best south american travel books

The Best South American Travel Guidebooks

@whatslater

Finding the best travel guidebooks for any journey can be a nightmare, especially with so many to choose from. That’s why we’ve put together this yearly-updated list of the best guidebooks for South America, letting you know which ones we think are worth it for each region and also letting you know which ones are the most up-to-date. From Argentina and Brazil to Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela, we’ve got you covered. (And, as of recently, we’ve also included a few additional countries in Latin America too.)

Skip to the bottom of the page to find out our recommended guidebooks for the whole of South America and for each region.

It’s fair to say that Bradt, along with Footprint, is the bible for backpacking around South America. They’re the ones who really focused on South America first and they’ve long stayed ahead of the curve. Part of this is because they get to some of the harder-to-reach destinations, meaning their writers have to rough it a little more, trying to find places to stay and things to see in destinations that are not so tourist-friendly (for example, they even have a guide book for Suriname). Bradt have also started branching out into travel writing with Up The Creek a new book written by John Harrison and telling of his exploits up the Amazon. This focus on the less-popular spots is something they’re keeping intact – they’ve recently published a Falkand Islands guide book and updated their Paraguay and Guyana books, as well as Colombia (which is still a guide book that’s less represented than it should be). The downside to this is that they aren’t updating the larger countries so much (so if you want a guide for Argentina, Brazil, Peru or the entirety of South America we’d recommend looking elsewhere). Below are our pick of the South America guide books that Bradt offer:

Other titles from Bradt include (all of which haven’t been updated since 2012): Amazon Highlights (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil), Argentina, Bahia, Chile Highlights, Galápagos Wildlife, Guyana, Montevideo, Pantanal Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide to Brazil’s Wet Grassland, Peru Highlights, Peruvian Wildlife: A Vistor’s Guide to the High Andes, The Amazon, Venezuela

DK Eyewitness

If you’re after something a little more visual then we recommend checking out DK Eyewitness’ travel guides which are full of colour maps, photos and illustrations. With an almost encyclopaedic tone (not surprising considering they’re from DK) these are good guides if you want neutral, safe choices rather than the more personal or hip recommendations from the likes of Moon or Lonely Planet, or the kind of “off the beaten track” choices you get from Bradt or Footprint.

DK Eyewitness have only made a handful of guides for South America though these are all updated regularly, see the most recent editions below. Here’s their current selection:

Fodor’s

Fodor have some similarities with the DK Eyewitness titles. They make full-colour visually-stimulating guide books that feel great in the hands. They also have some really good articles on history and culture which make them fine companions. However, for us, the recommendations of places to visit and stay can seem a little too obvious, but this depends on whether you really want to get under the skin of South America. If you’re just planning on having a short stay or creating an itinerary to see a few countries over a few weeks, then these books could be perfect.

Fodor’s do only offer up-to-date books on Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, though their Belize and Guatemala one could be useful for anyone heading that way. Their South America guide book has unfortunately not been updated since 2008 so we recommend giving that one a miss.

Here’s their current range:

Essential Argentina: with Wild Country and Chilean Patagonia (Buy UK | USA ) 2018 Edition Belize with a side trip to Guatemala ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Brazil ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Buenos Aires with side trips to Gaucho Country, Iguazu and Uruguay ( UK | USA ) 2014/2015 Edition Chile including Easter Island and Argentine Patagonia ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Lima Travel Guide: Insider Advice from Expats in Peru ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Essential Peru: With Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo ( UK | USA ) 2018 Edition South America ( UK | USA ) 2008 Edition

Without doubt the best travel guide for South America with over 30 books in the region, many of which are recently updated, including probably the best overview of the continent in The South American Handbook , which is updated annually (making it far superior to the Lonely Planet’s South America on a Shoestring ). These guide books are packed with glossy photos but also plenty of good cultural articles and details with recommendations of places to eat, drink and stay, as well as good suggestions for things to do.

