Havava - Revolution, Cigars and Fun

Havana is an almost inexplicable city that contains so many incredible sites and adventures without the usual touristy gloss and trappings. Due to the US embargo of Cuba, several well known sites in other cities are not present, particularly the omnipresent McDonalds. But this is a good thing in my view as the city keeps an authentic feel and makes the historic sites in Havana Vieja more enjoyable. My favourite site in this part of the city is the Catedral de San Cristobal. But while in Havana there is so much more to do than just visit historical sites. One of the “musts” is going to see a Cigar Factory. Even if you don’t like smoking it’s still a great trip, much like a wine tour but more dangerous for your lungs. Revolutionary icons are everywhere in the city and the Plaza de la Revolocion is the main tourist spot. In fact it can be swamped by tourists during the middle of the day so come early to see the image of Che and the statue of Jose Marti. The nightlife in this city is top notch and the food, if you avoid the tourist restaurants, is great quality at low prices. But to pay these prices you normally need the Cuban Peso rather than the Cuban Convertible Peso.

Antigua - The colonial capital

As the oldest city in Guatemala, Antigua is a city draped in historical buildings and ruins. In its heyday when the country was still under Spanish rule, Antigua was the capital city. You will see and recognise the similar design and architecture of other Spanish colonial cities the minute you arrive. In the centre you will find the Main Plaza surrounded by the key buildings of the city. Here you will find several cathedrals and the Government Palace. Parque Central is only a stones throw away and a splendid place to get a bit of rest and time to sit back and reflect. Right next to the park is one of the best museums in the city, the Convento de Santo Domingo. Visiting other sites like the ruins of the city can seem a bit steep compared to other cities but are well worth it. And when you finished walking around the city you can go hike up one of the nearby volcanoes that surround the city. Of the three volcanoes, Volcan Pacaya is the easiest climb and can be done in one afternoon. Volcan Acatenango is the most difficult and you will need to be prepared both for time and the right gear.

Lima - A city of life and colour

Peru itself is a country full of different cultures and traditions and countless different food dishes, so the capital Lima is a prime location to get the best of all of these in one place. All through the city you will find areas marking Incan and Pre-Incan construction. In fact there are so many that many are still yet to be properly excavated. The main sites with the best quality and information have to be Pachacamac and Caral (which actually lies 200 kilometers north). Dancing is in the blood of most Latin Americans and Peruvians are no different, one of the best things you can do is go and see the traditional dances over a meal. You will be stunned by the variety of dance flavors and smile at the delightful costumes. While Ceviche is the main traditional dish of the country, you can find restaurants serving specialties from anywhere in the country. And trust me, even if you stay for years you may never get the chance to try all the different dishes. The Plaza de Armas is the centre park of the city where you can see the Government Palace and the Cathedral of Lima. The Plaza is also the location for some of the major events of the city including the Patriot day celebrations where it has been known to have the city fountain full of Pisco for the thirsty public!

Mendoza - The vineyard of Argentina

Mendoza is the perfect holiday destination with plenty of cheap shopping deals, a great nightlife and some top class restaurants and cafes. Oh and it just happens to be the world renown capital of Argentina’s wine industry. Here you can cuddle up with a vintage or taste the latest gold medal winning wines, and all at ridiculously cheap prices. Most of the restaurants and cafes will serve the best the local region has to offer and you will find yourself making as much room in you suitcase as possible for more bottles to take for the trip home. While you are here you can’t just stop at one or two Vineyard tours, and should instead go on a “Vineyard crawl” and drench yourself in the wine industry (and its tasty products!). The city itself is full of beautiful Plazas and parks which is surprising since the city is also in a desert region. But the city and outlying vineyards have a huge artificial irrigation system which you can see running down the path and roadsides. Also as a final note, if you aim to arrive in February you are likely to time your trip with the Harvest Festival which is great excuse to enjoy even more of the beautiful wine!

