South America

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Rio de la Plata, on the SE coast of South America. The birthplace of the tango, the city is as bustling with energy as the dance itself. Stroll neighbourhoods with romantic restaurants, past its architecture and parks. Read more about Buenos Aires, Argentina

Punta del Este, known as the St.Tropez of Uruguay, is an upscale vacation spot on the southern-most tip of the country, just an hour and a half by car from Montevideo. Today this area is known worldwide as a very scenic resort area with great shopping, a temperate climate, and kilometres of beautiful beaches. These include Mansa - or gentle beach - that faces the bay, and Playa Brava, a beach that faces the Atlantic and is home to the sculpted Dedos fingers - better known as ‘the Hand in the Sand’ - a well known city landmark. Read more about Punta del Este, Uruguay

Puerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut, one of the most sheltered places on the Patagonian coast of Argentina. The town, founded in 1865 by 150 Welsh immigrants, has become an important tourist centre. This coastal city has warm summers and moderate winters all year round. Read more about Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Port Stanley is the capital and only town in the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope, south of Stanley Harbour, in one of the wettest parts of the islands. It is very easy to see most of the islands’ worthwhile sites on a short walking tour. Read more about Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, is located on the Beagle Channel, where soaring mountains, ice-blue glaciers, and an historic lighthouse create an ideal backdrop. The capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, it was first settled by British missionaries. During the first half of the 20th C the major building of the city was a prison, built by the Argentinian government for repeat offenders and serious criminals, as the subpolar oceanic climate made escape difficult. Read more about Ushuaia, Argentina

Punta Arenas, overlooking the Strait of Magellan in southern Patagonia, Chile, bustles with windswept trekkers en route to glacier-filled Torres del Paine National Park or an Antarctic cruise. Before leaving, be sure to take note of the mansion-lined main square, Plaza Muñoz Gamero where local vendors sell homemade crafts, the City Cemetery with its elaborate tombs, the Sara Braun Palace, and Braun Menendez Residence that presents great insight of the city's wealthy pioneer past. The city is also home to the former British Navy base and early Spanish colony of Puerto Hambre, and a popular ski centre that overlooks the Strait of Magellan. Read more about Punta Arenas, Chile

Punta Arenas, overlooking the Strait of Magellan in southern Patagonia, Chile, bustles with windswept trekkers en route to glacier-filled Torres del Paine National Park or an Antarctic cruise. Before leaving, be sure to take note of the mansion-lined main square, Plaza Muñoz Gamero where local vendors sell homemade crafts, the City Cemetery with its elaborate tombs, the Sara Braun Palace, and Braun Menendez Residence that presents great insight of the city's wealthy pioneer past. The city is also home to the former British Navy base and early Spanish colony of Puerto Hambre, and a popular ski centre that overlooks the Strait of Magellan. Read more about Punta Arenas, Chile

Strikingly rich in natural and historical attractions, the narrow fjords on the west coast of Chile penetrate deeply into the mountains of the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, a major part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. This is the largest of the protected areas in Chile, and with no large rivers in the area the fjords drain water from outlet glaciers of the ice-capped, storm-swept elevations. It is a large area of uninhabited islands, deep sounds, breathtaking glaciers, and narrow passages. Read more about Chilean Fjords, Chile

Strikingly rich in natural and historical attractions, the narrow fjords on the west coast of Chile penetrate deeply into the mountains of the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, a major part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. This is the largest of the protected areas in Chile, and with no large rivers in the area the fjords drain water from outlet glaciers of the ice-capped, storm-swept elevations. It is a large area of uninhabited islands, deep sounds, breathtaking glaciers, and narrow passages. Read more about Chilean Fjords, Chile

Laguna San Rafael, on the southern Pacific coast of Chile, is a small bay at the far south end of the Moraleda Channel. It is connected to the sea through the Témpano Channel. Its main attraction is the San Rafael Glacier, a wall of ancient ice over 40km long, coming down the 4,000m high Mount San Valentín, which is part of the Northern Patagonian Icefield. Read more about Laguna San Rafael, Chile

Chacabuco - aka Puerto Chacabuco - is a Chilean town located at the head of Aisén Fjord in Aisén commune. Ships anchor in the bay of Chacabuco and passengers are tendered to shore. This is a small isolated settlement with no clearly defined town centre, consisting of one main road, a fish processing facility, and a pier. Read more about Chacabuco, Chile

Castro, situated on the east coast of Chiloe Island, sits on a bluff above its sheltered estuary and is the capital of the Chiloe Archipelago, in Chile. Castro is famous for its brightly painted traditional wooden stilt houses, so the greatest single attraction is simply walking down the streets and around the central Plaza de Armas. With its well-kept park that is surrounded by many shops and restaurants, it presents a great opportunity to absorb the local culture. Read more about Castro, Chile

Puerto Montt is a fast growing city in the south of Chile, just north of Chiloe Island. At the southern end of the Pan American highway in Chile, Puerto Montt is not only the end of the road, but the beginning of the fabled land of fjords, canals, islands, and the snow-capped mountains of the Andes. Fertile agricultural fields and green forested hills also add to the enchantment of Southern Chile. Read more about Puerto Montt, Chile

Santiago is the capital of Chile, 90 minutes drive from its port Valparaiso. Santiago has easy access both to ski slopes just 50 km to the Andes, and beaches 100 km to the Pacific. Chile's steady economic growth has transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most modern metropolitan areas, with dozens of shopping centers and impressive high-rises. Read more about Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile

Santiago is the capital of Chile, 90 minutes drive from its port Valparaiso. Santiago has easy access both to ski slopes just 50 km to the Andes, and beaches 100 km to the Pacific. Chile's steady economic growth has transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most modern metropolitan areas, with dozens of shopping centers and impressive high-rises. Read more about Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile

