South America Port Cities

Montevideo, Uruguay
This charming resort/capital sits on the northern shore of the wide River Plata, surrounded by extensive ranchland. The peaceful waterfront is lined with sandy beaches, and the charming Old Town is an open-air museum of 18th- and 19th-century colonial architecture.

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Port Stanley is a capital in miniature, where the masts of old sailing ships stick up haphazardly out of the little harbor, and the government house is little more than a small Victorian home. Ramble through deserted streets and poke through the few shops to feel what it's like to live in this remote frontier town.

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
The Chilean archipelago is a spectacular wilderness region of deeply cleft fjords, hanging glaciers and snow-covered Andean peaks. Here cascading waterfalls tumble over steep canyon walls, and hundreds of species of birds - including the near-extinct giant condor - flock to play and feed in the mist-shrouded islands.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina
The incredible array of wildlife including sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and whales has given this Patagonian area the name "Galapagos of the East Coast." Founded by Welsh immigrants, who came to homestead the vast Chubut Valley in the 1880's, Puerto Madryn still contains evocative reminders of its rich Celtic heritage.

Puerto Montt, Chile (Lake District)
Surrounded by fir-covered islands and bays with snowcapped mountains in the distance, Puerto Montt is Chile's yachting center and gateway to the stunning Lake District. On the shores of Lago Llanquihue, you'll see vacation homes that look like Swiss chalets. Visit Cascada de Los Novios and the jewel of the Lake District, Lago Todos Los Santos; Franklin Roosevelt called it the most beautiful lake in the world.

Punta Arenas, Chile (Lake District)
Squeezed on a narrow shelf between the towering Andes and the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas is totally isolated from the rest of Chile. Once the busiest port in South America and the epicenter for Chile's sheep ranching, today Punta Arenas is a major marine center and supply base for Antarctic expeditions.