With its rich history, vibrant culture, and diversity of destinations, Argentina is one of South America’s most significant and fascinating regions. Here are ten of the top places for Argentina tours to visit and for those visitors a good time.

1. Buenos Aires

One of Argentina’s most unusual locations, Buenos Aires is an independent city-state that exists alongside the 23 provinces of the nation. Upbeat and vigorous, Buenos Aires is a city that never truly sleeps, and offers countless things to do and see such as learning tango and seeing tango shows.

2. Bariloche

The Bariloche region, along with the Seven Lakes, is an alpine area in western Argentina that features skiing, trekking, and mountaineering alongside confectioner’s shope, cafes, and chocolate shops. The classical climate of this area mixes well with the exotic location to provide a truly memorable retreat.

3. Cordoba

The second-largest city in all of Argentina, Cordoba contains a number of buildings left over from Spanish colonialism, such as churches and part of the oldest university in the nation. The university has attracted people from around the country for hundreds of years, and partially as a result of this, Cordoba is often considered to be one of the most culturally rich cities in the nation as well. The destination is also full of things to do such as golf on any of the 25+ golf courses. Or you can trek, horse ride bike and more.

4. Iguazu Falls

Located on the border between Brazil and Argentina, the Iguazu Falls are one of the most powerful sets of waterfalls in the world. With two hundred seventy-five drops and a width of over one and a half miles, this iconic destination is often a highlight of nature-oriented tours and any trip passing through the area.

5. Mendoza

For travelers who prefer a little less snow in their adventures, Mendoza is often the city of choice within Argentina. Despite its easy access to the Andes Mountains, Mendoza features activities such as horseback riding, hiking, and river rafting as well as more cultural activities such as wine tasting (due to the plentiful number of wineries in the area).

6. The Andes Mountains

Speaking of the Andes, however, these mountains are a major feature of South America and offer quite a lot of things for visitors to do. Whether it’s skiing down one of the many slopes, climbing Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the entire chain), or simply flying over them for the view, the Andes remain accessible and exciting as part of any vacation.

7. Patagonia

Most often one of the wilder areas of Argentina, Patagonia is an expansive part of the southern region of the nation, and features everything from a particularly high number of beaches to excellent fly-fishing and a petrified forest dated back to the Jurassic era. Due to its size, many visitors often choose to limit their vacation to just this region, as there is already so much to see without heading to the rest of the country.

8. Ushuaia

Perhaps the greatest claim of the city of Ushuaia is that it is generally regarded as the southernmost city of the entire world, a distinction of some renown. The temperature of this area is generally cool throughout the year, so warm clothing is often recommended, and visitors can expect to see an abundance of seals, penguins, and other animals that populate the southernmost regions of the world.

9. El Calafate

One of the smaller towns in the general Patagonia area, El Calafate was originally constructed as a minor settlement, and expansion didn’t really begin until Argentina created the nearby Los Glaciares National Park to highlight one of the largest and most-visited glaciers in the world, Perito Morino. At ninety-seven square miles in area and holding the world’s third-largest reserve of fresh water, Perito Morino draws nature-lovers from around the world to experience hiking and sightseeing.

10. The Valdes Peninsula

Located on the eastern side of Argentina, the Valdes Peninsula is regarded as a major nature reserve where high numbers of animals come to mate, live, or simply pass time. The area features a high number of protected areas, but visitors can tour certain regions to observe wildlife such as birds, seals, and whales.

With everything from wildlife preserves to modern cities spread throughout the country, and with a rich history and culture to be enjoyed, Argentina is easily one of South America’s most attractive destinations for any vacation. Individuals and groups interested in such trips can arrange for tours to any of these destinations through Latin Discover, one of the most popular vacation providers in all of Latin and South America.

As the Winter Solstice approaches in the southern hemisphere, a sense of excitement can be felt throughout the Andes Mountains, once home to the ancient Inca tribe. On June 24, many people living in the area celebrate the Incan “Festival of the Sun”, known otherwise as the Inti Raymi. In ancient times, this festival was a major religious event celebrated in the Cusco region, featuring dancing, ceremonies, and sacrifices as well as an opportunity to enjoy the new year (as their calendar reckoned it). The festival vanished in 1535 when the Spanish moved through South America, but in the last few decades the ceremony has been revived in Cuzco, Peru – don’t worry about the sacrifices, though, because now it’s mainly entertainment.