One thing we really like about Footprint is that in some of their newer paperback editions they’ve managed to make their guides smaller, more lightweight and manageable, which makes them even better travel companions. This is the case with The South American Handbook , which is ridiculously small for the amount of information that’s within it. They also went through a phase of publishing guides to smaller regions and areas called Focus guides, which were great for those wishing to travel just smaller areas, though they seem to have stopped publishing new editions of those now. Their current catalogue includes the following:

Argentina ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Bolivia ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Brazil ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Cartagena & Caribbean Colombia ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Chile ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Colombia ( UK | USA ) 2018 Edition Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Panama ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Cuzco, Machu Picchu & the Inca Heartland ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Ecuador & Galapagos ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Guyana, Guyane & Suriname ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Paraguay ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Patagonia ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Peru ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Recife & Northeast Brazil Focus ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Rio de Janeiro & Minas Gerais ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Salvador & Bahia ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition São Paulo ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition The South American Handbook ( UK | USA ) 2017 /2018 Edition The South American Handbook 1924 Edition ( UK | USA ) – fancy knowing what it was like travelling round South America in 1924? Venezuela ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Western Brazil: Iguacu – Amazon – Pantanal Handbook ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition

Other South American titles from Footprint (these were all published in 2014 or earlier): Bariloche & Argentine Lake District Focus, Bolivia Focus, Brazilian Amazon Focus, Brazilian Pantanal Focus, Buenos Aires & The Pampas Focus, Northeast Argentina & Uruguay Focus, Quito & Gálapagos Islands Focus, Uruguay Focus, Venezuela Focus

Buy The Footprint South American Handbook 2017/2018 Edition ( UK | USA )

Frommer’s

After a few lean years in regards to South America Frommer’s have recently published two EasyGuide books for Colombia and Peru which could be useful for some travellers. The Peru one, in particular, is well suited for anyone looking to head to simply Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu when in Peru (though we’d always recommend doing plenty of up-to-date research on Machu Picchu as it’s such a popular location and things do change). The Colombia one is perhaps a little too light, there are few photos or maps, and the information can be patchy, but it does provide an overview of the country. They also have a new Costa Rica guide, which is always welcome as there are few guides for the country. For some, their Day-to-Day guides to Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, which were released a few years ago now, may be very useful.

Other titles from Frommer’s (all published before 2013): Argentina, Brazil, Chile & Easter Island, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Peru Day-by-Day, South America (last published in 2010).

Lonely Planet

For many people, there is nothing better than a Lonely Planet. For finding accommodation recommendations, places to eat, places to visit, and even the odd nugget of useful information for a place, not to mention their very useful maps, there are few better. While we felt Lonely Planet went off the boil for a few years, at least Latin America-wise, they have since published a number of new editions for the continent’s most popular destinations which has put them bang up-to-date and well worth using. Their South America On a Shoestring book is also a big favourite, and always rivals Footprint’s The South American Handbook for the best continent-wide guide. It’s a shame that Lonely Planet don’t do some of the smaller countries but for the rest it has a great selection.

Moon Travel Guides

There is no doubting that Moon Travel Guides are now one of the major players when it comes to Latin America. With guides written by expert locals and a real commitment to keeping things up-to-date and exploring different regions, they really are one of the best out there, and very much carry on the good work that Bradt was doing initially.

Moon’s guides aren’t as concise as some of the others, with a more minimal visual design, though they are very personal and go to many destinations that the others don’t. For that reason, we don’t recommend Moon for the big countries, but their Peru and Colombia are highly recommended, as are all of the books they’ve made for smaller regions, especially those that offer guides to parts of Brazil and Colombia.

Belize ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Belize Cayes ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Bogotá ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Buenos Aires ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Cartagena & Colombia’s Caribbean Coast ( UK | USA ) 2016 Edition Chile including Easter Island ( UK | USA ) 2013 Edition Colombia ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Costa Rica: Living Abroad ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands ( UK | USA ) 2015 Edition Galápagos Islands ( UK | USA ) 2018 Edition Machu Picchu: With Lima, Cusco & the Inca Trail ( UK | USA ) 2018 Edition Medellín ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Patagonia: Including the Falkland Islands ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Peru ( UK | USA ) 2017 Edition Spotlight Salvador and Bahia ( UK | USA) 2015 Edition

Other titles, of which there are many, published by Moon include (these were all published in 2015 or before): Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Lake Titicaca, Living Abroad In Brazil, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, Spotlight São Paulo 2015 Edition, Tierra del Fuego and Chilean Patagonia, Yucatán Peninsula

National Geographic

If you’re looking for a map to accompany you on your trip then we whole-heartedly recommend these by National Geographic. They’re waterproof, tear-resistant and easy-to-read. What more can we say really?

