Stretching from the incredible Amazon Basin in the north to fertile vineyards and the astounding Iguazu Falls in the South, Brazil is also famous for its riotous Carnival festival, alive with vivid colours, flamboyant costumes, parade floats and fun-filled samba, and its famous and busy Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

Birthplace of the passionate tango, Argentina is also well-known for steak and football. The grand, 16th-century Plaza de Mayo is at the heart of the big, cosmopolitan capital of Buenos Aires, and features elegant stately buildings, most notably the iconic, balconied presidential palace, Casa Rosada. A massive country, Argentina encompasses Andes mountains, glacial lakes, worldclass vineyards, Pampas grassland, and Patagonian wilderness.

A long, narrow country stretching along the western edge of South America, Chile boasts over 2,600 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. Rich winelands, lofty hills and Andean peaks, the vast, arid Atacama desert, Robinson Crusoe-like islands, fiery volcanoes, fjords and more can be explored in Chile.

The sound of panpipes, the peaks of the Andes, the depths of the Amazon rainforest, the liveliness of Cusco, the legendary Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, and many more Incan sites and the popular Inca Trail, and a plethora of hiking, rafting and mountain-biking opportunities – Peru has much to offer history buffs, nature lovers, culture vultures and thrill seekers.

Straddling the equator, Ecuador is one of the smaller South American countries and can be found on the continent’s west coast. It may be small, but it is packed full of charming colonial towns, Amazon jungle, Andean peaks, a famous chain of volcanic islands teeming with unique wildlife, and a kind-hearted, friendly people.

Spanning the Andes, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin rainforest, and sharing South America’s largest lake with Peru, the glass-smooth Lake Titicaca, Bolivia’s natural diversity is breath-taking - and ideal for hiking and trekking. Playful monkeys, elegant vicuña, and over a 1,000 species of birds will delight nature lovers. A Plurinational State, Bolivia’s culture is as diverse as its geography.