Stage One: Coricancha

The modern celebration of the Inti Raymi begins at Coricancha (spellings may vary), the Incan Temple of the Sun. Dedicated to the sun deity Inti, Coricancha was the most important temple in the entire empire and, despite the fact that the original temple was taken down by Spanish colonists in favor of building the Church of Santo Domingo, parts of the original temple remain. Visitors can examine textiles, mummies, and other artifacts from the era. If you’re visiting during Inti Raymi, though, you’d better be ready to wake up early; people start gathering hours before the event truly begins (usually at 9 AM or so), but the earliest visitors can still get the best seats. A number of activities are held outside, rather than within the temple itself, allowing for far more seats for visitors.

Stage Two: Huaqaypata
The festival continues with a parade to the Main Square of Cusco, Huaqaypata. Colorful outfits and traditional Incan clothing are common sights, and as with the first stage of the festival, arriving early is highly recommended in order to get a good view. The second stage begins at about 11 AM, depending on how fast the procession is moving. For those who are pressed for time, it may be better to watch this part of the procession for only a little while, because the parade isn’t stopping and it’s heading straight for the main event.

Stage Three: Sacsayhuamán
The largest and final events of the Inti Raymi take place at the sacred square in Sacsayhuamán, about two kilometers from the second stage. Many observers prefer to hike through the hills to find good spots to watch, though tickets for closer seats are available in limited numbers. Featuring further processions and re-enactments of traditional dances and worship, the festivities in this area make good use of precisely what the open field is believed to have been designed for. The third stage begins at about 2 PM, and lasts for a good portion of the day – for this reason, it is highly recommended to bring your own food.

For information on visiting Cuzco during the Inti Raymi festival, inquire with Latin Discover, where a representative can help you plan a trip to one of Latin America’s biggest and most exciting festivals. You can book a Peru Classic Tour which includes a full leisure day so that you can follow all of the Inti Raymi festivities and also visit Machu Picchu and Lima at the same time. Or Latin Discover can create a custom itinerary which will include Inti Raymi within the trip.

Costa Rica is a nation famed for its careful conservation efforts, and it takes quite a lot of pride in what it’s managed to accomplish. Showcasing the natural beauty of this country are four great tours, each with their own unique focus.

For those who’d like to see as much as they can, “A Bit of Everything” is a tour that’s just what it sounds like it should be, hosting eight days and seven nights of Costa Rican culture. The journey starts in San Jose, and features a full day of fun and exploration before heading out the following day on the next stage of the trip, going up to Tortuguero (where, depending on the time of year, you may have the chance to view things such as nesting turtles). After about two days in this area, the trip continues to Manuel Antonio for activities such as dolphin watching and swimming before a return to San Jose. With an eye for showing off some of the most beautiful plants and friendly animals in all of Costa Rica, “A Bit of Everything” is a tour not to be missed.

For those who prefer to actively experience a country, though, the “Adventure Odyssey” tour is everything you could want. Longer than most tours at ten days and nine nights, this physically-focused tour has a Canopy Tour through the forests, a hike up to some of the area’s most pleasant (and safe) hot springs, a biking tour, whitewater rafting that goes as high as Class IV (serious rafters only, and don’t be surprised if you’re thrown out a time or two), and a variety of transportation as you travel throughout the country. The days are so filled with excitement that you’ll barely have the chance to catch your breath, and only rarely will you spend the night in the same building twice. The “Adventure Odyssey” is an experience like none other, and affords the opportunity to get incredibly close to nature.

However, not everyone wants such an adrenaline-pumping tour. For those who’d like to enjoy Costa Rica at their leisure, the “Essence of Costa Rica” provides a comfortable, two-week trip that leaves plenty of time to relax and enjoy yourself any way you want. Featuring calming tours of conservation areas, museums, beaches, and an amazing number of areas primed with natural beauty, the “Essence of Costa Rica” is a fantastic opportunity to take photographs and truly observe natural wonder at its very finest.

