Norte Grande
Run by a local family, it has two floors of sparse but clean rooms, with hot showers. It gets bitterly cold, so bring a sleeping bag, and a flashlight,…
Must-see hotels in South America
San Andrés
Despite its unattractive exterior, the rooms here are decent, clean and well-equipped – and have Arctic-level air-con – in the center of town. There's a…
Bariloche & the Lake District
Sitting on the banks of Río Azul, 6km north of Lago Puelo, Camping La Pasarela is a fully equipped campground with shady tent spaces, a spartan hostel and…
The Amazon
Part art gallery, part guesthouse, the Lokau has five clean, comfortable rooms opening onto a pleasant garden. They can be a bit musty at first, but high…
Uyuni
This neat and tidy option right in the center of town has heated rooms and hot showers. It’s worth paying more for a room with bathroom as these have more…
Aguas Calientes
A multistory hotel with a set of attractive riverside rooms with modern decor. It's good value, but we wish they used more gentle cleaning products. There…
Espírito Santo
Up a steep hill a couple of blocks from the main square, this modern German-style pousada has spacious, clean rooms, the best of which offer pleasant…
South Coast
A simple budget hotel, within good walking distances of transport and eating options. The decor is dated, but rooms are clean with TVs and private…
Coastal Patagonia
One of the better bets in Puerto Pirámides, though it can be noisy. Shared spaces offer bay views through huge glass windows. AAA members get a 30%…
Ubatuba
This former boarding house in the heart of Centro's action offers just seven small and simple (but airily stylish) rooms that make for palpable value on…
North Coast
In a well-preserved colonial house, this hostal has a clutch of appelaing rooms with enormous bathrooms. Rooms out the back are more modern. It’s a block…
The Amazon
Rooms here are a bit hit or miss – they're all comfortable, but some are rather cavernous. The rooftop terrace with swimming pool is lovely, there's a gym…
Quebrada de Humahuaca
Hostal Pueblo Indio has cute rooms that offer a simple modern look with wood floors, tiled baths, beamed ceilings and queen beds. Rooms are a bit cramped…
Maceió
Just off the waterfront, this pretty guesthouse offers simple but (relatively) sophisticated rooms with flat-screen TVs and modern artwork. Ground-level…
Medellín
In a middle-class neighborhood close to the metro and plenty of cheap eating spots, Medellín's original backpacker hostel has simple but comfortable rooms…
Lima
This long-standing hotel features more than 100 rooms and a lovely grassy courtyard. Think standard amenities, with cable TV and perfunctory stabs at…
Bariloche & the Lake District
This is a spacious, tree-shaded campground on the eastern outskirts of town, with hot showers, fire pits and more. Avoid sites near the highway. There's a…
El Calafate
If you're wondering where all the hipsters are, check out this tiny, mellow design hostel. While dorms are cramped, private rooms are comfortable,…
Córdoba
Great location, a social vibe, a lovely terrace for hanging out over beers and BBQ, clean dorms and en suite doubles and triples make this hostel a great…
Sucre
Small and intimate, with a warm and welcoming vibe and two outdoor patio areas with hammocks for lazing about and swapping travel tales. Private rooms are…
Córdoba
A wonderful lobby sporting vaulted ceilings, a grand piano and fine art leads on to well-appointed rooms with a full range of amenities. Make sure you…
Middle Chile
Exit the concrete jungle of Chillán and find yourself in a non-sequitur Bavarian countryside villa. It's a quiet setting, though the rooms are dated and…
Amazon Basin
This welcoming place on the south side of the highway has a gorgeous garden with a pool, though the grounds are nicer than the small and tired rooms,…
Northern Patagonia
At the end of a dead-end street, these prim wooden cabins are a fair deal, though the double lacks a kitchen. Rooms in the guesthouse are adequate and the…
Cañón Del Colca
A simple, clean hospedaje (small, family-owned inn) with bathrooms, cable TV and laundry service. It’s a couple blocks from the plaza in the direction of…
Tierra Del Fuego (Chile)
This rambling hotel has spacious, impeccably kept rooms with views of the bay. Rooms have Berber carpets, TVs and central heating. There is a downstairs…
Chinchero
A welcoming family hostelry with large, neat rooms with pastel accents and a sunny courtyard. If no one answers the bell, call the cell phone or reserve…
The Gran Chaco
On the way to the park, and less than a kilometer from its entrance, this is a typical little Chaco ranch with a double and quadruple room with a kitchen…
La Guajira Peninsula
In a wonderful position right on the bay, Hospedaje Alexandra offers views of wild flamingos and thick mangrove forests below. It has basic but charming…
Minas Gerais
This campground sits on the Minas Gerais side of the park, 4.5km below Caparaó summit at the halfway point of the climb from Tronqueira. Advance…
French Guiana
Given Hôtel Star's public-high-school decor and fairly characterless rooms, it's not going to be anyone's first choice, but it's central and secure and is…
Isla del Sol
What this Hostelling International–affiliated place lacks in luxury, it makes up for in friendliness and service. The airy, communal area is a nice spot…
Central Highlands
A perfectly alright, clean, multi-story hotel let down by dopey service. Despite its name, it sits halfway between a hostal (budget guesthouse) and a…
Cafayate
A basic, bland budget spot. Some rooms come with air-con, and shared bathrooms are clean. There's a common kitchen, and a second-story lounge where you…
Coastal Patagonia
A welcoming brick hostel with two enormous dorms; the ‘Backpackers’ sign will catch your eye. Guests get discounts on area tours. Rates include kitchen…
Parque Esteros del Iberá
Look out for the animal murals to find this low-slung inn, with a spacious common area complete with pool table and compact but commodious rooms with…
Iguazú Falls & the Northeast
Offering good value just a couple of blocks from the plaza, this corner hotel has small but decent enough rooms with good beds. Rooms opening onto the…
Paraguay
A good budget option with a range of basic but nicely decorated rooms in a colonial house. A four-bed dorm has an en suite bathroom, but all the other…
Cuzco
Ambient and cheap, this old colonial features worn rooms with gold bedspreads, gelatinous mattresses and dark, carved furniture around a pleasant central…
Salvador
This modern, low-key hotel on Barra's waterfront is lacking in the charm department but offers comfortable rooms for a good price. Many have bay views, as…
