Explore art and culture stories from South America

Go with a plan. Come back with a story. Discover iconic recommendations, insights and experiences curated by Lonely Planet contributors.

Continent:

Europe Asia North America South America Australia & Pacific Africa Middle East Caribbean Central America Antarctica

Category:

Adventure Art & Culture Beaches Budget Couples Events Family Food & Drink Outdoors Road Trips Sustainable Travel Travel Advice

Results (56)

Choquequirao is an Incan site in south Peru, similar in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu. The ruins are buildings and terraces at levels above and below Sunch'u Pata, the truncated hill top
691851439

Jan 5, 20269 min read

8 dream trips in South America for 2026

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD â€“ March 5: Masqueraders enjoy themselves in the Harts Carnival presentation-Legendary-, March 5, 2019 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. License Type: media Download Time: 2021-06-01T18:53:39.000Z User: Is Editorial: Yes purchase_order:

Dec 19, 20256 min read

8 of the best Carnivals in Latin America and the Caribbean

Galapagos sea lion off the shore of Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-11-11T17:53:10.000Z, User: katelyn.perry_lonelyplanet, Editorial: false, purchase_order: 65050 - Digital Destinations and Articles, job: wip, client: wip, other: Katelyn Perry

Dec 18, 202514 min read

The 15 best things to do in South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - OCTOBER 19, 2020: Beautiful view to Sugar Loaf Mountain and beach people with umbrellas, License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-02-28T21:36:25.000Z, User: rhylton_redventures, Editorial: true, purchase_order: 56530 - Guidebooks, job: Lonely Planet WIP, client: Lonely Planet WIP, other: Rhianydd Hylton

Sep 22, 20257 min read

10 best places to visit in South America during shoulder season

Recoleta Cemetery, the most important and famous cemetery in buenos aires, Argentina - mar 2th 2024. High quality photo, License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-08-22T16:23:15.000Z, User: adouglaslott59, Editorial: true, purchase_order: 65050 - Digital Destinations and Articles, job: Online editorial, client: Spooky family destinations, other: Ann Douglas Lott

Sep 18, 20256 min read

7 spooky family-friendly experiences around the world

Wild Jaguar walking through thick vegetation in Pantanal, Brazil
522075875
Animal Wildlife; Animals In The Wild; Big Cat; Brazil; Bush; Photography; Plant; Wetland; Feline; Forest; Green; Green Color; Outdoors; Pantanal Wetlands; Horizontal; Jaguar; Undomesticated Cat; Walking;

Dec 2, 202410 min read

Best places to visit in South America

Annual gay pride march held in the streets of the city of Buenos Aires in November 2017. Young couple of two lesbian women hugged wanting to kiss each other in the middle of the crowd.

May 23, 20226 min read

South America's 4 most LGBTIQ+friendly cities for Pride celebrations

One of Amsterdam's central canals in the summer months. Boats full of people move through the water while the surrounding streets are thronged with people and bicycles.

Nov 4, 20206 min read

The 10 best cities for expats

039-amer-fort-@chrsschlkx.jpg

Sep 17, 20202 min read

New book charts Wes Anderson’s aesthetic around the world

Marimba is the popular dance of the town

Jul 17, 20205 min read

How Afro-Ecuadorians shaped the country’s culture – and are changing its future

Feb 7, 20207 min read

Where and how to watch sport like a local

Bolivia Carnival.jpg

Feb 6, 20205 min read

Latin America's most unique Carnival traditions

A gaucho (skilled horseman) rounds up some of the thousands of sheep.

Jan 13, 20205 min read

Trips for travellers who want to learn something new

San Miguel de Allende.jpg

Nov 15, 20195 min read

7 vibrant hubs for Latin American art

A shirtless man scales to the top of a fence topped with barbed wire at a soccer stadium in a sea of fans wearing blue and yellow in support of Boca Juniors

Nov 1, 20194 min read

5 bucket list sporting events to see live in Latin America

Snowcapped Mount Huayna Potosi rises above the growing indigenous Aymaran city of El Alto, Bolivia. El Alto is one of the highest major cities in the world, up to 13,615 above sea level, and sits just above La Paz on the Altiplano highlands. Most of the population consists of indigenous Aymarans who have migrated from the countryside.
159142348
Traditional Culture, Aymaran, Mountain, Architecture, El Alto

Aug 16, 20195 min read

How to awaken your 5 senses in La Paz

Tango dancers in the La Boca area of Buenos Aires; the man is dressed in black trousers, shirt and hat with a black and white spotted tie; the lady wears a blue dress which matches the blue wall behind them.

Jul 4, 20195 min read

Discover the fine arts of Buenos Aires

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, 1882-1912, neo-byzantine style, Bulgarian Orthodox, Sofia, Bulgaria. License Type: media Download Time: 2021-11-29T17:15:05.000Z User: Is Editorial: No purchase_order:

Jun 14, 20195 min read

Where to go in August for culture

Three brightly clothed individuals celebrate Pride in Sao Paulo

Jun 11, 20194 min read

South America's best Pride parades

Features - BestBeachBahia_GerhardF.Schweiger-1863d1c78372

Jun 10, 20194 min read

The best beach towns of southern Bahia

Features - Peru, Cuzco Province, Cuzco, Inti Raymi, Festival of the Sun

May 22, 20193 min read

Inti Raymi: South America's Inca solstice celebration

Features - Street sell of handcrafted traditional bags at the walled city of Cartagena de Indias

May 21, 20195 min read

The Wayúu: Colombia’s most famous weavers

Features - VinhoNaVila2019-Foto-Selmy-Yassuda-_-015-2915c1cf97ba

May 10, 20192 min read

Best things to do in Rio in May

Features - Hans Christian Andersen in Kings Garden, Copenhagen

Apr 17, 20197 min read

Getting better acquainted: exploring cities through famous former residents

Features - Vines in winery of Ica, Peru

Apr 15, 20196 min read

The art of pisco: what makes Peru's signature spirit?

