Unbelievable Hikes in 12 South American Countries

Where: Colombia

Length: 5 Days

Level of Difficulty: Challenging 

Why You Should Go: A trip to the northernmost wilds of Colombia is perfect if you are seeking an unexplored path that few have walked. G Adventures will take you on a hard hike from Santa Marta through the verdant Sierra Nevada Mountain rainforest to Ciudad Perdida, a historic city in Colombia founded by the indigenous Tayrona people. The mystique surrounding this long-lost city is heightened by the fact that it takes 1,200 steps to reach the top of Teyuna and that only around 10% of its ruins have been found. The Buritaca River is a great place to swim, and you can also sleep in a hammock outside while watching hummingbirds fly through the trees.

Where: Argentina 

Length: 6 days 

Level of Difficulty: Challenging 

Why You Should Go: Although Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni and Chile's San Pedro de Atacama are more famous desert valleys, Argentina's Jujuy Province in the high northwest Andes also contains a wild and untamed territory. From Tilarca to Salta, you may go on a trip with GeoEx and see the most spectacular Inca Trail in Argentina. The trail passes through rivers and jungles and passes through small mountain outposts and local settlements. Along the way, you'll come across areas where the elusive puma and jaguar roam freely. Passing through Pre-Hispanic fortresses, stone pyramids where locals lay offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth), and the Campo de los Alisos National Park—where the scenery dramatically changes to a lush jungle canopy with waterfalls flowing in abundance—the route begins in the Quebrada de Humahuaca and ends in Calilegua National Park, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Where: Ecuador 

Length: 6 Days

Level of Difficulty: Challenging 

Why You Should Go: The renowned road of volcanoes in Ecuador starts just outside the lively capital city of Quito. Although the avenue passes through many peaks in the area, the finest way to view them all is on a six-day trek with Tierra del Volcán, where you'll camp every night and stay in charming lodges at Hacienda El Porvenir and Hacienda El Tambo. Starting with a short walk in the private reserve of Hacienda Santa Rita, you will visit the Inca fortress of Pucará del Salitre. Here you can see famous peaks such as Quilindaña, Antisana, Cayambe, and Pasochoa. Afterwards, you will make the last climb to Refugio Jose Ribas, which is located just below the peak of the towering Volcán Cotopaxi.

Where: Peru 

Length: 13 Days 

Level of Difficulty: Challenging 

Why You Should Go: It is unusual to come upon a less-traveled route in a nation renowned for outstanding trekking. If you have your sights set on Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail or Salkentay routes are ideal, especially with an operator like with Mountain Lodges of Peru, where you can rest in the comfort of a luxurious lodge each evening of the hike. However, the Choquequirao trip with Wilderness Travel could be just what you're looking for if you're looking for a different way to reach the famous ruins. Choquequirao, perched high in the cloud woods over the Apurimac River, was formerly an Inca fortress and is now known as The Cradle of Gold. Its beauty is comparable to Machu Picchu's, but you can only reach it on foot, so you won't have to worry about meeting other tourists.

Where: Chile

Length: Day Hike

Level of Difficulty: Moderate 

Why You Should Go: The Sierra Baguales in Chile is a postcard-perfect, uncharted area where rheas, condors, and wild horses wander, close to Torres del Paine National Park and bordering Argentina. While staying at Awasi Patagonia in the Tercera Barranca Private Reserve, you can embark on a day hike through Sierra Baguales, where the sun-drenched mountains cast a constant glow. The hike passes five cattle gates, the last of which can be unlocked only by Awasi Patagonia. Here you may discover Patagonia peacefully, away from the crowds of other hikers, in an environment that is both genuinely wild and deliciously unexplored. Ascending the slopes of the range, you will pass by Ciutadella and Catedral summits, as well as petrified leaves, shark teeth, and tree trunks dating back more than 20 million years.

Where: Brazil

Length: 3 Days

Level of Difficulty: Moderate 

Why You Should Go: Situated in the State of Maranhão on Brazil's north Atlantic coast, this barefoot trek with Wildland Adventures requires no shoes and socks as you meander through a landscape dotted with freshwater lagoons that are thirty feet deep and sand dunes that are sixty-five feet high. The region is named Lençóis, which translates to "bedsheet" in Portuguese. Imagine yourself floating on air, since the typography of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is unlike any other place on Earth. The park is made up of enormous white dunes, and the valleys contain fresh water that has collected there as a result of a peculiar rain pattern. Starting at São Luis do Maranhão, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, savor the serenity of nature on this isolated retreat. Mid-day swims in turquoise lakes, silvery moonlight on the beach, and unparalleled sunrises and sunsets, untouched by artificial light, are all part of the experience.

