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South America 2026
  • Kurt Bonhamer
  • Kurt Bonhamer

South America 2026

3 weeks exploring Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 29, 2026
    Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Buenos Aires - Day 1

    June 29 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Welcome to this journey with me as I travel across South America. I slept well on the plane, waking up as we landed in Buenos Aires. After arriving at the hotel, I walked around the docks and went to a fantastic steakhouse before meeting a few members of my group at Recoleta Cemetery - site of Eva Paron’s mausoleum - and the surrounding neighborhood.

    After meeting the rest of the group we went to a cooking class to make chipas (cheese bread), empanadas, salad, steak, and flan… and of course wine and vermouth. The dinner ended around 10:00 - early for Argentinians, before we returned to the hotel to crash.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Buenos Aires - Day 2

    June 30 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Most of the day was spent touring the city’s various neighborhoods, stops included the presidential palace, the Central Cathedral where Pope Francis was once a bishop over, street art, and a local farmer’s market, before having lunch - another steak.

    The evening started with an Argentinian tango lesson followed by dinner and a tango show.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Iguazu Falls - Day 1

    July 1 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Today was an early start. We left the hotel at 4:45am to catch a flight to Puerto Iguazu, on the border between Argentina and Brazil. We crossed into Brazil to get our first views of the 250+ waterfalls that make up Iguazu Falls National Park. The falls were filled with black vultures, plush crested jays, and coatis (raccoon like animals that are curious around people but don’t attack).

    The afternoon was a tour of the jungle with zip lines, high bridges, and repelling down a waterfall before another fabulous 3 course dinner, with views across the river at sunset to see Paraguay. Now we are off to watch the USA play in the World Cup.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Iguazu Falls - Day 2

    July 2 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We spent today on the Argentinian side of the falls in their national park. Our tour started with a jet boat ride up the rapids until we reached the bottom of the falls. We were completely drenched, but had a great time.

    We then toured the top of the falls. After lunch we took a path around the base of the falls. Along the way we saw more coatis, monkeys, and toucans.

    In the evening we learned about national drink, matte, a plant extract that tastes like an earthy green tea. Followed by dinner and another tango performance. Photos of us singing and dancing into the night aren’t available, 🤷‍♂️ but everyone on the trip came out to enjoy our last night in Argentina. In the morning we fly to Rio de Janeiro for the Brazil portion of the trip.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
    11

    Rio de Janeiro

    Jul 3–5 in Brazil ⋅ 🌬 75 °F

    July 3:
    We had a farewell breakfast in Argentina before flying to Rio de Janeiro to meet our new guide for the end of the trip. As we entered the city we got our first views of the beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Christ the Redeemer.

    In the evening we had a food tour through 3 different restaurants and bars sampling local food and drink. After the final stop, a couple of us caught the end of the Argentina soccer match and a small restaurant on Copacabana Beach, near our hotel.

    July 4:
    A few of us woke up to catch sunrise on Copacabana Beach. Despite the clouds, it was still worth getting up for.

    Our morning tour included a tram through the fog to see Christ the Redeemer. Next , we walking the Selarón Steps, 215 tiled steps cutting through the St. Teresa neighborhood

    In the late afternoon we took another tram up Sugarloaf Mountain for some views of the city, which was slowly covered by fog as the sun went down.

    Then it was time for our farewell dinner at a restaurant on the mountain and then a final drink at our hotel before saying goodbye to some new friends.

    Our tour is officially over, tomorrow my other new friends travels home, and I am continuing on to Peru. Sad to say goodbye after getting to know everyone over the past week.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Rio to Lima

    July 5 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Today was a transition day. A couple of us strolled Copacabana and Ipanema Beach in the morning before having a final lunch with the rest of the group at a Michelin recommended restaurant. It was the best food we had in Brazil. I had tuna over a bed of pasta with pesto.

    Then we made our way back to the hotel, to pack and say our goodbyes before we went our ways, some to the airport, others to a museum and one to a new hotel for some extra time in Rio.

