Budget Travel in South America

South America has a lot to offer budget travelers, but it takes some planning and prioritizing to keep from breaking the bank. Just as Mexico’s costs are far lower than in the neighboring U.S. and Hungary’s are far lower than those in Austria, regional differences in South America can be dramatic. Urban Brazil, Chile, the Galapagos, and celebrity-filled beach areas of Uruguay can be surprisingly expensive. On the other hand, stretches of Peru, Bolivia, and mainland Ecuador are some of the least expensive places on the planet for backpackers.

Long-term travelers find enough variety in South America to keep them occupied for months or years, both in the population and the geography. There are the Andean people descended from the Incas, the Spanish and Portuguese descendents of the conquerors, Brazilians whose ancestors came from Africa, and those who have made their life in the jungles along the Amazon. Throw in immigrants from around the world who have been coming for centuries and it’s an interesting mix.

From the sea plains and steamy jungles the elevation proceeds all the way up the scale to Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia at 6,962 meters (22,841 feet). In between there are vineyards, Inca ruins in the mountains, Spanish colonial towns, pulsing cities, deserts, beaches, and otherworldly Patagonia.

Read more at Transitions Abroad