Claire's Blog: Latin America - Holiday Styles to Inspire Your Next Adventure
Latin America is one of those parts of the world that people often dream about visiting, but they're not always sure where to start.
The good news? There isn't a wrong answer.
Over the years, I've helped clients discover everything from the ancient wonders of Peru and the vibrant culture of Mexico to the wildlife of Costa Rica, the coffee regions of Colombia and the incredible landscapes of Patagonia.
The trick isn't choosing the "best" destination, it's choosing the right one for you.
Love history? Fancy wildlife? Dreaming of beaches, food, wine or adventure? There's a corner of Latin America that's perfect for it. If it's been sitting on your bucket list, hopefully this gives you a few ideas on where to begin.
After a short video I posted earlier this year with a few tips for first-time visitors to Latin America, I decided a more comprehensive guide to this incredible region was needed, one that could really do justice to just how much variety it holds.
I work closely with Latin Routes, a specialist Latin America operator, to put these trips together, and the relationships I've built with partners like them go far beyond a brochure or a booking system, they're friends, colleagues and trusted partners.
Everything that's grown between us and Latin Routes since our team Mini-Academy at Portishead Marina with Gaynor and Julia (quizzes, cake and Kelly-Ann coming away with Agent of the Month for her sales success), and their Agents Awards lunch at the OXO Tower in November, has built into a genuinely great working relationship.
That's exactly what our podcast, At Home with Luxury Dream Holidays, is all about, honest, warm conversations with some of the most respected names in luxury travel, filmed in my home, with no scripts, and no sales pitches.
I recently sat down with Julia from Latin Routes for one of these episodes. She's honest that Latin America wasn't always somewhere she thought would be "for her", until Costa Rica changed everything, turtle nesting beaches, jungle sounds, volcanoes and that feeling of being properly immersed in nature. From there we get into Peru's culture and food, Patagonia's big landscapes, Colombia's colour and character, and the Galápagos for one of the most special wildlife experiences on earth.
Wildlife Encounters
As an avid wildlife enthusiast myself, I know first-hand how a really good wildlife encounter can stay with you long after a holiday ends. Latin America takes that feeling to another level entirely, delivering some of the most rewarding wildlife experiences on the planet, and nowhere else comes close for sheer variety.
The Galápagos Islands remain one of the true bucket list wonders of the world, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, all remarkably unafraid of humans. Whether you explore by cruise or land-based stays, every day brings close encounters found nowhere else on earth.
For those drawn to big cats, Brazil's Pantanal is your best chance of spotting a jaguar in the wild, while the Amazon offers something different, that deep rainforest immersion guided by experts into one of Earth's most important wildernesses.
Costa Rica packs extraordinary biodiversity into a compact, accessible package, sloths, monkeys and spectacular birdlife in carefully protected reserves. It's a destination that’s long been on my personal bucket list which will be realised shortly and I am beyond excited – watch this space!
For Food Lovers
From the Andes to the Amazon, Latin America's cuisine is shaped by landscape, culture and centuries of tradition. Every meal tells a story.
Peru leads the way, Lima's dining scene of fresh ceviche, perfectly balanced pisco sours and lomo saltado has earned the city repeated recognition as Latin America's top gastronomic destination.
Argentina means asado, that slow-cooked barbecue tradition paired with bold Malbec wines from Mendoza's high-altitude vineyards, and it's easy to spend a day at a working ranch watching the gauchos with their horses, a wonderful contrast within one trip.
Adventure and Self-Drive
There's real freedom in exploring Latin America by road, shaping each day around your curiosity, taking scenic detours, lingering wherever something catches your eye.
Costa Rica offers one of the region's most rewarding self-drive experiences, rainforests to coastlines, national parks to beach towns, all connected by navigable roads. Chile is home to one of the world's great road adventures too, the Carretera Austral, stretching 1,240km through forests, lakes, fjords and glaciers in some of the planet's most remote scenery. For active adventurers, the options are exceptional: trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, hike Torres del Paine's celebrated W Trek, or take on white-water rafting on the Futaleufú River.
Culture and Discovery
Peru remains extraordinary, the Sacred Valley, the floating Uros islands on Lake Titicaca, the sense that you're somewhere truly ancient and completely alive.
Colombia has evolved beautifully too, Cartagena's walled old town, Bogotá's museums and street art, Medellín's transformation from troubled past to vibrant cultural hub. And for something truly ancient, Guatemala's Tikal sees Mayan temples rise above the jungle canopy, howler monkeys echoing through the trees, the sense of stepping into a lost world genuinely intact.
Honeymooners and Families
For honeymooners, Latin America creates journeys that feel genuinely personal, Argentina's wine regions and Buenos Aires' tango scene, Peru's Sacred Valley for active couples wanting adventure alongside romance, or Belize for total seclusion, intimate jungle lodges and private sunset catamaran dinners.
For families, Costa Rica is safe, seamless and endlessly engaging, while Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula offers cenote swimming, jungle exploration and gentle snorkelling for a slightly different pace.
Multi-Centre Journeys
Latin America rewards a well-planned multi-centre trip. Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro in one journey is a wonderful combination, the cities couldn't be more different, and Iguazu genuinely needs to be seen from both sides, the Argentinian boardwalks above and over the falls, the Brazilian side looking across from below, with the option of a boat ride under the cascades.
Chile and Argentina work beautifully together too, Patagonia's dramatic landscapes span both countries, so a well-planned route lets you take in glaciers, mountains and vast open spaces from each side of the border. Or for something completely different, pair a few days in Peru with an Amazon river cruise, swapping ancient Andean culture for the sounds and stillness of the rainforest.
Expedition Cruising
For those who want to cover ground while never feeling rushed, expedition cruising opens up Latin America in a completely different way. A Galápagos cruise remains one of the most rewarding ways to experience the archipelago, and for the truly adventurous, Antarctica is accessible from South America's southern tip, with purpose-built expedition vessels, Zodiac outings and close encounters with penguins and dramatic ice formations in the world's last great wilderness.
Following My Own Latin America Journey
This is a part of the world I'm genuinely excited to experience for myself. Everything that's grown between us and Latin Routes has built into a genuinely great working relationship that has now seen us offered a place on their forthcoming Costa Rica Training Academy. So shortly I'll be there in person, spending time training, meeting ground suppliers and seeing some of the customer experiences firsthand, as part of our first ever On Location with LDH.
I can't wait to bring some of what I learn back and share it with you.
If Latin America is calling you, I'd love to help you plan it, get in touch and let's find the right adventure for you.
Claire x