    Brazil was playing in the World Cup, and the match started just after we cleared security. I had a burger and beer with the other traveler from our group who was on my flight to Lima. We laughed about how many people would miss their flight because they were watching the game.

    Well….time got away from us and after I looked at time on my phone we rushed to pay the check and run to our gate just as the final boarding announcement was being made. The woman I was traveling with is very organized and said she has never been the last to board a plane, so I let her board in front of me to keep her streak alive :)

    After landing in Lima, I said bye to final person from my first tour group, she was continuing home.
    After a brief 2 hours to get through immigration, I made my way to my hotel in Lima sometime past midnightz I’ll spend the next few days exploring the city on my own before my second tour begins.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Lima- Day 1

    July 6 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    A couple of firsts happened today: I had the chance to sleep in, and did, and I got to the gym, it felt great. Once I finally left the hotel, I walk around The Miraflores neighborhood, exploring various streets and Kennedy Park, which has become a haven for local cats. I then strolled down to the Pacific Ocean to walk along the cliffs, spotting paragliders.

    In the afternoon, I joined a walking/food tour of the Barranco neighborhood, sampling local coffee and fruits, an empanada, chocolate, a pisco sour, ceviche, steak stir fry, cow’ heart, and locally made ice cream.

    Following the tour, the group decided to hang out at a local bar to watch Team USA in the World Cup. The game was utterly disappointing, but we made the most of it.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Lima - Day 2

    July 7 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Another relaxing day. After exploring more of Miraflores in the morning, I found a sushi place to watch the Argentina- Egypt World Cup match. Once again it was amazing to watch the entire place stop to watch the exciting Argentinian comeback.

    After lunch I joined a walking tour through the major plazas, past the presidential palace and through the streets where various architectural style from the different periods of Lima could be seen. The tour ended by golf by through the catacombs below Franciscan church that was built in the 1630s. Many of the original mosaic tiles from the period still exist.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Paracas/Ballesta Islands

    July 8 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Enough relaxing… I woke up at 4:30a to catch a full day bus tour. As we drove south, we stopped for breakfast at Don Robert’s,m for breakfast where the make artisian bread in clay oven. Then it was on to Paracas and the Ballesta Islands tour.

    The 2 hour tour (lucky, it wasn’t a 3 hour tour), into the bay and surrounding islands gave us the chance to see many birds. I’ll rely on the experts to identify them all, but there were pelicans, Humboldt penguins, including one baby. We also saw many sea lions and and dolphins.

    After the boat tour we traveled to a winery for lunch, and to learn about pisco, a South American brandy, used to make pisco sours (delicious), and a coffee cream, similar to Bailey’s.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Huacachina

    July 8 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    The bus tour continued to Huacachina, the highlight for me. Huacachina is a small oasis on the edge of giant dunes in the Peruvian desert. We got into dune buggies to ride over the dunes, stopping many times for scenic views and to ski down the mountain lying down face first on essentially snowboards (don’t worry mom, I wore a helmet).

    At our last vista we watched the sunset and drank a celebratory local beer to remember the moment.

    Then, just a short 5 hour bus ride back to Lima, arriving at my hotel at midnight. Only 4 hours of sleep tonight, tomorrow morning I leave for Ecuador.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Quito - Day 1

    July 9 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Another early morning, the alarm went off at 4:30, but it was worth it to make my way to Quito. When I landed in Ecuador, immigration took only 5 minutes to get through 🙌

    After arriving at the hotel, I met a few of my companions for the next week and had lunch on a rooftop restaurant. Despite being at 9,000 feet of elevation, I felt good walking up the hills. We then stopped by the chocolate tasting that was being held in our hotel. Walking around we got our first glimpses of The Winged Virgin of Quito. The aluminum statue is a symbol of Quito and actually taller than Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

    Later in the afternoon, I met the rest of my new group for this tour and we had our welcome dinner. The dinner was six courses of Ecuadorian food and included a grub (which tasted like pork), a guinea pig dumpling (which was gamy), octopus, and a delicious lava cake and popcorn ice cream for dessert.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Quito - Day 2