Rough Guides

They’ve earnt their reputation as backpacker’s choice thanks to their focus on budget selections and the amount of information they pack into each book. It’s astonishing actually how big some of their editions are, with their simple design meaning that they get a lot of recommendations and info onto each page. Definitely one for the more hardened traveller. In the last couple of years they’ve really come back into their own by updating many of their books, making them a big player in South America once again after a quiet spell. Here is their current selection:

Our Verdict (The Best Travel Guide for South America)

If we’re talking about the best guide book for South America as a whole then we would opt for Footprint ‘s South American Handbook ( UK | USA ), though with Lonely Planet’s South America on a Shoestring and Rough Guide to South America on a Budget very closely behind. We’d also say something similar for the most popular countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru) with the choice being between Footprint, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides . When it gets to the smaller countries, as well as Colombia, then Moon and Bradt are also well worth considering.

This article was last updated on 22nd November 2018

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7 best books on South America

Planning a trip down to 'el sur' get to grips with the fascinating continent through these reads, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Guidebooks can keep you on the right path, but to help you understand and get the most out of a South American country these travelogues are essential

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When many people plan their South America holidays, they imagine the Peruvian rainforest of Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries or the epic plains of Tierra del Fuego as told by Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia . The problem is, Guevara raced his two-seater bike across the continent in 1952, while Chatwin met the Patagonian gauchos in 1974.

Decades later, the experiences may be similar but a million other things will have changed for the intrepid traveller. In 2017, you can get free wifi in most hostels and bars, find a McDonald’s in nearly every city and your tablet or iPhone is almost never more than a day away from being fixed.

You may think this means exciting experiences are no longer available in 21st century El Sur – but as these writers below prove, hair-raising adventure is still very much on the menu.

While the traditional guidebooks are still very much needed when it comes to planning your itinerary, these are the reads you need to really get to know the continent.

1. Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries by Kim MacQuarrie: £13.87, Simon & Schuster

Right up to the present day, South American history has been defined by strong men controlling or manipulating the masses. MacQuarrie uses the stories of the likes of narco-kingpin Pablo Escobar and Maoist rebel Abimael Guzman to explain the modern socio-political make-up of the continent. He also provides a vivid account of how Western explorers discovered Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu and, in the case of the latter, exploited it. This book is a hugely informative meld between the men who revealed the treasures of South America to the world and those who shaped its modern identity.

2. How to Travel Without Seeing by Andres Neuman: £12.99, Regan Arts

Written by Andres Neuman, a much celebrated Spanish-Argentine writer, this book vividly describes the great cities of South America, and was inspired by a continent-wide book tour promoting his novel Traveller of the Century . Fleeting and light, Neuman deftly brushes on topics ranging from the last days of Hugo Chavez to Latin American films, bizarre customs to forms and regulations. For people doing a city tour of El Sur and rushing through highlights of each country, this will prove a reliable, familiar and at times comic literary guide.

3. Brazil by Michael Palin: £8.99, Orion

Who better to introduce diffident Brits to Brazil than the UK’s favourite traveller? In addition to peerless writing, Michael Palin’s open-minded approach to new cultures and experiences remind the reader not of an Empire apologist, but of an eager schoolboy ready for anything. At twice the size of India Brazil can be intimidating, but this travelogue offers suggestions for travellers with different levels of acceptable adventure. Whether meeting the fierce tribes of the Amazon, rubber prospecting or walking around the modernist capital, Palin is compelling.

4. Viva South America! A Journey Through a Surging Continent by Oliver Balch: £10.99, Faber & Faber

South America loves Simon Bolivar, the legendary Venezuelan general who led the revolt against Spanish colonial rule. Balch uses General Bolivar’s war of liberation as the framework for travelling around Spanish South America, highlighting the current political landscape and its origins. He achieves this goal, and more, all the while negotiating classic issues and pleasures everyone experiences on the “gringo trail” – struggling up the altitudinous hills of La Paz, for example, and sipping your first pisco sour. It’s as anecdotal as it is politically aware.