Cordoba - The colonial home of Argentina

While Buenos Aires has a great nightlife and plenty of Tango, Cordoba also has the best collection of colonial buildings in Argentina. You will notice pretty quickly that the city was heavily influenced by the 17th century Jesuits, and the huge collection of churches and cathedrals in this city is one of the hallmarks. The Manzana Jesuitica is the section that contains most of these buildings including the oldest Argentinean church; the Compañía de Jesús built in 1671. Apart from all the Cathedrals you will also find an almost endless supply of museums ranging from art museums, typical historic museums to more hands-on science and technological museums. My personal best from these was the Museo Nacional de Meteorología Dr. Benjamin Gould a fantastic astronomy and meteorological museum. Cordoba was listed in 2006 as the Capital of Culture in the Americas so as you can imagine, it’s not just the museums and cathedrals that gives this city such a deep culture. You can also enjoy the extensive art scene including “arte bars” which also hold shows. On top of this, the city has the oldest University in Argentina as well as another 6 university within the city! That’s a lot of students and a lot partying!

Brasilia - The custome made city

Brasilia is not your typical South American city and has only been around for about half a century. The city was the dream of then President Juscelino Kubitschek and the shape of the city resembles a bird with its wings outstretched. You will notice very quickly that this is a city planned in every way to the sections for the hospitals to the shopping districts. The shoping district is brillant for anything you are looking for since it is all located in one main section. You might find this a bit sterile but we found this city a wonderful example of modern archetecture. The Square of Three Powers is where you can see the three seats of power in Brazil, the Congress, the Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court. If you head midway up the centre section of the city you can find one of the most interesting modern buildings in the Brasilia Cathedral. The cathedral has several curved pilars that stretch upward and are supposed to represent a pair of hands outstretched to God. Apart from all the quality archetecture, the lake is also a man-made construction. Paranoá Lake is designed to reduce the effect of the dryer months but is also offers so fantastic sunsets of the city.

Panama City - The Crossroad of the Americas

In the typical laidback fashion of Central America, Panama City is a relaxing city full of broken English and old colonial buildings. One of the best places to relax is found down in Miraflores locks, where you can grab a quality selection of food at most restaurants and watch some of the gigantic boats pass through the Panama Canal. We managed to find a place that served a whopping 12 courses! There are two separate areas of the city that has historical significance. The Casco Viejo is the colonial part of the city and many of the buildings are in wonderful condition. Here you can also find a Museum dedicated to the canal as well as some gorgeous cathedrals and government buildings. Panama Viejo is the ancient city remains from before the colonial times and has a museum explanation some of the local history. A novel part that this city has over others is the Parque Natural Metropolitano which is a beautiful rainforest park that has several trails that you can either hike or cycle around. There is also several veiwing points that have been placed above the forest canopy and give a sublime view of the city.

Buenos Aires - Tango, tango and more tango

If you want a true taste of South American or even Argentinian culoture then maybe Buenos Aires is not the place for you. But if you are after a magnificant city with a deep history and buzzing atmoshpere that is a fusion of many cultures, then you must go there. Because of the history of the city there is a huge European influence in the city and you will find many buildings similiar in style to buildings in Europe, especially France. Most of the tourist activities are located around the biggest avenue in the world, Avenida 9 de Julio. Here you will find some wonderful parks and places of interest. But lets face it, there are three main reasons to come here, for a cheap and fantastic variety of food – which the city proudly floughts due to its European roots, an insanely buzzing nightlife where most people don´t get back home or to their hotel until at least 5:00am, and Tango. Tango is everywhere, anytime and will be taught to anyone who is interested. Argentina is the home of Tango and Buenos Aires is the proud leading representitive of this exhilarating dance art. If you just want to see the dance rather than shake your money maker, there is plenty of Tango shows as well.

Acapulco - Still one of the best hotspots

If you don’t know or have never heard of Acapulco, well, you obviously don’t know Latin America and one of the most popular beach resorts in the Caribbean. Acapulco has been somewhat overshadowed by Cancun but still remains one of the hottest beach destinations and caters very well for tourists. The sun seems to always shine and the beaches are white and have an inviting assortment of beachfront restaurants and cafes. Once here you have to go to La Quebrada and see the famous cliff divers doing their thing. You can either see this from a platform on the cliff (after paying a small entrance fee) or from the nearby restaurant. Generally the prices here are cheap, which is surprising since it is such a popular tourist destination. One of the best beaches can be found on Isla de la Roqueta. After a short water taxi (the one we took had a glass bottom which was pretty neat) you can get to the island. There are family friendly shallow beaches as well as deeper beaches with a little more surf. The nightlife here is great fun as the families generally head to the restaurants and then their hotels while those that want to spend the night dancing and drinking usually do so until the sun comes back up.