The most open vacation, however, may well be “The Original Open Voucher”. This unusual package provides a rental vehicle and vouchers for stays at over sixty different hotels, allowing you to go just about wherever you want, whenever you want, and enjoy Costa Rica to the fullest in exactly the way you want. The duration of this trip is highly variable, too, so you can travel at exactly your own pace to fully experience Costa Rica.

Be sure to check out the top Must Do Adventure Tour Activities in Costa Rica by clicking on the image below:

On July 16^th, 1945, the human race detonated the first nuclear explosive and gained an ability that it had never previously possessed: the ability to destroy its own planet. Perhaps as a result of this, we’ve had an increased focus on tales of destruction and endings… and of these stories, one of the most-mentioned is the doomsday prophecy of the Mayan Calendar, which supposedly foretells the end of the world on the Winter Solstice of this very year. But what’s the truth about the calendar that launched a thousand tales?

The Mayan Long Count Calendar (sometimes referred to instead as the ‘Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar’) is a complex work that has been repeatedly discovered in sites of the Mesoamerican civilizations, with the earliest found dated 32 B.C. Calendars for shorter periods existed as well, but the “Long Count” version was calculated to begin on August 31, 3114 BC, and the start of the first b’ak’tun (a specific time period the calendar used, equal to a little over 394 years). The Calendar itself uses a version of base-20 and base-18 calculation, and 2012 marks the beginning of the 13^th cycle… so what is the importance of this particular date and the end of the world?

Actually, there is no such prophecy from the Mayan people. According to Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, “For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle” and the idea of a doomsday event is “a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in.” Others have indicated that certain monuments and records mentioned dates past the 13^th b’ak’tun, and that considering how comfortable they were with the idea of previous cycles, it is unlikely they would have been bothered by the idea of a new cycle beginning.

However, there is some historical evidence behind the stories of doomsday. According to Mayan scholars, the previous cycle of creation ended on 12.19.19.17.19 in the Long Count calendar (the second digit from the right rolls over at 18, not 20, and hence this is effectively a ‘maximum’ date), which is the same date as December 20^th, 2012 when calculated using the calendar. No evidence has been uncovered that the Mayan people believed this cycle would also end on that day, however, and so the Mayan calendar merely remains as an outstanding work of astronomical observation and timekeeping by an ancient people.

Editors Note: Some believe that the Mayan calendars’ end date is December 21st, 2012. Also, other studies have given scholars reason to believe that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar we use now, may be off by as much as 50 to 100 years. Lastly, according to Wikipedia: “Misinterpretation of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is the basis for a popular belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012. December 21, 2012 is simply the day that the calendar will go to the next b’ak’tun, at Long Count 13.0.0.0.0. The date on which the calendar will go to the next piktun (a complete series of 20 b’ak’tuns), at Long Count 1.0.0.0.0.0, will be on October 13, 4772.”

One of the world’s most popular and exciting festivals is the Semana Santa, the Christian celebration of the Holy Week. Though it’s referred to as a week, the celebration may extend for as long as ten days, and this year the full festival runs from March 30 to April 8. Some countries celebrate Semana Santa much more than others, though, so here are five reasons to enjoy the festivities in gorgeous Guatemala.

1) With an emphasis on helping travelers enjoy themselves and stay involved, Semana Santa tours provide a variety of destinations and activities where people can experience the history and culture of Latin America when not actively involved in explicitly religious events. This can be very useful for families with children or people who want to make the most of their vacation and do as many things in one trip as they can.

2) However, too much free time can be troublesome as well, particularly since people often have individual interests. Most tours during Semana Santa provide a certain amount of free time (often in the afternoon), where visitors can either attend religious celebrations or dive into the local culture. With so many fascinating events going on, this free time allows you to attend the celebrations you’re most curious about, rather than restricting you to a schedule so narrow that you can’t get much done.

3) Holy Week tours also provide a rare experience in Guatemala; the excitement is such that many people are displaying their best works and offering bargains to visitors. The atmosphere of excitement alone is more than merely fun, but visitors looking for things to bring back home with them will rarely have a better opportunity to see the greatest selection of native goods and crafts. Whether you’re looking for something for your own home or a gift for someone else, Semana Santa is a time when all of Guatemala turns out.

