The Central and South America Region extends from the northern tropical rain-forests of Guatemala and the Belize Barrier Reef, the second longest in the world, to the empty, cold and windswept islands of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn of the south. It is an exciting, colourful and vibrant land, home to busy and bustling cities, friendly Indian villages and ancient civilisations, a huge number of amazing attractions and awesome scenic wonders. Iconic images of this region include the mountain-top wonder of the ruined ‘Lost City of the Inca’s’, Machu Picchu, the hilltop statue of ‘Christ the Redeemer’ that overlooks the beautiful and cosmopolitan city of Rio de Janeiro, the Mayan city of Copan, a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site, the mighty Amazon River and its impenetrable tropical rainforest, the volcanoes of Central America and the majestic snow capped Andean Mountains. Supporting a lively mix of different races, the region is known for its diverse local customs and cultures, its Salsa dances, the popular Latin American music and its many fiestas and festivals, the most famous being the glittering street parade of the Carnaval that takes place in Rio de Janeiro. Offering an almost inexhaustible choice of interesting places for the traveller and a broad range of climates, South America is an ideal destination for those looking for something different which has a little bit of excitement!!

The South American Region covers the entire South American continent from the north-western country of Colombia to the extreme southern tip of Chile, and includes the Falkland Islands which are a British Dependency, Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands. It is a huge continent and is covered with ancient evidence of its past cultures, such as the lesser known pre-Incan city of Tiwanaku near Lake Titicaca, or the archaeological site of the ancient lost city of Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada of Colombia and the ancient ruins of Chan Chan, a city of the Chimu Kingdom of Peru, which was the worlds’ largest adobe city in the world. However, better known is the Inca Trail that runs for over 5,000 kilometres from the high Andean Mountains at Quito, Ecuador, to the ancient Incan capital of Cusco and the beautiful ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and on to Tucuman in Argentina. This high altitude Incan walkway, and the parallel coastal path, opens the door to the mystery that surrounds this intriguing civilisation. Even more of a puzzle is the unsolved mystery of the well known Nazca lines!! These lines or patterns, which number into the hundreds, can only really be appreciated from the air, and show various images such as birds and spiders, and are formed by piles of rocks laid across the high plateau of southern Peru. For visitors the quest to see these fascinating places leads to the many of the beautiful colonial cities such as Cartagena in Colombia and the mountain villages of the Andes.
There are also many natural attractions to be seen in South America, such as the stupendous Iguazu Falls of Argentina - the magnificent rock pinnacles of the Torres Del Paine National Park which is located in Chile – the unique landscapes of the Salar de Uyunia, the worlds’ largest salt flat of Bolivia – the worlds’ highest waterfalls, the Angel Falls of Venezuela – and the picturesque yet barren wastes of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile which is the worlds’ driest desert!! South America also boasts many unique facts such as being home to La Paz, Bolivia, the worlds’ highest capital city - Lake Titicaca the worlds’ highest navigable lake which lies on the border of Bolivia and Peru - Puerto Toro, Chile, the most southerly permanent community in the world – and the Cotopaxi National Park home to the highest active volcano in the world. The region also provided Charles Darwin with the necessary insight through his visit to the Galapagos Islands, which stand off the coast of Ecuador, to formulate his theory of ‘natural selection’. It was on this theory that he wrote his controversial book ‘The Origin of Species’, which changed the way that man thinks about himself and the world. These islands are now a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site and receive many visitors who wish to experience the wonders of nature and see such animals as the Giant Tortoises that still survive to this day.

The Region of South America is comprised totally of the southern land mass of the American continents and its islands, and is located in both the north and south hemispheres. The equator crosses the continent roughly along the line of the Amazon River which has created the worlds’ largest tropical rainforest. This north/south alignment provides the region of South America with extremes of climate from sub-antarctic to tropical, which in turn produces extremes of landscapes from the cold, windswept, rocky barrens of the south, to the steppe-like plains of Patagonia, the high snow capped mountains of the Andean chain, the tortuously dry western desserts of Chile to the extreme, dense, wet tropical rain forests of the north.

The region of Central America is comprised of the countries which run from the Mexican border to Colombia of South American. This area is full of unspoiled landscapes, large volcanic mountains, dense rain forest, beautiful sandy beaches, islands, reefs and coral cays. An ancient land where superb Indian monuments are hidden in jungles, Indian villages, sugar cane and coffee plantations work side by side, the relics of colonial Spain still survive and old customs and interesting cultures hold a fascinating appeal for the casual visitor. When travelling in this quieter, often neglected region, it is thought that time stands still, but it doesn’t - time just goes a little slower and the local population have a different concept of time, so just take it easy and relax!!

Mostly a mountainous and rugged area, the Region of Central America lies between the southern borders of Mexico and the northern borders of Colombia, and is located on the isthmus between the North American continent and the South American continent. The region is comprised of seven countries, namely Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and Panama, which is located at the narrowest point between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and where the Panama Canal can be found. For much of its length the western Pacific Ocean coastline rises sharply to a central chain of mountain ranges which comprise one of the worlds’ major volcanic areas and contains approximately 60 mountains, many of which are active volcanoes. From this range of mountains, the land falls away, gradually decreasing in elevation until it reaches the wetter, eastern coastline of the Caribbean Sea. Having a sub-tropical and tropical climate has benefitted the region with Central America becoming one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world as it is a transit zone between two large continents, and is home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna. Recognised as such by all of the Central American countries has meant that many areas have become national parks and nature reserves which protects this diverse range of animals, that includes jaguars, pumas, tapirs, hummingbirds, macaws and the world’s second largest coral reef, from the advances of human activity. Settled approximately 2,000 years ago this region has supported many different groups of people and is a popular travel destination for those looking for unique Mayan archaeological sites such as those of Tikal, Uaxactun, Seibal and Yaxha in Guatemala.

Although this region is formed of seven independant countries, integration at a regional level is increasing assisted by the System for Central American Integration (SICA) which is moving towards a common currency and common passport. The majority of the region is populated with Indian and mixed Indian and Spanish descendants, with Spanish being the most commonly spoken language except Belize, which is an English speaking area.