Colombia · South America
Cartagena's Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage site of candy-colored colonial buildings, bougainvillea-draped balconies, and cobblestone plazas where salsa spills out of every doorway after dark. But this is also a beach destination — the Rosario Islands, a 45-minute boat ride away, have the turquoise Caribbean water that the city beaches lack, and Playa Blanca on Isla Baru delivers white sand without the resort price tag. Back in town, the food scene is booming: try the ceviche at La Cevicheria, a $5 arepa de huevo from a street cart in Getsemani, or splurge on tasting menus at restaurants that would cost triple in Miami. The nightlife in Getsemani — rooftop bars, champeta dancing, cheap aguardiente — is as good as it gets anywhere in South America.
Los Roques sits 160 kilometers north of Caracas — 350 islands and cays with some of the healthiest coral reefs and emptiest beaches left in the Caribbean. This guide covers the cays, the diving, the bonefishing, and how to navigate a trip to Venezuela.
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Punta del Este transforms from a quiet town of 25,000 into a destination for half a million each summer. From Playa Mansa's calm waters to José Ignacio's celebrity-chef restaurants and Cabo Polonio's off-grid isolation, here's Uruguay's full beach playbook.
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Montañita packs serious surf, nonstop nightlife, and South America's best-value beach scene into six blocks on Ecuador's Pacific coast. This guide covers the waves, the party, and where to escape both along the Ruta del Sol.
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Galápagos beaches come in white, gold, and red, populated by sea lions, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies with zero fear of humans. From Tortuga Bay's mangrove kayaking to Kicker Rock's hammerhead sharks, here's the complete beach and dive guide.
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Máncora sits where Peru's cold desert coast turns tropical — warm water, consistent waves, and ceviche so fresh the fish was swimming hours ago. This guide covers the surf breaks, tidal pools of Pocitas, whale-watching at Los Órganos, and where to eat.
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The Santa Marta and Tayrona coastline combines jungle-backed Caribbean beaches with Colombia's oldest city. From Cabo San Juan's hammock headland to Playa Cristal's boat-access cove, here's the complete guide to Colombia's wildest coast.
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