4) However, the true excitement of Guatemala tours during Semana Santa is undoubtedly in the celebrations being held in the colonial capital of Antigua. Featuring colorful carpets rolled across the streets and an incredible number of parades and processions from Holy Friday to Easter Sunday, the ending portion of the tour offers an up-close look at one of the world’s largest celebrations.

5) With six destinations throughout the trip and a comfortable mix of free time and scheduled events, tours during Semana Santa are more than a little exciting. However, such tours also tend to be very reasonably priced, especially as they can get you in to festivals where rooms are in truly high demand. With a comfortable balance between what you pay and what you get, tours during the Holy Week will offer you an entire lifetime’s worth of memories.

Stepping into a restaurant in a foreign country can be a tough experience if you aren’t prepared. What if you can’t understand the menu? What if you can’t understand the waiter? Is there anything you might not like that you should specifically avoid? These are all serious questions, but most of your problems can be alleviated by a little research before you leave. Here are some Mexican Meals to try when dining in that part of the world, so you can enjoy new taste sensations and actually know what you’re getting.

Guacamole (literally “avocado paste”) is a sauce created by mashing avocados in a mortar, occasionally with other ingredients like tomato, onion, or lime juice for added flavors. Guacamole can often be found inside of a torta (which, in Mexico, is a type of firm sandwich with beef or chicken), offering a smooth and pleasant lunchtime experience. For a relatively safe culinary bet, looking for these two words together is a great start. For those who’d enjoy all of their meal to be milder, they can also order horchata with their meal; made from rice and cinnamon (and, in some places, vanilla), this is a sweet and often milky drink that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

For more of an appetizer, you can order an empanada, a sort of bread or pastry that is first stuffed, then baked or fried. The stuffing of empanada varies widely, from meats and cheeses to fruits or vegetables, making this a very versatile dish. Pay attention to the time of day when asking for one, though; empanadas are often served in lighter versions for breakfast throughout Mexico, and it’s important to specify which type you’d like.

If you’re looking for something smooth as dessert, though, why not try some champurrado? Served warm, champurrado is a frothy, airy mixture made primarily from hominy flour, piloncillo (a sort of unrefined whole cane sugar), water or milk, chocolate, and flavorings such as anise seed, cinnamon, and vanilla that vary by region. Other ingredients may also be added to thicken the mixture based on individual recipes, and this unique mixture is enjoyed as much for breakfast as it is a late afternoon snack. However, it should be noted that champurrado is occasionally made with alcohol; best to check before ordering if this is a concern for you (and they may be willing to make it without the alcohol on request).

Though often famed as a land of spicy foods, Mexico’s cuisine actually extends across a far wider (and tastier) area than many know. These are just a few of the many foods available throughout Mexico, and if you’re planning to visit the country, it won’t hurt to look up a few more. You might just find a new favorite meal.

Photo Sources and Mexican Recipes:

Grilled Chicken Torta Recipe

Champurrado Recipe

Baked Pumpkin Empanada Recipe

Horchata Recipe

People are often curious when they find out that ancient civilizations disappeared. What caused these people to vanish? Is there anything we can learn from what happened to them? Is what destroyed them a problem that’s still around?

To answer these (and other) questions, scientists have long studied the collapse of the ancient Mayan Civilization, a group of people who inhabited what is now Central America from roughly 250 AD to 900 AD. Though perhaps best-known for their monolithic temples and extensive study of astronomy, the Mayan people are also thought to have been one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas before colonization from Europe. However, with little warning, the population of the Maya was reduced over a period of about two centuries, and the jungle took over most of the cities.

New research, however, suggests that drought in the region may have had a significant impact on the decline of the Maya. Throughout history, many civilizations have started near sources of water, as a steady supply is essential to allow a population to grow. The Yucatan lowlands (which held a significant part of the Mayan civilization) have no rivers running through them, but a relatively high rate of evaporation. Thus, water supplies are largely replenished by rainfall during the summer, and the Maya took creative advantage of this in order to maximize their potential.

