrähiSpanian bricklayers. It is a great day trip, but the city of San Agustín is a different story. The sloping streets and white whitewashed walls have an old -edge flair that is not quite without charm, but there is not much to do, except sitting on the pitch and seeing the world by what we always did.

If you plan to spend more than a day here, we recommend La Casa de François that offers a great view of the surrounding hills. At least you can read and relax for a few quiet days.

(picture left: Jaime Hernando Duarte, Creative Commons)

foz do guaçu

Land: Brazil base for: guacu Falls

  • Alt = "Iguazu is one of the irritable South American cities">
  • Alt = "Boat trip to the Iguazú cases">

We felt quite comfortable in Foz do Iguaçu. When we approached the end of our trip, we decided on a hotel that was more beautiful than our budget allowed. When we made our way, we realized how disappointing the city really is.

With shops and streets that cannot be distinguished from any other medium -sized city, Foz do Iguaçu could be all over the world (everywhere with loud traffic and irrelevant supermarkets). After an excursion to the wonderful waterfalls, we saw no reason to stay here (except to find out once and for all whether it is Iguaçu, Iguassu or Iguazzu).

(picture left: Evgenia Kononova, Guesseutzfrei)

nazca

Land: Perubasis for: Nazca lines

  • Alt = "Nazca is one of the charming South American cities">
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to Nazca is nothing offensive; It is just a sleepy city where there is not much to do. We stayed in a local Hospedaje and spent a few evenings going up and down the main street ... and that's it. A few reasonably decent restaurants, a good ice cream parlor and the sunny weather pull a few notches across the cities mentioned above and of course the mysterious Nazca lines that make it worth a visit.

el Chalten may be the least hopeless in this list. In fact, it might not have appeared at all if we had actually managed to see the nearby summit of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. As explained in the travel professionals we made on the go, our hurry to Patagonia to survive winter was fruitless.

We had terrible weather anyway and despite several day hikes in the icy cold, we saw nothing of the wonderful peaks that overlook the city. The gray streets and the cloudy sky offered little consolation in the evening. Maybe one day we will return in summer. Until then, it stays on the list.

(picture left: shoestring, creative commons)

Lonely Planet South America contains a comprehensive travel guide for the country, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights as well as take less roads.

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