5. Walking the Amazon by Ed Stafford: £9.99, Ebury

Walking the entire length of the Amazon, some 4,345 miles, is not just a crazy challenge – it’s almost suicidal. If you’ve heard rumours that South America is now some kind of tame holiday park to wander through anyway you like, then read this. The wild nature of the continent and its complicated border politics threaten to frustrate the author’s seemingly simple wish to follow the great river. Like Livingstone travelling up the Nile over a century ago, Stafford’s battle of endurance tells us as much about him as it does the extreme environments he endures. From death threats over the radio to confrontations with hostile, armed, indigenous warriors it is – clichéd as it may sound – a true rollercoaster read.

6. In Search of Lady Ayahuasca by Zach Zimmerman: £7.59, Z Publishing

Covering a journey of only a few days, this short book explores this writer’s hunt for enlightenment in the jungle – or, more accurately, in the shamanic drug ayahuasca. Whether you are interested in cleansing your ills with a mind-bending drink or not, his descriptions of the dangers, beauty and discomfort of the Amazon are captivating. Zimmerman illustrates the reality of travelling through the forest with a prose style that places you in the middle of the action. Perfect for lovers of Hunter S. Thompson and other gonzo journalists.

7. Short Walks from Bogotá by Tom Feiling: £9.99, Hive

Colombia is beautiful, the food is delicious and the people hospitable. The country’s only problem is that the decades of civil war, drug wars – and, of course, Pablo Escobar – have almost crippled its international reputation, especially for tourism. Feiling tackles this head on. A journalist by trade, he is at his best discussing the socio-political issues at the heart of the country. He does, however, produce a detailed picture explaining Colombia’s journey from colonial rule to the dark days of the cocaine barons, onto current efforts rebuilding the country and conserving its rich wildlife.

The Verdict: South America books

To get round South America and find the right hostels, guidebooks can keep you on the right path. But to help you understand and get the most out of a South American country you may only spend a few days in, these books are essential. The pick of the lot is Life and Death in the Andes by Kim MacQuarrie, which vividly explains the history which shaped the continent.

All prices are RRP

Hey, I'm Reading

Your friendly site for all fun things books, amazing south america books to read before your trip (or while you’re there).

by Megan Johnson
Posted on January 1, 2022 January 20, 2024

There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it in every related post, I love Central and South America. I’ve been to all of Central America and Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands but I want to go back to both and see even more plus the rest of South America.

I think if I could only visit one region, it would be Latin America with Nordic countries/polar regions in second (as of right now but I haven’t been to any yet.)

And while I’m always dreaming of my future South America trip(s), today I’m just dreaming from home as I make this impressive list of South America books.

I’ve read quite a few of these, but way less than half still. As always, I’ve added a ton of these to my TBR as I worked on this post.

If you want to listen to some of these, consider trying Audible ! You can get your first month free (one free book) plus tons of others they have for free. Get that Audible deal here.
If you’re on more of a budget, try Everand (formerly Scribd)! You can get 60 days free there with my link! You can read books and listen to audiobooks. It is unlimited (especially the reading) but if you listen to tons of new audiobooks you may be restricted after a few. I haven’t encountered this yet, but I do use Everand myself and like it a lot. Get 60 days free here!
Shop my collection of bookish goodies on Etsy ! These aren’t my shop items, but other shops I’ve curated into a book-themed collection. Shop my Etsy bookish goodies here!
If you want to read more on your Kindle but don’t want to buy books, Kindle Unlimited is a good option. If you read a lot and like to read more than just new releases (especially romance), it could be worth it. Get Kindle Unlimited here !
Get $5 off of $25 from BookOutlet! This is a great place to find new books for pretty cheap. They also have sales quite a bit, so keep an eye out for those. I tend to check here for books I want if they’re more expensive other places. They don’t have everything but they do have a lot. Shop BookOutlet here!
Thrift Books has become my go-to when I’m looking for a book and want it cheap. It’s great if you like buying used books. With this you can get a free book after spending $30!
Shop my book lists here! You can find every book list I have on Bookshop.org (except my monthly round-ups) and I add everything I can but they occasionally won’t have some. I do occasionally add extras though. If any lists are empty, they’ll be filled in shortly! Shop my bookshop.org book lists here .