A white car drives on the Panamerican Highway through the Atacama desert away from a brown, sandy-looking mountain range

Mar 1, 20195 min read

Tips for solo travel in South America

Features - shutterstock_1124349560-8ae71477e7f8

Feb 27, 20198 min read

Novel adventures: how to recreate six great literary journeys

Features - Crowds with busy traffic, yellow cabs, Times Square and Broadway, Theatre District, Manhattan, New York City, United States of America, North America

Feb 22, 20195 min read

Famous cities you thought were capitals... but aren't

Features - BOLIVIA-INDIGENOUS-ARCHITECTURE-CHOLETS

Feb 12, 20195 min read

How to get off the beaten path in Bolivia

Features - Year_of_the_pig-6a917cc5c290

Jan 29, 20198 min read

Where to travel based on your Chinese zodiac sign

Features - MuseodelaCiudad_BuenosAires_1-62e902bb4cbf

Jan 28, 20194 min read

Alternative museums to visit in Buenos Aires

Features - Shake1_Rio-5edd2ced9696

Jan 28, 20194 min read

The best hidden bars in historic Rio de Janeiro

A long exposure of cars driving past palm trees, all silhouetted against a pink sunset sky

Jan 22, 20196 min read

A roadtripper's guide to the best of Uruguay

Features - GroupPorters_Peru_MachuPicchu-663d20380f35

Oct 30, 20185 min read

The long road to Machu Picchu for Inca Trail porters

Features - Kissing Festival in Bali

Sep 6, 20187 min read

Best places for a second go at life’s firsts

Features - Purmamarca

Aug 27, 20185 min read

Argentina as muse: works of art inspired by Argentine landscapes

Features - Peru, Amazonas Region, Chachapoyas, ruins of fortress Kuelap

Aug 21, 20185 min read

Northern exposure: traveling Peru's magnificent North

Features - VARIOUS

Aug 15, 20187 min read

Brazil's quilombos: the heart of Afro-Brazilian history

Features - mayan woman weaving on loom

Aug 6, 20185 min read

Travel with purpose: how to make a difference with social enterprises

Features - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Aug 3, 20185 min read

After dark in Rio: the top nightlife spots of the Cidade Maravilhosa

Features - Rio-top10-Copacabana_edit-f0b78278a874

Aug 3, 20184 min read

Rio de Janeiro's top 10 sights

Rocky spires known as the Gates of Hercules in Serra dos Orgaos National Park.

Jun 25, 20186 min read

Petrópolis and Teresópolis: Rio's mountain getaways

Features - shutterstock_188028890-b6139551fca2

Jun 14, 20187 min read

Testing your (city) limits: urban adventures in mighty metropolises

The Makaha beach is a popular surfing spot in the Miraflores district along the Costa Verde in Lima by the Pacific ocean in Peru capital city.
1392435173
makaha beach, fancy, miraflores, seafront

May 9, 20185 min read

How to live like a local in Lima

Closeup of woman's hands as she weaves blanket in Peru.

Apr 24, 20185 min read

Artisanal Arequipa: Peru’s capital for modern makers

Features - Brazil, State of Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, Colorful harbor and Santa Rita Church

Apr 18, 20185 min read

Find your chill in peaceful Paraty

The temazcal was used by the ancient Maya to cleanse their minds and bodies by sweating out the impurities. Yaan Wellenss

Feb 27, 20184 min read

Top wellness spots in Latin America

Features - Ardberg_scotland-7ed057815632

Feb 16, 20187 min read

Getting into the spirit: where to sample the world’s top tipples

Features - Venice_Canareggio-a4a789ef50f1

Dec 19, 20176 min read

More than skin deep: where to seek the soul of the city

Peruvian food ingredients
844699300
aji panca; Appetizer; camote; Chicken; Chicken Meat; Chili Sauce; Christmas; Horizontal; Peanut - Food; Peru; peruvian food; Photography; Vegetable; Ayacucho Region; Fine Dining; Fish; Food; Food and Drink; Freshness; Fried; Gourmet; Grilled; Guinea Pig; No People; Table; Color Image; Corn; Crockery; CUY; Ingredient; Lunch; Plate; Restaurant; Roasted; Roasted Apple; Salad; Decoration; Dinner; Dish; Meal; Meat; Savory Food; Seafood;

Nov 8, 20177 min read

Peru for foodies: a journey through the country's culinary hotspots

Features - Cities_for_architecture_lovers_HP-1-46dd08f210e0

Oct 9, 20176 min read

Dazzling designs: top 10 cities for architecture lovers

Features - Hong_kong_junk_boat-263a155d226e

Sep 28, 20178 min read

Culture trip: discover 10 of the world’s top cultural enclaves

Features - Plaza San Francisco and church of San Francisco at left.

Aug 17, 201715 min read

History unfolds in the Andes: escape to Ecuador

Features - Berlin-299ef55f58e6

Apr 25, 20176 min read

Eight amazing cities for street art

Features - Machu-Picchu-931c451a7eff

Mar 31, 20174 min read

Where to go in May for culture

Features - HundredAcreWood

Jan 5, 20106 min read

10 places that don’t exist (but should)

Explore More

Explore

Attractions

Explore

Destinations

Shop

Books