Bocas del Toro - A perfect hideaway

In the north east corner of Panama, lays the little hidden gem Boca del Toro. You still won’t find many tourists bloating out the town, which is a nice change from a lot of other Central American beach spots. This is another great – and cheap – place for diving and scuba to see some beautiful corals and sea life. You might even get to see a reef shark or two! And even if you stay above the water you have a pretty good chance of getting to see and play with some dolphins. The island itself is quite small so you can rent a mountain bike and trip across to other side and visit Bocas del Drago. But the best beaches are nearby and you normally only need to pay $3 or $5 for round trip by boat to either Red Frog Beach or Wizard Beach. Red Frog is the better place but will charge an admission fee of another $1 or $2. Further inland you can find – The Bat Cave! Don’t worry if you’re an evil villain, this version is only for the animal not the superhero. For only $1 you can wade through the watery cave and spy on hundreds of bats clinging to the ceilings of the caves.

Utila - Island Magic

Diving, diving, and more diving. If this sounds like a dream situation to you, then you have to come to the little island of Utila just off Honduras. Every diving enthusiast I know raves on about this place, and rightly so. The island is a small and isolated place in the Bay Islands and everything to do with the island is very cheap. As a side effect of this, it has the cheapest rates for diver certification in the Caribbean. And why is the diving so good there? Well, how many other places do you get the chance to see a Whale Shark on regular occasions? Also the corals are rich with life and the coasts are beautiful and sparsely populated. There isn’t much choice on the island for different activities or places to go, but what is there is a treat. Bando Beach is the main beach, and if you get tired of the water you can always visit the Iguana Research Centre and learn more about this amazing reptile. There is a huge selection of cheap delicious seafood, and accommodation is cheap. About the only thing that will burn a hole in your pocket is using technology like the internet or making an international phone. The prices for these can be extortionate!

Maracaibo - A mix of the old and new

Maracaibo is a city that has had a lot of development and is considered by the locals as the most important city in the country, even more so than the capital Caracas. If you go out to taste the local culture you will quickly pick up the sound of a very specialised musical sound associated with the city. Walking around the centre of the city, you will probably find it clean but a little lifeless and fake. Because of this I suggest that you go see some of the more historical parts of the city like Saladillo. Saladillo is a gorgeous colonial part of the city with a much older Spanish feel with narrow streets. To the north of the city you will come across some interesting buildings built to float on the water by the native Venezuelans. There is also the bridge over Lake Maracaibo is the largest concrete bridge in the world and is quite an impressive sight. With all this, the city also has a very good climate and some great waterfront areas to enjoy. If you want to get to know a little bit more about the city and its history, try and take one of the Tranvia rides. These are special tourist trips that will take you around the most significant parts and tell you their history. This city is a definite recommended holiday destination.

Quito - smack in the middle of things

High up in the Andes, where you will need a few days to adjust to the altitude, lies the city of Quito. This city is the capital of Ecuador and has undergone a huge amount of restoration work in recent years. You will notice this the moment you step inside the city with its huge range of beautiful cathedrals and parks. Tack a trip to the old colonial town area and especially the Monastery of San Fransisco, and you will feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The La Compañia de Jesus is thought to be one of the most stunning churches in South America, and anyone that thinks this would be justified. It is a glorious building that has been restored after suffering severe fire damage. You can also pop outside the city and visit the monument for the middle of the earth (mitad del mundo). While the monument has been built a few hundred meters away from the actual middle of the earth, the location is typified with events and festivals, and a selection of museums that are a treat to see. Be warned we were lucky that we had a decent understanding of Spanish, as only the touristy areas spoke any form of English.

Cartagena - La ciudad colonia

This is city that is more than just beautiful, this city is fantastic. With a huge amount of exotic colonial buildings, Cartagena is a glorious city to see. Originally the trade port capital of the Spanish Main, huge amounts of wealth passed in and out of the city in its heyday. Because of this, you will find stunning buildings unlike any other colonial construction in the world. The city itself is listed as a UNESCO heritage site and the main parts to see are the walled colonial city “ciudad amurallada”, which also has loads of restaurants and cafes, and the main beachfront or “Bocagrande”. The walled city also has some fantastic old forts which usually charge a moderate price for admission, but are well worth it. The Bocagrande holds all the main hotels and condos stretched across the coast of the beach. The best beach in the region is the Playa Blanca. You can drop by this beach as part of a trip to the Islas del Rosario as well as lunch and a visit to the aquarium. The city holds a huge selection of food both traditional and modern so you stomach will enjoy the trip as much as you do.