Coquimbo is a port city and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Tourism has recently started to develop, particularly as an access point for popular beach towns to the south, such as the fisherman’s cove of Guanaqueros, and Tongoy, with its famous 5km beach of white sand. Then there is La Serena, the capital of the region, with multiple attractions from architecture to beaches and shopping. Read more about Coquimbo, Chile

Iquique is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast. It is located on a rocky peninsula in the rainless Atacama Desert with its unbelievable landscape that has a lagoon in the middle of the driest desert in the world, and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. You can find beautiful topography in the Isluga Volcano National Park, with high mountains and attractions like native flora, geysers, lagoons and rivers. Read more about Iquique, Chile

Pio XI Glacier is located in Chile’s Bernardo O´Higgins National Park. The Seno Eyre Fjord in southern Chile is home to the Bruggen Glacier, also known as Pio XI Glacier, the largest western outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Now about 64 km in length, it is one of the longest glaciers in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica. Read more about Pio XI Glacier, Chile

Lima, although a sprawling desert city, is the capital and largest city of Peru. The Historic centre of Lima is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era. In particular, visit the Plaza Mayor with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace. Read more about Lima (Callao), Peru

Salaverry, known as "The City of Eternal Spring" because of its very sunny and pleasant year-round weather, is the port for Trujillo as well as the second largest city in Peru. It has numerous interesting archaeological sites of the Moche and Chimu civilizations, and has managed to retain much of its colonial flavour, as reflected in its historical city centre. Here are found not only the cathedral and city hall, but also numerous colonial mansions that have been preserved and are open to visitors. Read more about Salaverry (Trujillo), Peru

Guayaquil is located on the west bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil. Founded in the 1530s, it is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, as well as the nation's main port. It is described by many as having a ‘Caribbean soul’. Read more about Guayaquil, Ecuador

Fuerte Amador (Fort Amador, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is part of an artificial peninsula jutting out into the Pacific from Balboa, which connects four small islands to the mainland. On the west side of Fuerte Amador is the Pacific entrance to the Canal, and on the east side is Panama Bay facing Panama City. The surrounding ocean is always filled with vessels patiently awaiting their turn to transverse the Canal, while on the skyline a few kilometres to the north are the skyscrapers of Panama City. Read more about Fuerte Amador, Panama

Fuerte Amador (Fort Amador, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is part of an artificial peninsula jutting out into the Pacific from Balboa, which connects four small islands to the mainland. On the west side of Fuerte Amador is the Pacific entrance to the Canal, and on the east side is Panama Bay facing Panama City. The surrounding ocean is always filled with vessels patiently awaiting their turn to transverse the Canal, while on the skyline a few kilometres to the north are the skyscrapers of Panama City. Read more about Fuerte Amador, Panama

Fuerte Amador (Fort Amador, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is part of an artificial peninsula jutting out into the Pacific from Balboa, which connects four small islands to the mainland. On the west side of Fuerte Amador is the Pacific entrance to the Canal, and on the east side is Panama Bay facing Panama City. The surrounding ocean is always filled with vessels patiently awaiting their turn to transverse the Canal, while on the skyline a few kilometres to the north are the skyscrapers of Panama City. Read more about Fuerte Amador, Panama

Named one of the seven modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Panama Canal is a 77 km ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1903 to 1914, nearly 850,000 vessels have passed through the canal. Interestingly, the 8-10 hour journey from the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east is one from SE to NW. Read more about Panama Canal, Panama

Puerto Limon - aka Limon - is the capital of Limón Province in Costa Rica. It is the country's main Caribbean port, and most of its citizens are of African descent. Originally from Jamaica, these workers were brought to the area in the late 19th century to build the railroad line from San José to Limón. Read more about Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Roatan (aka Ruatan, Rattan) is the largest of the Bay Islands, which are a part of Honduras, lying just over 48 km from the northern coast of the Honduran mainland. It is known around the world for its scuba diving. The reef surrounding the island attracts beautiful tropical fish and snorkellers alike. Read more about Roatan, Honduras

Santo Tomas de Castilla lies at Amatique Bay off the Gulf of Honduras, making it one of Guatemala’s few coastal towns. The city makes a convenient base for exploring Guatemala's Caribbean coast, and as the country's entire eastern coastline only spans 118 km, plenty of beach destinations are within easy access of the port. Visitors wishing to relax, take the resort's shuttle from the cruise-ship terminal to use the beach at Amatique Bay Resort and Marina as a day visitor. Read more about Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala

Belize City, the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize, is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. For those who spend some time at this small but somehow sprawling metropolis - rather than leave immediately to visit the northern cays - the city will reveal a distinguished history, and several superb sights. These include the Cayo District's caves and the Maya archaeological sites along the Macal and Belize rivers. Read more about Belize City, Belize

Cozumel is a Caribbean island just off the Yucatan Peninsula in SE Mexico. It has grown steadily over the years since Jacques Cousteau first put the island on the map as a sea turtle sanctuary. While it has great beaches, friendly people and safe streets, with prices comparable to other Mexican tourist destinations, most visitors travel to Cozumel to see what is under the water. Read more about Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel is a Caribbean island just off the Yucatan Peninsula in SE Mexico. It has grown steadily over the years since Jacques Cousteau first put the island on the map as a sea turtle sanctuary. While it has great beaches, friendly people and safe streets, with prices comparable to other Mexican tourist destinations, most visitors travel to Cozumel to see what is under the water. Read more about Cozumel, Mexico

Fort Lauderdale is a city on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. in the state of Florida. As well as being a major yachting centre, it has a large and intricate canal system that results in its also being known as the ‘Venice of America’. Read more about Fort Lauderdale, USA