Some scientists, however, believe that they may have stretched out a little too far by trying to take advantage of what they had. The Earth’s climate is highly dynamic and changes over time, and evidence from stalagmites and lakes suggests that the Maya were unable to continue on at the capacity they created when a prolonged drought hit the region. Mild and moderate droughts can be endured for a time, but prolonged droughts have a tendency to cause significant unrest and an abandonment of cities and other major population centers. Thus, rather than a rapid vanishing from disease, it may be that a Mayan exodus of sorts led to other areas in the Americas being populated, until the droughts eased up and other civilizations moved in and began to construct their own societies in the land once ruled by the Maya.

In modern times, we still have much to learn from the collapse of this fascinating civilization. Science suggests that the Maya were unable to deal with climate changes, but with modern technology, we have more capability to deal with natural disasters, droughts, famine, and other problems that have historically plagued humanity. By studying what happened to them, and working to avert it in the future, we can use the lessons of the past and create a brighter future for all of mankind.

605 miles off the western coast of South America rests one of the world’s most remarkable series of islands. Popularized by a visit from Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s most biologically diverse locations as well as one of the most geographically youthful places to be found. Speaking of things that are young, though, these islands also make for a remarkable family vacation.

Imagine, at the start of the school year, each child standing up and talking about what they did over the summer. After all, the best time to visit the Islands is right in the middle of Summer Vacation, June to August. Other children may talk about how they saw their grandparents, or went on a road trip, or headed down to the beach every now and then. When your child gets up to talk, though, the whole class falls silent in amazement as they hear of your kid’s incredible journey through somewhere they’ve only heard about through their textbooks and on children’s educational television. They’ve seen pictures. Your child was actually there. Armed with such stories, most children will find it quite easy to make friends in class.

What is it about these islands that makes them so special, though? Is it the way you can approach many of the animals on the islands and interact with them? From giant lizards and tortoises to sea lions and enormous crabs, the Galapagos are filled with some of the most enchanting and relaxed animals in the world. Indeed, some areas are famed for the way you can simply approach many of the animals relaxing on the beach (though, as always, children should be coached on proper behavior around wild animals before being allowed to approach).

However, there’s even more involved than this; as Darwin himself observed, the individual islands of the Galapagos are quite distinct from each other and feature a variety of terrains and wildlife, making each island a unique experience rather than a precise copy of the one before. Coupled with this is the natural beauty of the ocean surrounding the island, which offers the possibilities of swimming, snorkeling, and interacting with wildlife and nature even more. There’s no pause in the fun, though, because even the quick cruises between the islands are a masterwork of entertainment.

The reasons may vary, but ultimately there’s no denying the splendor and majesty of these islands. Their attraction hasn’t gone unnoticed by vacation planners, either, as many have worked hard to make the islands as available as possible while continuing to minimize human impact.

A number of cruise boats serving the island possess special family departures (often the smaller vessels), while many of the remaining ships offer discounts for children under a certain age. The exact discounts vary, so you should always check a particular ship’s listings, but common benefits include a discount of 20-25% on the cruise and as much as 50% on the flight for children under 12, and a number of hotels offer discounts of their own for children staying with their parents.There may be some restrictions (such as one child discount per adult) in certain areas, however, so it’s best to consult with your trip advisor based on how many people you intend to travel with before you commit to anything. With a little bit of planning and a week or so of your summer, you can give your entire family a vacation they will never forget.

By James Eder

Galapagos Islands Tour and Cruise info can be found by clicking HERE

It sounds like something out of a horror film; a team of scientists, working far from the world’s largest population centers, succeed in bringing ancient things back to life with the power of science. This would probably end up with a swarm of zombies in the movies, but there’s no need to worry about mysterious ancient diseases this time. In fact, the worst you’re likely to get is seeing something close to chicha, an alcoholic drink fermented by several tribes living in the area about fifteen hundred years ago.

This story begins in 1980, when a reconstruction project was set in motion to clear out a neighborhood and build it into something better. By accident, more than anything else, a group of workers came across the entrance to a tomb that had been hidden for literally a millennium. Lining this tomb (and several others discovered in the surrounding area) were about two hundred bodies in total, adorned with jewelry and offerings thought to be for the afterlife. Among these offerings were works of pottery containing food and chicha, and biologist Javier Carvajal Barriga took some samples and headed into a university laboratory to see if he could bring the yeast used for fermentation back to life.

