8 Nights South America

Rio is a city of stunning architecture, good museums, and marvelous food. Take a cable car up Corcovado/ Sugerloaf Mountain (1300 ft. above sea level) for a specatular view of Guanabara Bay and the city. Stop on the way to the summit at Morro da Urca to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer, symbol of the city and of its people. Visit Parque Nacional da Tijuca, home to 2,600 species of plant life, particularly bromeliads and orchids and a wealth of wildlife, including Toucans, Tanagers, Marmoset monkeys and brilliantly-colored butterflies.

Named for a local swamp fish, Paraty sits on Brazils southeastern coast, 125 miles south of Rio, with the Bocaino Mountains at its back. The small colonial towns center is a national historic monument with well-preserved buildings on its pedestrian-only streets. Take a boat trip out into the bay to the flotillas of islands and coves nearby. Explore sugarcane plantations and hike or take a train through Atlantica Forest. Keep an eye out for the monkeys that roam the cobblestone streets

Ilhabela is an archipelago off the southeast coast of Brazil. The main island, Ilha de São Sebastião, is known for beaches like Castelhanos, Curral and Jabaquara. On the islands west coast, Ilhabela city is home to the white-and-blue Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda church. In vast, forested Ilhabela State Park, trails lead to Gato and Água Branca waterfalls. Offshore dive sites include the Aymoré and Velasquez shipwrecks

Although its also the location of the Latin Americas largest seaport, Santos isnt just a boring port town. The city of 420,000, just 75 kilometers from São Paulo, features a seven-kilometer stretch of beach divided into just as many social cliques as youd find on Ipanema. A verdant promenade separates the beach from the seafront condos and hotels, along which families and friends walk, amble, bike, skate, rollerblade, throw frisbees, you name it. Less sandy points of interest include the Museu do Café Brasileiro (Brazilian Coffee Museum), the Aquário Municipal (City Aquarium), the Orquidário Municipal (City Orchid Garden) and the Neo-Gothic Santos Cathedral.

Montevideo, a port city and the capital of Uruguay, is a perfect destination for travelers looking for a relaxing stroll past colonial era buildings and along beautiful beaches. The Ciudadela Gateway, the only remaining section of the wall that once surrounded the entire city, now serves as the entrance to Ciudad Vieja, Montevideos oldest neighborhood. Home to churches, museums, and theaters, at night the area comes alive with nightclubs playing Tango and Candombe music for crowds of dancers

Catch the opera at the acoustically magnificent Teatro Colón. Weekends in nearby Placa Francia are home to local artists' markets. Across town in colorful Boca (the birthplace of tango), head to the Caminito for Argentine art and crafts. No vacation in Buenos Aires would be complete without an evening at Señor Tango - an evening tango show complete with an Argentine steak dinner and tango performances. Spend the day shopping on the pedestrian street, Calle Florida, or enjoying the architecture as you walk along Avenida del Libertador to reach the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.

Catch the opera at the acoustically magnificent Teatro Colón. Weekends in nearby Placa Francia are home to local artists' markets. Across town in colorful Boca (the birthplace of tango), head to the Caminito for Argentine art and crafts. No vacation in Buenos Aires would be complete without an evening at Señor Tango - an evening tango show complete with an Argentine steak dinner and tango performances. Spend the day shopping on the pedestrian street, Calle Florida, or enjoying the architecture as you walk along Avenida del Libertador to reach the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.