    July 10 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    This morning we met for a tour around central Quito, stopping in the oldest market - San Fransisco Market. We had an herbal shower of mint, sage, and rose pedals. (Essentially you pay for someone to beat you with branches 😂). And a good luck bracket. We then sampled a few fresh juices made at the juice bar.
    Next we traveled to San Francisco Basilica and Convent, the oldest church and monastery in Quito. The roof was designed with interlocking pieces of wood, and no nails or other materials holding mg it together. We then climbed a spiral staircase to the top of the bell tower to view the plaza and surrounding city.

    Next we went to another chocolate tasting, life is hard!! This was when better than the chocolate the day before and the tasting ended with the fudgiest brownie I’ve ever eaten.

    The afternoon was spent north of Quito at the Middle of the World, located at the Equator. Some members of our group were able to balance an egg. Our lunch today was a little more traditional for me - pork, enjoyed overlooking the crater of a dormant volcano as the clouds rolled in.

    The afternoon ended with a tour and tasting at an agave distillery.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Galapagos - Day 1

    July 11 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We left the hotel at 4:00am…. That’s all I have to say about that.

    But once we arrived at the Galapagos we hit the ground running spotting iguanas and crabs as we left the airport. We kayaked along the mangroves of Santa Cruz spotting a seal lion, pelicans, and a sting ray. Then it was time to snorkel where we say black and white tip sharks, another sting ray, a puffer fish, and an angel fish.

    For lunch we ate at a giant tortoise preserve before walking through a giant lava tube. We then arrived at our lodging for the night, raised canvas rooms that allow the tortoise to swallow and sleep under your platform. We ate a dinner consisting of Ecuadorian dishes from the various regions of the country - in a cave. After emerging from the cave, the sky was full of stars. We even saw a shooting star as we spotted the southern cross.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Galapagos - Day 2

    July 12 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    After a delicious breakfast of fruit, eggs, and banana pancakes we said good-bye to the giant tortoise reserve and made our way to the Charles Darwin Research Station and Breeding Program. We say our first of many marine iguanas along the way. Several species of giant tortoises could be seen from adult to juveniles less than 2 years old. We even saw a baby flip upside down and right himself.

    For lunch we visited a restaurant owned by a winner of Top Chef Ecuador and made Ecuadorian ceviche with tuna, peppers, onions, peanut sauce, soy sauce and coconut milk. As many of you know I don’t like coconut - at all!! My partner and I added as much salt and soy sauce as we could to successfully mask the taste. I’m sure it’s not the way the chef intended haha.

    After lunch we walk a few miles to a somewhat secluded beach for a quiet afternoon to swim, kayak, and snorkel as we pleased.

    Our hotel for the next 2 evenings is located on a part of the island, requiring a short 2 minute water taxi from the main island to get to. For dinner we crossed back to the main island and spotted sea lions at the dock and on water.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Galapagos - Day 3

    July 13 in Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Today we traveled on a yacht for a day trip to North Seymour home to sea lions, frigate birds, blue footed boobies, lava gulls (known for their red eyes) and marine iguanas. In the morning we hiked around the island seeing several birds both flying and nesting. Then we snorkeled just off the island spotting several fish and a small black tip shark.
    After lunch on board the boat, we traveled for 30 minutes to Mosquera Island. I was joined by 3 people from my tour group on the forward deck of the boat as the salt air and sun hit us as motor hummed in the background. It was the most relaxing feeling I’ve had on this trip.
    On the island we planned to just jump in the water and relax. We spotted 10 flamingos and some spotted an octopus. You’ll just have to take my word for it.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Galapagos - Day 4

