We are thinking of a month long trip to South America next July. My Mrs is a teacher so we are stuck with that month. Only just started researching but we are thinking possibly of Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Very open to other suggestions though.

We’re both keen on mountains, food, bikes, nature, adventure etc.

Who’s been? What would you recomend?

We did Argentina for our honeymoon 5 years ago and loved it. Did Buenos Aires, Patagonia (El Calafate), Mendoza then up to the Andes towards the Chilean border. We loved it, it’s worth it for the beef alone! Was lucky enough to go back to Buenos Aires with work a couple of years later and loved it again!

Peru and Bolivia are amazing, I lived out there for almost 3 years. Be wary of trying to do/see too much in a month the distances are HUGE!!

Bolivia is phenomenal. I spent a year trekking and climbing in the Andes a while back and if I had to choose one country to visit again, that’s where I’d go – astonishingly beautiful with an indigenous culture that’s close to the surface than in some of the other countries. The Cordillera Real area close to La Paz is stunning, but see also the Salar de Uyuni and Potosi, Lake Titicaca etc.

You could combine it with the area around Cuzco in Peru quite easily – a bit of a cliche, but an amazing city and Machu Picchu is worth seeing – but as above, I’d be wary of trying to do too much in one month, it’s a big place.

If you don’t speak basic Spanish, it’s definitely worth learning as English isn’t understood much. The food’s not much to write home about tbh, though Peruvian ceviche is good.

I really loved Colombia as well. Totally different to the more Andean countries. Ecuador is sort of snack-sized Andes with a little bit of everything in a more manageable size. But if I went back to one country it would be Bolivia.

I think you might be right, we tried this a few years ago with South East Asia; started off wanting to do a few counties and ended up just seeing Vietnam.

Where / what would you recomend in Peru and Bolivia?

I hear El Camino de la Muerte is a once in a lifetime experience.

As for Bolivia….

You can do the usual tourist trail and still have a great time. La Paz, Rurrenabaque, Uyuni, Poytosi, Lago Titicaca are all amazing despite not being particularly off the beaten track.

Alternatively you can get very, very remote in the various cordillera. A climb of Hauyna Potosi is the easiest way to get over 6,000m anywhere in the world and a proper mountain experience even if you don’t a lot of climbing experience. Gravity Bolivia to some great proper MTB trips as well as the ‘Worlds Most Dangerous Road / Camino de la Muerte’. I clocked up about 250-300 trips down the WMDR so am well qualified to say that it is certainly worth the trip!

Our summer is obviously their winter, it can get fairly cold from Porto Alegre south.  Not sure about Peru/Bolivia but worth researching.

Southern Peru, Bolivia and Chile would be a good option, but it’s all so varied, and it depends what priorities you have. For cultural experiences, it’s very hard to beat Bolivia, and the scenery is amazing to, with some fantastic walking and riding opportunities. Linked with some time in Southern Peru, it would be great. The only thing is that riding/guiding is only developing- i was there over 10 years ago, and there was some great stuff to be had doing the Camino de los Muertos, but it’s essentially a gravel road. there are probably many more options though.

If adventure is the priority, Chile and Argentina are worth a look. It will be winter then, but at lower altitudes, riding is always possible, and the Chileans are especially into mountain biking. Also, there should be snow in July! Valle Nevado in Chile, Las Lenas (Mendoza) and Cerro Catedral or Chapelco (Rio Negro/Patagonia) in Argentina are all small, but well specced resorts, but with limitless back country off piste- with a guide! Bariloche in northern Patagonia is a great base for both summer and winter adventures.