Llama Drama

This time, Anna sets off with her friend Faye and limited Spanish on a six-month bicycle journey along the spine of the Andes Mountains starting in La Paz, Bolivia. They sleep in tents most nights and experience 50 mph crosswinds and catastrophic crashes on their 5,500-mile journey.

The Old Man Who Read Love Stories

Antonio Jose Bolivar seeks refuge in amorous novels where he lives in a remote river town in the Ecuadorian jungle. A dangerous shift is happening as tourists and opportunists make their way to the area.

Sola: One Woman’s Journey Alone Across South America

Amy has left her pleasant narrow life for one rich in experiences with panpipe playing Zen masters, nighttime jungle boat rides, Incan ruins, Patagonian glaciers, accidental volcano climbs, and even Giardia.

At the center of it all is a quirky surfer with wacky bits of wisdom and one real question: can you ever go home again?

I loved this one and would highly recommend it!

Patagonian Road: A Year Alone Through Latin America

Kate spends a year in Latin America spanning ten countries, three teaching jobs, and countless buses. This is her solo journey from Guatemala to Argentina where she struggles with language, romance, culture, service, and homesickness. She follows the route outlined by Paul Theroux in 1979 in his travelogue The Old Patagonian Express.

The Queen of Water

Virginia was born in an Andean village in Ecuador and raised in an earthen-walled dwelling. Working in the fields all day is common here, so is being called a longa tonga, stupid Indian, by the mestizos, Spanish descendants.

At seven-years-old, she’s taken to be a servant for a mestizo couple with no idea what the future holds.

This is fiction based on her own upbringing.

The Old Patagonian Express

It starts with a rush-hour subway ride in Boston before he crosses the US, Mexico , Central America, and the Andes until he gets to the Old Patagonian Express.

His journey comes to an end in the desolate land near Antarctica. Along the way, we hear the stories of the people he meets.

Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon

This is part adventure, part education as Paul Rosolie, a naturalist, conservationist, and explorer, takes us into the most remote sections of the Madre de Dios.

His love for the Amazon started in 2006 on his first trip there and over the coming years would return as often as possible.

He ventured into some of the most inaccessible areas of jungle alone, seeing floating forests, jaguars, poachers, and more. He raises an orphaned anteater and helps fight to protect the Madre de Dios from developers, oil giants, and gold miners.

This is one of my favorite books ever, I have two copies of it. And someday I’d love to go on one of the Tamandu Expeditions trips.

The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes

Even today there are tribes in the Amazon that have avoided contact with the outside world. This is the story of Scott Wallace’s journey into the Amazon in search of one of these tribes, the flecheiros or People of the Arrow, that are seldom seen and shower all intruders with deadly arrows.

He sets out on the trek on assignment with National Geographic, heading a team of thirty-four with Brazillian explorer Sydney Possuelo.

His mission is to protect the flecheiros and uncovers clues along the way to find out how they’ve managed to stay uncontacted for so long and why so much about them has to remain a secret if they want to survive.

This one has been on my TBR for a long time and I actually have it with me now.

The Lost City of Z

In 1925, Percy Fawcett set off into the Amazon in search of a fabled civilization, never to be seen again. Plenty of people died after this trying to find the same place he called “The Lost City of Z.”

This is one that I have with me and know I’ll read it eventually. Hopefully I’ll read it after some of my other jungle books.

The News From Paraguay

If you’re looking for historical fiction set in South America, this ones for you.

It’s 1854 in Paris when Francisco Solano begins his courtship of Ella Lynch with a poncho, a Paraguayan band, and a horse named Matilda.

Ella follows him to Asuncion, Paraguay to reign there as his mistress. Isolated in this new world, she embraces his ill-fated imperial dream that soon devastates all of Paraguay.