Where: Guyana

Length: 14 Days

Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate 

Why You Should Go: You may see the famed toucan, as well as pumas, capybaras, red howler monkeys, and a variety of birds, in Guyana's virgin jungle, which offers stunning natural beauty and a rich cultural past. Join World Expeditions on a journey to Kaieteur Falls and discover a South American landscape like no other. Traverse the Burro-Burro River, encounter the untamed ecosystems of the Iwokrama Rain Forest, and reach the summit of one of the world's highest single-drop waterfalls, Kaieteur Falls. While paddling through untamed jungles and fording mountain streams, you'll spend some nights in a hammock and stay in a variety of lodges, guesthouses, and campgrounds.

Where: Peru

Length: 6 Days

Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging 

Why You Should Go: The Ausangate Trek, the most beautiful Andean trail about three hours from Cusco, is seldom visited by tourists because most come to Cusco to see Machu Picchu. Ausangate, one of the most sacred mountains in the Cusco region, is located close to mountain villages with little contact with the outside world. Five mountain crossings, with elevations between 15,000 and 17,000 feet, will be traversed on a trip with FlashpackerConnect: Two natural hot springs, ideal for soothing both altitude sickness and aching muscles, will be reached at the end of the journey, after the scenery has transformed from snow-capped peaks to neon deserts and swampy pampas. However, the real reward awaits you at the end of this voyage. The jewel of this revered Peruvian hike, Rainbow Mountain (or Vinicunca as the locals call it), will astound you with its painted hills.

Where: Chile

Length: 4 days

Level of Difficulty: Challenging 

Why You Should Go: In this daring four-day trail journey with Adventure Life, you will see breathtaking views across the Beagle Channel to Tiera del Fuego and south from Nassau Bay to the Wollaston Islands and Cape Horn. The Dientes Circuit, which is the southernmost trek in the world, is mostly unmarked with cairns as trail markers and is located on Chile's Isla Navarino. End your hike at one of the three picturesque lagoons—Salto, Martillo, or Los Guanacos—after passing the ragged peaks of the Dientes de Navarino. The last leg of the ascent takes you to Ventarron Pass, where you'll get a bird's-eye view of Mount Codrington. The ascent ends with a journey over Virginia Pass to Montes Lindemayer, where you may relax at Lakutaia Lodge, the world's first sub-Antarctic lodge.

Where: Venezuela

Length: 8 Days

Level of Difficulty: Moderate 

Why You Should Go: One of the most challenging hikes in South America, reaching the peak of Mount Roraima in Venezuela takes a whole week. Hiking the level Venezuelan savannah toward the Kukenan River is the first leg of a Wild Frontiers adventure. After you reach the base of the Kukenan River, you'll see the sheer rock wall that marks the ascent to Mount Roraima, the highest tabletop mountain in the Gran Sabana and a natural boundary between Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. Perched at a little under 10,000 feet above sea level, this majestic summit offers breathtaking views of the lush rainforest, secret valleys, peaceful lagoons, and gushing streams of Venezuela.

Where: Venezuela

Length: 8 Days

Level of Difficulty: Moderate 

Why You Should Go: One of the most challenging hikes in South America, reaching the peak of Mount Roraima in Venezuela takes a whole week. Hiking the level Venezuelan savannah toward the Kukenan River is the first leg of a Wild Frontiers adventure. After you reach the base of the Kukenan River, you'll see the sheer rock wall that marks the ascent to Mount Roraima, the highest tabletop mountain in the Gran Sabana and a natural boundary between Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. Perched at a little under 10,000 feet above sea level, this majestic summit offers breathtaking views of the lush rainforest, secret valleys, peaceful lagoons, and gushing streams of Venezuela.

Where: Argentina

Length: Day Hike

Level of Difficulty: Moderate 

Why You Should Go: Hiking Laguna de Los Tres, a path in Los Glaciares National Park that offers a breathtaking view of the famed Mount Fitz Roy, is an essential part of any Patagonia vacation in Argentina.Visit the picturesque mountain village of El Chaltén when traveling with Say Hueque: This hike, which starts with a difficult ascent and continues past the Poincenot base camp, is a must-do for every traveler to El Calafate, even though the Perito Moreno Glacier is sure to be the main attraction for most visitors. Mount Fitz Roy, framed by a turquoise pool and the brushed grey of granite summits, can be seen unimpeded after a final climb across rock scree, weather permitting.