Continental overview
8 countries · 16 guides · Top regions: Andean Region, South America
Discover the authentic stories and cultural insights that locals across South America share with CoraTravels. Explore the countries, popular travel styles, and standout guides that make this continent unique.
Browse 8 countries guides like a local.
Experience authentic Argentina beyond Buenos Aires' tourist tango shows and Patagonia's glossy brochures. From Mendoza's vineyard families to Salta's indigenous traditions and porteño café culture, discover Argentina through passionate locals who understand that 'che' isn't just a greeting - it's the soul of Argentine identity.
Experience authentic Bolivia beyond the Uyuni salt flats tourist convoys and La Paz cable car selfies. From cholita wrestling in El Alto to coca leaf rituals in the Altiplano, discover Bolivia through eyes of people who live 'suma qamaña' (living well together), honor Pachamama with daily ch'alla offerings, and built the world's most indigenous nation from centuries of resistance, resilience, and profound connection to the earth.
Experience authentic Brazil beyond Rio's beaches and Amazon jungle fantasies. From jeitinho brasileiro (creative problem-solving) that drives locals crazy and keeps country running, to futebol religion and Carnival obsession, feijoada Saturday rituals, and warmth that makes strangers family - discover Brazil through eyes of Brazilians who navigate bureaucracy, embrace diversity, and party harder than anywhere on Earth.
Experience authentic Chile beyond Santiago's skyscrapers and Torres del Paine's Instagram peaks. From Atacama's flamingo-filled lagoons to Valparaíso's graffiti-covered hills where poets once lived, discover Chile through people who invented 'once' (afternoon tea disguising secret drinks), survived dictatorship with nueva canción protest songs, and built Latin America's most orderly society from geographical isolation, Mapuche resilience, and the belief that modesty and solidarity matter more than showing off.
Experience authentic Colombia from locals tired of narcos stereotypes - Bogotá's intellectual cachacos navigate altitude and safety reality, Cali's salsa locals dance every night you don't, Cartagena's gentrification prices out Afro-Colombians who built culture tourists consume. Where locals navigate 'paisa' warmth vs robbery paranoia, berraquera (grit) through 60-year conflict trauma, aguardiente toasts masking inequality. Digital nomads discover COP 2.5M-4M/month ($600-1,000) paradise locals can't afford. Medellín's transformation story incomplete - locals remember Pablo, resent transformation tourism, embrace economic reality.
Discover a compact country where you can have breakfast in the Amazon, lunch in the Andes, and dinner on the Pacific coast. Experience the philosophy of 'Buen Vivir' in the land of eternal spring.
Experience authentic Paraguay beyond tourist radars - from bilingual Guaraní-Spanish soul defining national identity, to sacred tereré sharing rituals that create instant community, August first superstitions, siesta sacred hours, and family asado traditions lasting entire Sundays. Discover South America's hidden heart where indigenous culture thrives proudly and hospitality knows no limits.
Experience authentic Peru beyond Machu Picchu's crowds and Lima's coastal districts. From Cusco's Inca traditions to Arequipa's mestizo culture and Amazon communities' ancestral wisdom, discover the land of the Incas through locals who understand that 'ayni' (reciprocity) and 'sumak kawsay' (good living) define Andean philosophy.
Trending themes locals say define South America right now.
Hand-picked destination notes to help you experience South America like a true local.
Popular local notes to get you started.
Bariloche, South America
The "Little Switzerland" Complex: Bariloche embraces its European alpine identity so completely that locals casually mix German, Swiss, and Argentine traditions - don't be surprised when chocolate …
Buenos Aires, South America
European Complex: Porteños think they're more European than Latin American - don't call them Latino. Therapy Culture: Everyone has a psychoanalyst, Freudian psychology part of daily conversation. L…
Córdoba, South America
Fernet Religion: Córdoba consumes 75% of the world's fernet - locals drink it mixed with Coca-Cola (called "Fernando") in tall glasses with more fernet than cola, while the rest of Argentina waters…
Cochabamba, South America
The City of Eternal Spring: Cochabamba earns this nickname honestly - locals experience 25°C (77°F) year-round, but the altitude at 2,560 meters means you'll layer clothing like an onion. La Llajta…
Curitiba, South America
BRT Worship: Locals treat the tube-shaped bus stations (Estações Tubo) with pride bordering on obsession – these glass cylinders invented by Jaime Lerner are considered more iconic than Eiffel Towe…
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina
Silicon Island Nickname: Tech startup hub of Brazil, locals (manezinhos) watch newcomers transform island, love-hate relationship with development. 42 Beaches Selection: Island offers beach for eve…
Goiânia, South America
Bar Culture Over Beach Culture: Goiânia is perfectly summed up by the famous local saying 'Já que não tem mar, vamos pro bar!' (Since there's no sea, let's hit the bar!) - capturing the city's easy…
Recife, South America
Bridge City Navigation: Recife has 50+ bridges connecting islands, rivers, and districts - locals know the city is built on water and some areas sit below sea level, earning the nickname "Brazilian…
Vitória, South America
Carnival Week Early: Vitória celebrates its [Carnival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Carnival) one week BEFORE the rest of Brazil at Sambão do Povo - locals party while everyone else is s…
Viña del Mar, South America
Festival Madness: Every February, the entire city transforms for Festival de Viña - locals call the audience 'El Monstruo' (The Monster) because they're brutally honest with performers, booing and …
Medellín, South America
Paisa Pride: Antioquia region has distinct identity, locals more proud of being Paisa than Colombian. Pablo Escobar Tourism: Locals tired of narco-tourism but understand economic necessity, complic…
Cuenca, South America
Four Seasons in One Day: Cuencanos joke constantly about this - morning mist gives way to afternoon sunshine, then evening chill arrives by 6 PM. Locals carry umbrellas religiously and you'll see s…
Quito, South America
Soroche Reality Check: At 9,350 feet (2,850m), Quito's altitude hits hard - locals chew coca leaves, drink aguas aromáticas (herbal teas), and walk slower than anywhere else. Visitors pant climbing…
Asunción, South America
Jopara Language Mix: Locals seamlessly blend Spanish and Guaraní mid-sentence in everyday conversation - it's called Jopara and happens unconsciously even with foreign visitors. Tereré Social Code:…
Cusco, South America
Altitude Shock Reality: 3,400m elevation hits visitors hard, locals chew coca leaves daily and have enlarged lung capacity from birth. Inca Stone Foundations: Colonial buildings built on perfect In…
Lima, South America
Gray Sky Syndrome: Overcast 8 months yearly, locals call it 'eternal winter' despite no rain. Ceviche Time Rules: Only eaten at lunch, never dinner - locals will judge you for ordering it at night.…
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