    July 14 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    This morning we took a two hour ferry from Santa Cruz to Isabella Island, our home for the next 2 days. The Dramamine did its job to keep my stomach calm, but also made me quite drowsy. After serving, most of the group took a bike ride to look for tortoises, O stayed behind to rest then explore the town. The group was back together for lunch and an afternoon for a tour and our last snorkeling outing for the trip.
    We took a boat and walking tour through part of the island that serves as a nursery for marine iguana babies and also spotted herons, blue footed boobies, and Galapagos penguins.
    In the water we saw several green sea turtles, black tip sharks, stingrays, fish, and even a penguin. I was able to get a selfie with one of the penguins when it jumped back out of the water.
    As we left the area, several boobies started diving into the water, going after fish.    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer
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    Galapagos - Day 5

    July 15 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    This morning we hiked around the caldera and down into Sierra Negra volcano. The hike was 10 miles in total. Along the way we spotted a vermillion flycatcher and a Galapagos dove.

    As we reached the first overlook the clouds broke for 2 minutes, then. We all snapped some photos down into the dormant crater before the clouds covered it back up. For the final mile, we left the ridge and went down into the caldera. Once reached the end of the hike we had a spectacular 360 degree view of the area.
    It started to rain on the way back and the poncho I have been carrying since day 1, finally came in handy. My old shoes had no tread on them and I slid several times on the way back but never fell. Much like my shoes on the Camino de Santiago, they have no served their purpose and we placed in the garbage can at the end of the hike.

    We had lunch on a local farm with farm raised chicken in a homemade BBQ sauce, home grown veggies and local fruits for dessert.

    The rest of the afternoon we were around the hotel A enjoying the hot tub on the roof overlooking the beach, and walking through town.

    In the evening, we had our farewell dinner with Luis, who has been our tour guide in the Galapagos, and a final beer on the beach    Read more

  • Kurt BonhamerSouth America 2026Kurt Bonhamer

    Planes, Boats, and Automobiles

    July 17 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    All good things come to an end.

    July 16th
    We left our hotel on Isabella island at 5:00am to take our taxi (pickup trucks), to the boat dock, to take our water taxi to our 2 hour ferry to Santa Cruz, to then take a water taxi to the dock. We then walked to grab a coffee and catch our van across the island to the next dock to catch another short ferry across to Balatas Island where our airport was about. It was a long 5.5 hours to get there, then, but the day was just beginning for us…
    Our 11:40 flight back to Quito was delayed, first until 12:55, then 2:30, then 5:00, then, then 7:00, then 7:50p. This had us arriving in Quito at 12:30am.

    The airport in Baltas is small, 3 gates, but we were all able to get into the lounge, to have some food, drinks and comfortable seats. We got to see an extra sunset in the Galapagos, at least! We made the best of it and no one in the group lost their temper, unlike some others we saw.

    We were supposed have to have a farewell dinner in Quito, which was not to be. During our airport delays one member of our group rebooked to another flight from Balatas to make her overnight connection through Quito. When the rest of us arrived in Quito our local guide greeted us to give us a small gift., which was a nice touch. 2 members of our group went into Quito for the night, since they had flights later in the day. Three of us stayed at the airport, since they had flights on a few hours, how big to get into a lounge to grab a shower and comfortable seat.
    I decided to grab a hotel nearby and skip the 50 minute drive into Quito. We said our goodbyes,not the big farewell and reminiscing you hope for, but everyone was just tired and trying to get to a bed. I arrived at my hotel around 1:00am and got five hours of sleep, clean clothes, and a shower, it was worth it.

    July 17
    The travel day started early, but at least I got to sleep in until 6:00! My first leg to Miami was uneventful, but delays with my connecting flights made it impractical to fly, so I grabbed a rental car and drove the final stretch back to Tampa. I am home!

    This final travel episode has in no way impacted my views on the trip, as I start to look back and can’t believe it’s over.

    By the numbers:
    19 days
    4 new counties
    9 different hotels
    9 flights covering 13,470 miles
    233,053 steps
    2 ferries
    10 water taxis
    1 jet boat
    1 kayak
    28 shuttle bus rides
    10 Ubers
    2 trams
    1 rental car
    14 fellow travelers met
    9 guides
    Tons of fun
    Countless memories    Read more

    Trip end
    July 17, 2026