The Magellanic Islands Provide Some Of The World’s Most Amazing Sights – Getting There’s The Hard Part

By Madi Lang

Traveling to the Magellanic Islands is literally like traveling to the end of the world. Beginning from the Argentinean province of Tierra del Fuego and continuing to the east and the south, this area of the world offers up some of the most precious (and inaccessible) landscapes on the planet. Given the remoteness of the area, flights only go as far south to the city of Ushuaia (arguably the southernmost city in the world; Chile claims this title for the city of Puerto Williams which is technically further south, just arguably not a city). Thus, Ushuaia is a natural place to start a Southern Patagonian adventure.

When you fly in to Ushuaia keep your eyes peeled for the beautiful Martial Mountain Range (part of he Andes) before you descend through the billowing clouds that seem to always hang ominously over the city. I was surprised by the conflicting vistas I saw during my 15-minute taxi ride into town from the airport. The beautiful islands, mountains and waterways incongruously collide with a city that has been worn down by domestic immigration: only in the last 20 years has Ushuaia been a tourist hotspot and it is clear that the current inhabitants have done little to preserve the natural beauty of the land. Luckily, every inch of natural forest that is still intact is heavily protected and off limits to developers. Therefore, even though you’ll likely be sleeping within the city, it’s still easy to explore the incredible natural wonders that have escaped the footprint of man. (more…)

By Caroline Shin of Argentina’s Travel Guide

A tropical celebrity playground in the 1950’s and 60’s, Brazil has enchanted Brigitte Bardot and Rita Hayworth, and now more recently, served as a backdrop for Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful” music video in 2002. Only a stone’s throw away from Argentina, a flight to Rio de Janeiro takes only three hours from Buenos Aires. I, like many others before me, couldn’t resist the temptation to explore the flavors of South America’s most seductive country.

My days started out with deliciously cold coconut water from the whole coconut. Afternoons were sweetened by fresh passion fruit juice. As I beach-hopped through Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Cabo Frio and Ihla Grande I was enchanted by the culinary exoticism of words I hadn’t heard before. I had trouble understanding even the English-version menus that were dressed with words such as catupiry, guaraná or moqueca. (more…)

From The North To The South, A Look At Three Cities Of Spain As Unique As The Country Itself

By Ben Snook

Getting off the plane at Santiago airport felt like cheating. Ever since the bones of St James turned up at Santiago de Compostela more than a thousand years ago, pilgrims have trekked through Europe to visit what rapidly became Europe’s second most holy site, after only Rome itself. Some of Europe’s oldest highways were first laid out in order to facilitate the journey: they lead from as far away as Scandinavia and Poland and took pilgrims through France, over the Pyrenees and across the Spanish coastline. I walked out of the plane into a torrential spring downpour. I had left bright, crisp sunshine behind in England. Things were not going well so far.

Santiago itself, though, more than made up for that. Like most Spanish cities, it is hard to distinguish the “modern” suburbs of Santiago from its spectacular medieval centre. In northern Europe, the 1960’s and 1970’s saw a profusion of Soviet-style tower-blocks spring up in a vulgar halo around many ancient city centers. Santiago has its modern architecture, of course, but set against the lush green of the surrounding hills and in the context of some of the most striking buildings in the whole of Spain, the majority of the city has managed to retain its historic charm. (more…)