San José - The Centre of Costa Rica

The centre economically, physically and politically of Costa Rica, San José is place we passed through several times on our travels. The city itself feels very laid back and not too large, so you can take a walk around and see most things. In fact most of the tours are walking tours of the city. The people there are fiercely proud of their city, even to the point where they will happily tell you all the faults and how exactly they should be fixed. There are several museums in the city and one of the most popular and recommended include the Children’s Museum which has several interesting displays for both parents and children. There are plenty of other quality museums like the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum and the Insect Museum. You can also go visit the Simon Bolivar Zoo and see the local wildlife of the country and nearby regions. There is quite a collection of local foods available at relatively cheap prices, and plenty of cheap goods (some better quality than others). San José is also a good place to take trips to the regions around the city. Some of these include trips to the coffee plantations, river rafting and there are daily buses that take you to the volcanic mountain of Poas.

Mar del Plata - Tango and Mate, rico!

Mar del Plata is the usual beach destination for the local Argentineans. Because of this, the beaches are swarmed with people during the summer months of December through until March. Outside of this period, there are much less people in the city, but it is still a fairly large city with over 700,000 people living there. Apart from the obvious white sand beaches and warm sunshine, there are many other activities to do in this delightful seaside city. The Museo del Mar (museum of the sea), holds a staggering amount of seashell exhibits from different species of shellfish from all over the world. There is also a tidal wave exhibit as well as lots of education information. And if you get hungry or tired, try the Confitería Gloria Maris which is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling fish tanks. Pretty cool stuff. Being an Argentinean city, you can also naturally see one of many Tango displays at the Teatro Colon at an incredibly cheap 15 pesos. Also, this is a city of the addictive mate drink! You will be able to buy this bitter caffeine alcohol almost everywhere in the city, and most people walk around with a thermos or gourd close at hand to take a quick drink whenever they fancy.

Viña del Mar - a hidden gem

One of the key beach destinations in Chile is Viña del Mar. This is a place with loads of cheap accommodation and fantastic white beaches that a lot of foreign tourists miss because they do not recognise the name. But because it is hugely popular with South Americans, make sure you book any hotel accommodation early if you intend to arrive in summer. Which of course would make sense since it’s a beach holiday resort. So as you are relaxing on the luxurious beaches, try one of the local delicacies - an alfajor. These are sweet cookies that usually contain fruits or caramels and are covered in chocolate. Great tasty and exotic gifts for anyone back home. Timing is essential for getting the most out of a trip to Viña del Mar, as on the third week of February the Festival de Cancion is held. This is a huge musical event that attracts many famous music artists and creates a fantastic atmosphere. When the festival is not around, the location – La Quinta Vergara, is a fantastic and beautiful garden with trees from all over the world including some from China and Canada. It is also a good idea to drop by the Plaza del Reloj, which is near the beaches and has several clocks containing flowers in different decorations for the numbers.

Mexico City - Supersized everything

When visiting Mexico City be prepared for a big, in fact huge, or maybe even gigantic city. Mexico City is one of the most populated cities on Earth and you will feel this the moment you step out onto one of the sidewalks on the city. This city is also the lifeblood of the country and if you want a feel for the country as a whole, this is the place to go. The nightlife here is insanely huge as well, especially if you go out just after the standard salary paydays. In fact there are countless amounts of clubs, pubs and restaurants but if you chose the wrong day, you will still have to wait at least an hour to enter some places. The metro at night is an interesting thing as the police will separate the women and the men into different carriages to prevent drunken sexual harassment. The city also has the America’s most holy Catholic location in the Basilica de Guadalupe, a place that pilgrims from all over the world travel to see. There are also some fantastic parks like Chapultepec Park and Zoo – which itself holds multiple museums and parks within its 6km boundary -and Xochimilco, a garden and waterway system from the Aztec times.