About this book

South America is a land of superlatives. Home to the world’s longest mountain range, tallest waterfall, largest rainforest, driest desert, widest river and highest lake, it astounds with its variety. Now published by Bradt Guides, the award-winning, legendary South America Handbook holds a world record of its own as the longest-running English-language travel guidebook. This brand new, fully updated 95th edition celebrates the centenary of the Handbook, which remains as essential for travellers to South America today as it was in the 1920s.

Embark on extraordinary journeys through the breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cultures of this amazing continent, where every corner tells of ancient civilisations or natural wonders. Wherever you travel, South America will uplift your senses – from the tropical sun rising over a palm-fringed beach to a bracing wind blowing off Andean salt-pans, from tango in downtown Buenos Aires to the culinary symphony of modern Peruvian cuisine, and from Easter Island’s mysterious Moai statues to mainland Chile’s majestic glaciers.

Wander through the cobbled streets of historic Cusco, echoes of the Inca Empire resonating in every stone. Feel the rhythm of life in the sultry beats of Rio de Janeiro’s carnival, where samba and colour take centre stage. Or explore the wonders of the Galápagos Islands, where nature unfolds in its purest form, revealing a paradise teeming with unique flora and fauna. Whatever South America inspires you to do, you will find that there is no limit to the passion that it fires within you.

In this era of countless websites which bring images and information from every barrio and pueblito, the South American Handbook advises on how to navigate between each place, big or small, in every country. It is your key to a treasure trove of diverse landscapes, rich tapestry of cultures and hospitable peoples – and a celebration of the spirit of adventure and independence that characterises travel in the world’s greatest continent. Drawing on the expertise of correspondents in the region and travellers’ experiences, this centenary edition of the Handbook provides the thread from Acandi to Ushuaia and everywhere you may wish to stop off in between.

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About the Author

Daniel Austin (danielaustin.co.uk) is a travel writer, tour leader and editor who has written a number of Bradt guidebooks (e.g. Madagascar, Madagascar Wildlife and The Travel Quiz Book) over the past couple of decades, and worked on scores of others in an editorial capacity. As the editor of this centenary edition of the South American Handbook, he uses his expertise in efficient digital data control and automated workflows to co-ordinate an international team of country experts. His own love for the great continent is manifest in his work as a guest lecturer and naturalist for a series of expedition cruises along the coast of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

One of the first assignments Ben Box took as a freelance writer in 1980 was subediting work on the South American Handbook. At the time he was writing about contemporary Iberian and Latin American affairs, but soon the lands south of the Rio Grande took over, inspiring journeys to all corners of South America. He became editor of the South American Handbook in 1989 and continued in that role until handing the reins to Daniel Austin for this centenary edition. Ben has written guidebooks to Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Central America and Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean overall. He is also the author of Bradt’s Traveller’s Cookbook: South America, an appetising guide to South American cuisine, and has contributed to newspapers, magazines and learned tomes. Having a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese studies from London University, Ben maintains a strong interest in Latin American literature and culture.

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