Camila Hassan is living a double life in Rosario, Argentina as a careful daughter under the rule of her short-tempered father and La Furia, a powerhouse on the soccer field.

Her team qualifies for the South American Tournament and this is her chance to see how far her talents can take her, but this path isn’t easy: her parents would never let her play futbol and she needs their permission to go farther.

As life becomes more complicated when the boy she once loved is back in town. she is forced to face her secrets and make her way in life with no place for the dreams of a girl like her.

Treasure of the World

All twelve-year-old Ana wants is to escape the future set for her and her classmates in their small Bolivian mining town. Boys in her class are leaving school to be miners and the girls are destined to be their wives.

Her father forces her often-ill eleven-year-old brother to work in the mines but she gives up her dreams to volunteer in his place.

It’s a dangerous world and the men don’t want a girl in their way. She has to find the courage to not only survive but to save her family after a mining accident kills her father and leaves her brother missing.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

In 1911 Hiram Bingham III “discovered” Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains.

He was credited as a villain for taking priceless artifacts and credit for the discovery. Mark Adams follows his footsteps to find the truth and ends up writing more of an adventure than he really had, after all, he never even slept in a tent.

I’ve wanted to read this one for years and just got it for my Kindle! I’ll update this once I read it.

At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig

If you want a travel book set in South America, this is perfect! It’s the account of travels across Paraguay, a country rarely visited by tourists.

This is part history, part adventure, and even part travel guide to all things Paraguay.

The Puma Years

First of all, how gorgeous is this cover? Second of all, I can’t wait to read this one. This is actually a memoir about her time in the Amazon jungle.

Laura left her job in her early twenties to backpack in Bolivia where she ended up at a wildlife sanctuary on the edge of the Amazon. Here, she was assigned to a puma named Wayra who she didn’t know would become a friend for life.

Into the Jungle

Lily found a way to escape the endless foster care system and once she steals enough money for the plane, she’s off on a teaching job in Bolivia. Once she gets there, things fall through but she decides to stay and falls for a local man trying out city life.

Soon Omar learns his nephew was killed by a jaguar and gives Lily a choice: stay in the city alone or join him in the ever more remote villages. Now she has to navigate the jungle and all its wonders and terrors.

The House of the Spirits

Esteban is a proud but volatile man whose pursuit of political power is only tempered by his love for his delicate wife, Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world.

Their daughter Blanca’s forbidden love affair in defiance of her father gives Esteban an unexpected gift, Alba, his adored granddaughter who will lead her famil and country into a revolutionary future.

Falling off the Map

While this isn’t entirely set in South America, he does visit Argentina and it still sounds interesting.

Pico Iyer travels the world visiting some of the loneliest and most eccentric places from Iceland to Bhutan to Argentina and these are those stories.

Wild Coast: Travels on South America’s Untamed Edge

I got this at a library book sale a few years ago and had it with me but just sent it home and now wish I didn’t haha.

On a three month expedition, were taken deep into jungles and swamps to runaway slave hideouts vegetation-strangled remnants of penal colonies and forts.

He recounts the often bloody history of the area, including Jonestown while introducing the area’s inhabitants both human and animal.

The Woman from Uruguay

Lucas is an unemployed writer embarking on a day trip from Buenos Aires to Montevideo to pick up $15,000 in cash, an advance for his upcoming novel and a possible solution to all his problems, mostly the tension with his wife who spends her days working and nights out on the town, possibly with a lover.

He spends his days staring at the blank page, taking care of his son Maiko, and fantasizing about the woman he met at a conference in Uruguay, a free spirit with her own relationship troubles.

Two Spies in Caracas

If you want a thriller set in South America, consider this one!

In Venezuela in 1992, Hugo Chaves staged an ill-fated coup against the corrupt government while catapulting the oil-rich country to international attention. This is the career-defining mission for two spies sent to Caracas: one from the US and one from Cuba.

Ivan’s job is to support Chavez and the revolution while Cristina will do everything she can to cut his power short. Caught in the middle of a political time bomb, they wind themselves in a game of espionage, seduction, and murder playing out with the backdrop of a nation in freefall.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree

Chula and her older sister can live their lives carefree thanks to their gated community in Bogota. However, just outside of their community, the threat of kidnappings, car bombs, and murder remains under the rule of Pablo Escobar who eludes authorities and capture.

