South America
Argentina offers a rich variety of outdoor activities and environments, from subtropical rainforests in the north to the subarctic tempatures of Tierra del Fuego in the south. Argentina has a long history of protecting national and state parks.
El Palmar National Park, in the northeast, was created to protect the habitat of the "palma", a type of palm tree threatened by overgrazing cattle. But beware! This park is inhabited by three different venomous snake species.
Laguna Blanca National Park was set aside to protect the black-necked swan. So, if you'd like to see a not so ugly ducking, this is a great stop.
Interested in the Fitzroya cupressoides? Try visiting Los Alerces National Park. A park for the protection of the "alerce," a HUGE conifer often called the sequoias of South America.
Los Glaciares National Park
Sub-Antarctic Continental park is known as the "third pole." It extends over 23,000 square miles and gives birth to several major glaciers along the Patagonian Andes. Board a boat to cross Argentina Lake in front of the towering ice walls of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few advancing glaciers in the world, and its main wall is over 200 feet tall and 3 miles wide. Hike a glacier! Tierra del Fuego National Park it's name is misleading - The Land of Fire - but no one can make the mistake of taking this pristine terrain for granted. Explore Patagonia and Valdes Peninsula, where you'll see guanacos, rheas, Patagonian foxes, armadillos and maras. Plus, witness at close view the only mainland colony of huge Sea Elephants. From July to early December, take a boat ride from Puerto Piramide to admire families of whales. Or from October to March, sail to Punta Tombo is the world's most important breeding colony of Magellanic penguins. Many have even ranked this spectacular site as an ideal eco-honeymoon spot, if you will.
See more at: Lost World Adventures - Argentina
If your vacation aim is to travel by foot, mountain bike, kayak or 4 wheel drive to regions where wild is still the name of the game, where you can wake to nature's rhythms, and tourists are a rare breed, then Bolivia is an option for you. Explore the untouched mountains and rivers of Bolivia with native Bolivians who are ready to impart their knowledge of the surroundings, their experiences, and their love for nature with you. For more information on getting there visit Explore Bolivia.
http://www2.csn.net/ats/adventure/s_america/explorebolivia.html
Perhaps the most well-known natural feature of Brazil is the Amazon Rainforest, home to thousands of species, many of which are remain unknown to researchers. The following are just a few of the highlights of touring this natural treasure: Viewing and photographing unique and endangered wildlife, flora and fauna; witnessing breathtaking waterfalls; relaxing in hot springs; and learning about indigenous cultures. Two particular tours may catch your fancy are:
The Igap Flooded Forest and The Rio Negro
This region is one of the least inhabited areas on earth. A trained tour guide will take you on foot or by boat into this rainforest to see an extraordinary number of rare birds and exotic animals, including Macaws, five species of Toucans, and seven species of primates. You may also visit the homes of forest dwellers and grasp a little of what life is like in the Amazon.
The Best of Brazil Tour
This expedition will take you to the dramatic Iguassa Falls, The Pantanal Wetlands, Chapada dos Guimares National Park, Caraa Natural Park, the Caratinga Biological Station and Serra do Cip National Park. By the end of the trip, visitors will have acquired an intimate knowledge of six different biomes and dozens of micro-ecosystems, plus having seen mammals, reptiles, birds, and flowers that are only present in these regions.
Sound good and you need more information? Visit Ecotravel Center at http://www.ecotour.org
Have you ever wanted to climb an active volcano and look down into molten lava just yards from your nose? Have you had the desire to walk the driest desert in the world and rise at dawn to watch geysers spout into the chilling morning air? Do you want to watch slabs of ice fall from glaciers and then sip 15-year-old whiskey with million-year-old ice? If you answered YES to any of the above then invest in a trip to Chile. Visit the Lake District and activate your soul with plenty of trekking, horseback riding, canoeing and other outdoor activities. Or go to Torres Del Paine, a land of glaciers, waterfalls and lagoons, and take a glacial cruise. Chile's Northern Deserts are a wondrous world of eerier silence, changing hues and pollution-free air. Finally, pay a visit to Easter Island. No bunny there? That's because Easter Island is the world's most remote island, with merely 2,000 inhabitants. The island is home to gigantic stone moai statues, which have etched the island's mysterious history.
For more information on getting there: ECO Travel - Chile OR Lost World Adventures - Chile
Galapagos: The Jungles of Darwin. Taking a tour to the Galapagos is like venturing back in time and stepping in Charles Darwin's footsteps. For centuries the islands have remained untouched, and their sea lions, tortoises, iguanas and other endemic animals never learned to fear people. Baby sea lions come in for a close look and a curious sniff; a downy blue-footed boobie chick pecks at your backpack. Swim along side schools of jacks and turtles. Take pictures of the Galapagos penguins hunting for dinner and marine iguanas that look like mini dinosaurs. Jacques Cousteau referred to the Galapagos as "the last wildlife sanctuary," find out why!
Follow this trail for more information: Ecuador's
Many Faces
Also visit Galapagos
and Tourism.