It worked.

By carefully humidifying the cells, repairing their membranes, and starting up their metabolisms, Mr. Barriga managed to resurrect the organisms and begin to study them. Of note was that the indigenous people didn’t use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used in modern fermentation. In fact, two strains of the resurrected yeast were of a previously unknown type, since named Candida theae. The findings in general were good news for scholars, as the discovery helped to confirm 16^th-century reports of how chicha was made.

However, that’s not the end of the story.

In 2010, some bottled tea was found contaminated in Taiwan, and sent in for examination in one of Taiwan’s laboratories. The results that turned up were startling; the tea was contaminated with C. theae, the same yeast found in ancient tombs in Equador! How is this possible? The answer seems to lie even further back in history; about six thousand years ago, the Polynesian people departed from the island of Taiwan, and eventually had contact with South America. Thus, as part of the field of ‘Microbiological archeology’, it’s sometimes possible to trace human history by examining what microbes appeared in various times and places. Thus, rather than being ‘new’ in the sense of something being first created or discovered, C. theae is closer to being a previously-undiscovered microbe that’s been with us all along. If the tombs had never been discovered in Equador, we might never have been able to connect these dots of human history, a detail that goes to show just how amazing some discoveries really are.

Source and image credit: ScientificAmerican.com

By James Eder

Latin America is famed for the ruins of ancient civilizations that dot its landscape, and no tour of the region is truly complete without witnessing these historic marvels. Here are some of the greatest ruins in Latin America you must see while on vacation.

Perhaps the most iconic remnant of the Incan civilization, Machu Picchu in Peru is a designated World Heritage Site and a singularly unique attraction. Constructed during the mid 1400’s, around a century before the Spanish arrived in the region, there remains some degree of uncertainty over precisely what the site was used for. Most believe that the site was effectively a royal estate or religious site, but others believe it may have been used as a prison or a test site for agricultural methods. Regardless of the truth of its purpose, the site is slowly being restored, giving visitors the opportunity to see what it may have looked like when it was brand-new. For any trip to Peru, Machu Picchu is a ruin that absolutely must be visited.

For those visiting the Honduras, Copan is a Mayan ruin that also enjoys status as a World Heritage Site. Though parts of the ruins have been eroded by the Copan River (since diverted to protect the site), much of the site remains intact, and the city remains as a location that was occupied for over two thousand years (including, for a time, as the capital of a local civilization). Copan is believed to have had a major influence on the surrounding areas of the Honduras, making a trip to this ruin a great way to dive into the culture that once ruled this region as its own.

One of the largest sites of the Mayan civilization, the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala showcase an area inhabited for about 1400 years. Dominating the Maya both politically and economically during the height of its use, Tikal boasts a number of temples and tombs that make this site one of the most fascinating archeological exhibits in all of Latin America and thus a fantastic destination for any trip to the nation.

Owned and maintained by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico’s Yucatan region, the Chichen Itza is another major archeological site of the Mayan people. Thought to be one of the myth-like great cities in late Mesoamerican literature, it was certainly a major trading site and regional capital. Parts of the city, like the Temple of Warriors and the Great Ball Court, serve as impressive reminders of the civilization that once called this city home, and the area is large enough that even several days may not cover everything there is to see. Whether you want to examine all the details or just look at the highlights, Chichen Itza is an excellent locale for any traveler to visit.

Though not nearly as popular as Machu Picchu, the walled site of Kuelap in Peru is an intriguing piece of history. More than four hundred buildings are held within a mammoth exterior wall, although uncertainty exists as to whether the site was specifically a fortress or simply a fallback position in case the civilization needed it. Impressive in scale and offering more than enough places to explore, Kuelap is a destination for people who want to see the wonders of ancient civilizations while avoiding the crowds often present at more famous sites.

These sites (and many others) are generally available as part of tour packages through the region, and can often be visited on a free day if they aren’t already part of the main tour.

Note from LatinDiscover.com: Contact us today at 1-800-791-6520 to book a tour to the most popular Latin America ruins. You can also make a request by emailing us HERE.

By James Eder