BRAZIL THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS GUYANA VENEZUELA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ECUADOR COLOMBIA PERU CHILE FALKLAND ISLANDS BOLIVIA ARGENTINA PACIFIC OCEAN ATLANTIC OCEAN CARIBBEAN SEA Iquitos Cuenca Guayaquil Otavalo Merida Orinoco Delta Angel Falls Ciudad Bolivar Gran Sabana Caracas Morrocoy Henri Pittier Quito Coca Lima Paracas Nature Reserve Cusco Puerto Maldonado Manú Nazca Puno Arequipa San Pedro de Atacama Puerto Ayora Cotopaxi Mt. Roraima Lago Titicaca Lauca Manaus Belem Salvador Recife Fernando de Noronha Salta Buenos Aires Ibera Marshlands Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Campo Grande PANTANA L LLANOS A M A Z O N B A S I N Iguazu Falls Santiago Valparaiso Puerto Montt Chiloé Ushuaia Puerto Natales Punta Arenas El Calafate Trelew Bariloche Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine Los Glaciares National Park Machalilla National Park Alerce National Park Chapada Diamantina National Park Valdes Peninsula South America 140 F O R R E S E R V A T I O N S C A L L U S O N 0845 130 6982 EASTER ISLAND

This enormous region offers visitors a huge choice of environments, many of which cross the artificial geographical borders man has created. You may visit the heart of the Amazonian rainforests in Ecuador, Peru or Brazil where ecological lodges lead visitors on walks and boat rides to learn more about the rainforest and the creatures that live there. As well as over 900 species of bird and 1,200 species of butterfly, you may see Black Caiman, Giant Otters, Jaguar and perhaps Emperor Tamarins. The Andes stretch the length of the continent and are considered to be amongst the most dramatic mountains in the world - famous for the remains of ancient Inca kingdoms such as Machu Picchu, great alpine lakes like Titicaca and the enormous icefields of Torres del Paine or El Calafate in the south. Amongst the many creatures that live here are Andean Condor, Mountain Fox, Llama and Alpaca. Great waterfalls occur throughout the region of which the most famous is the mighty Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Covering a total area of three kilometres the beautiful surrounding park is home to over 2,000 species of plants, 400 birds and many mammals. The great grass plains of Argentina, known as the pampas, are bordered by the Ibera marshlands, where Black Caiman, Boa Constrictors and Capybara can be searched for by canoe, on horseback and of course by boat; and in Brazil the vast open floodplain of the Pantanal is a refuge for animals such as Black Howler Monkey, Giant Anteater, Jaguar, Marsh Deer and many species of native and migratory birds. For many, a visit to Ecuador in combination with the Galapagos made so famous by Darwin many years ago is the ideal starting point for a South America trip. Highlights February • Orcas start arriving off the Valdes Peninsula and can be seen until the end of April. They are famous for deliberately beaching themselves in order to catch seal pups resting on the beach. March • Clear skies make this an excellent month to go trekking in Southern Patagonia. Mount Fitzroy in Argentina and Torres del Paine in Chile are usually excellent destinations this time of year. May • In Guyana the main wet season from now until August is considered the best time for Jaguar sightings, (although there are sightings year round). June • The start of the dry season in the Pantanal make this a good time to see mammals such as Black Howler Monkeys, Anteaters and Crab-eating Fox. July • Southern Right Whales start arriving off the Valdes Peninsula in order to mate and calve. They remain until December. November • The end of the wet season in Venezuela, but one of the best months to see the Angel Falls at it grandest. Climate South America covers a vast area - spanning the tropics and equatorial rainforests in the north - to the far south, which is strongly affected by the winds and weather systems of the Antarctic region. Many of the countries straddling the tropics will have their temperatures moderated by high altitude, and the sheer length of Chile and Argentina means that you will encounter a broad range of weather conditions depending on when and where you decide to visit. Our pre-trip documents will outline more detailed weather conditions for the regions you choose to visit. The Galapagos Islands off shore can be visited year round although it is generally warmer between December and April with slightly cooler weather and waters from May to November. July to October tend to have more prevailing winds. S E E U S O N T H E W E B AT wildlifeworldwide.com 141 South America / Introduction Guanacos