While the northern hemisphere prepares for the shorter days and colder
nights of fall, people south of the equator are venturing outdoors to
soak up the sun. Boasting in most of South America, spring is about to
arrive in the Southern Hemisphere — and now is the perfect time to
visit.
Travel south now and you’ll beat the heat — and crowds — of these
destinations’ summer months. You’ll also find that most places offer
extraordinary travel deals this time of year. Instead of raking leaves
and adding layers, come check out the best cities to visit in South
America this fall.
What better place to start this list than with the city in the middle
of the world? Quito was the first city in the world registered as
UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1978. A city located in the
heart of the Andes, blessed by a spring climate all year round,
surrounded by fabulous landscapes and mountains, surrounded by
stunning nature.
History is seen everywhere, and its development has occurred around
historical monuments that have been kept intact since its
construction. Quito not only has many churches, but all its churches
keep incalculable treasures of culture and history from the colonial
era of the best-preserved place in the world. The fact that the city
was an especially prominent place of the Inca empire, made the
Spaniards undertake with particular care the construction and design
of a fabulous religious architecture and iconography.
Not to be outdone, Buenos Aires boasts its own jacaranda blossoms.
Check them out along Avenida Figueroa Alcorta on your way to stretch
your legs with locals in the Bosques de Palermo.
Grateful for the warmer temperatures, Porteños move their
mate-drinking outdoors to the balconies and patios. Tables and chairs
migrate from inside the bars and cafes toward the middle of the
streets as friends and family gather to enjoy the drier spring
weather. The start of spring in late September coincides with
Student’s Day. See if you can join the students for an asado
(Argentine barbecue) followed by dulce de leche for dessert.
Buenos Aires provides easy access by plane down to the epic mountains
and lakes of Patagonia daily. You’ll find a quieter, less expensive
Patagonia coming to life in spring, which is the best time to avoid
the crowds and high winds of summer. If you go, make sure to visit
Punta Tombo on the coast to catch the largest colony of Magellanic
penguins in South America as they waddle ashore in late September.
Much like in Buenos Aires to the east, the people of Santiago embrace
a dry spring after staring out at skeletons of trees in the rainy
winter months. Spring is the best time to sit outside and enjoy the
lush greenery and wisteria blooming while you taste famous Chilean
wines in the central valley — or sip on Pisco Sours, made from the
national liquor, which is produced just north of Santiago in the Valle
de Elqui.
Snowcapped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range surround Santiago, making
a beautiful backdrop for photos of the city. It’s especially lovely in
spring, when snow still covers the mountaintops, but the inversion
phenomenon that can cause winter smog loses its grip — making for much
clearer skies. Hiking trails just north of the city abound (although
the trails aren’t always well marked), and fewer than two hours away
by car, you can reach the coastal town of Viña del Mar.
While you’ll find many opportunities for hiking further south, the
city of Santiago provides easier access to the Atacama Desert up north
— the driest in the world. Multiple flights a day get you up to Calama
where buses run to San Pedro de Atacama. Weather in the desert stays
dry and mild year-round, but nights still get chilly in spring. Throw
on your jacket and sprawl out on the plateau to see a sky untainted by
the presence of clouds or light pollution — a photographer’s dream.
Paulistanos shed their light jackets and raincoats as they say goodbye
to winter and welcome spring. From art-house theaters and underground
bars to upscale restaurants and film festivals, this innovative hub of
South American culture has something for everyone. The streets of
Sampa, as locals know, swell with crowds as events run full swing
during the drier, warmer months of late September through November.
This includes the thrilling Formula 1 Grand Prix at Interlagos
racetrack — considered by many to be the most challenging track in the
F1 circuit.
Of particular interest this year is the 33rd edition of the Bienal de
São Paulo, the second-oldest art biennial in the world after the
Venice Biennale. In an unprecedented move, curator Gabriel
Pérez-Barreiro has allowed the group of artist-curators to establish
the look and feel of the show set up inside the Oscar
Niemeyer-designed Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion. You’ll find the
building in Ibirapuera Park, South America’s most visited park and a
wonderful place for a spring stroll.
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