South America is a different world, almost literally. For many of us at Sovereign it is also one of our favourite destinations, teeming with colour, music, vibrancy and wonderful locals that have a real zest for life and for fun. It benefits from a wide range of cultures, cuisines and people that are as varied as anywhere on earth, almost all utterly different to our normal, everyday experience. Weather that's truly tropical, and a landscape that has everything from volcanoes to lagoons, silky beaches to rocky cliffs.
Rich jungles burst with the most colourful wildlife imaginable, matched only by the vibrancy and welcome of the locals. Just the names of the countries you can visit evoke sparkling images of colour, entertainment and passion - our favourites include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama and Uruguay. Because South America is such a huge continent the cities are also incredibly varied, from the neoclassical beauty of Buenos Aires “The Paris of the South” to charming Montevideo and Recife, not forgetting exciting Rio de Janeiro.
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The locations are rich in diversity and history - the Galápagos, which inspired Darwin to draw up his theory of evolution; the Amazon, the world's largest river; and both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts showcasing amazing sea and bird life.
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Discover the home of the tango in Buenos Aires, or the incredible Brazilian city of Manaus, which can only be reached by boat or air. Visit Macapá, which is bisected by the Equator and as a result has earned the title of ‘capital city of the middle of the world.’ And then there's Montevideo, birthplace of the World Cup, which is consistently voted as having the highest quality of life of any city in South America. The Orinoco River is also a very popular destination for many of our luxury cruises and a luxury cruise is also a great combination with a stay at the ancient site of Machu Picchu or a visit to the breathtaking Iguazú Falls.
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Whatever time of year you choose to visit, whatever you're looking for in a trip, South America offers an extraordinary range of experiences that can be fulfilled in one stunning, 30 night journey or in a series of shorter, 7-day bursts of culture and excitement filled voyaging.
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The vast majority of luxury cruise lines will offer a variety of South American itineraries from October to March each year.
For those that do not wish to fly, most years Cunard offer a round-trip Southampton circumnavigation of South America in January for approximately 70 nights. It is a wonderful way to escape the British winter for the tropical climes and beauty of this incredible continent. What could be better than celebrating seeing in the new year in the UK and then cruising away to the sunshine and warmth and only returning when the worst of the British winter is behind you? Sectors of these cruises are also available, the most popular of which is circumnavigating South America round trip from Fort Lauderdale.
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Most South American luxury cruises are fly-cruises, and they commence from numerous ports around this vast continent or from some ports in the United States, or the Caribbean. Again, it is possible to circumnavigate South America on a small or medium-sized luxury cruise ship, and a number of these cruises will also include the contrast of visiting the remote majesty of Antarctica. A full circumnavigation of South America including Antarctica will take anything from 65 to 75 nights. If you do not wish to visit Antarctica, the cruise normally takes from 55 to 65 days. If you do not wish to be away from home for this length of time then we recommend organising the full cruise into two or three sectors over two or three years. The most popular sectors are from the United States or the Caribbean down the eastern coast of South America, often including the mighty Amazon, finishing in either Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aries. The next popular sector departs either of these two famous ports and can sometimes include a visit to the Falkland Islands, Ushuaia Cape Horn including the dramatic beauty of the Chilean fjords, finishing in Valparaiso, Chile. The final sector is from Valparaiso up the fascinating western coast of South America, including fascinating ports such as Callao, Salaverry and Guayaquil. These luxury cruises often finish in one of the world's most beautiful countries, Costa Rica. Alternatively, these cruises can finish on the western coast of the United States or they can include a transit of the fascinating Panama Canal and end in the Caribbean, Fort Lauderdale or Miami.
South America is now also a prime destination for expedition cruising and this is a great way to see the interior gems of this beautiful continent and to enjoy the local culture and heritage on a smaller scale.
However, you decide to visit South America, our team of luxury cruise experts will take pleasure in sourcing the perfect luxury cruise experience for you at the guaranteed best fare. We love South America and many of us have visited here on numerous occasions in the past and we are looking forward to continuing to explore South America and to share our knowledge with you.
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