Their mother hires Petrona as a live-in maid from the guerilla-occupied slum and Chula makes it her mission to understand Petrona’s mysterious ways.

As both of their families struggle to maintain stability, they find themselves in a web of secrecy forcing them to choose between sacrifice and betrayal.

The Air You Breathe

Dores is nine years old, orphaned, and working in the kitchen at a sugar plantation n 1930s Brazil. When Graca walks in, everything changes. They quickly bond over shared mischief and a love for music.

One has a voice like a songbird and the other composes melodies and lyrics to match. Music becomes their shared passion and the only way out of their respective lives but only one of them is destined to be a star.

This is another good choice for historical fiction set in South America.

This is actually a non-fiction book about South America and the Amazon jungle.

In 1927, Henry Ford bought a piece of land twice the size of Delaware in the Brazilian Amazon to grow rubber but soon it evolves to bring golf courses, ice cream shops, bandstands, indoor plumbing, and Model Ts to the jungle.

The settlement was called Fordlandia and became the site of an epic clash with Ford on one side and the Amazon on the other. Fordlandias eventual demise foreshadowed practices till laying waste to the rainforest today.

Dancing With the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro and the Olympic Dream

This is another great non-fiction book about South America and the Olympics in Rio.

Juliana has moved a lot in life but Rio is always home. After twenty-one years away, she returned home to find her city undergoing a major change.

In order to prepare for the world stage of the 2016 Olympics, Rio had to vanquish the problems Juliana recalls from her childhood to show off all the best Brazil has to offer with the whole world watching.

Shade of the Paraiso: Two Years in Paraguay, South America

Here’s another Peace Corps memoir for you, if that’s your thing. Mark spent two years in Paraguay serving in the Peace Corps in a remote community.

He shares about his failures, his wedding in a leper colony, his first day beginning with a coup, and life where you read by candlelight, draw water from a well, use a rickety outhouse, and hike for hours to reach a telephone and bus stop.

An Indian among Los Indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir

I would also really love to read this one, another Peace Corps memoir but in Bolivia this time.

Ursula, a member of the Karuk Tribe, started her Peace Corps service at twenty-five in Bolivia with excitement and trepidation “knowing I followed in the footsteps of Western colonizers and missionaries who had also claimed they were there to help.”

Over the next two years, a series of dramatic episodes brought the tension to a boiling point, and began asking herself what it means to have experienced the effects of colonialism while risking becoming a colonizing force in turn?

Travels with Rachel

This is a fun book about traveling through South America. We hear about George and Rachels’s adventures through swamps in Bolivia, hunting for anacondas, climbing volcanos, taking death-defying bus rides, and trying to get to Machu Picchu all with small backpacks, limited Spanish, and lots of enthusiasm.

Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South America Motorcycle Odyssey

Glen is an adventure motorcyclist seeking out the most rugged places on the planet to ride. No amount of experience in martial arts or as a Hells Angel will prepare him for what he became while riding to the tip of South America: a prisoner.

This is the story of his trip through Central and South America including his capture by Colombia’s rebel ELN army.

I would really like to read this one, it sounds pretty interesting. I just got this one.

Gringos and Flamingos: A Fat Bastard’s Guide to Trekking in Northern South America

This is a pre-cellphone tale of travels of a Kiwi couple through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia as they ride through the Andes in search of the “Authentic Backpacking Experience™.”

If you want a short book about traveling in South America, this one is for you. I just got this one, too.

The Mapmaker’s Wife

In the early 18th century, a group of brave French scientists set off on a decade-long expedition to South America in a race to measure the shape of the Earth. Their mission revealed the mysteries of a little-known continent to a world hungry for discovery.

Their mission was barely completed after battling jaguars, insects, vampire bats and more. One scientist was murdered, another died from fever, and a third, Jean Godin, almost died of heartbreak.

At the end of the expedition his Peruvian wife Isabel Gramesón was stranded at the opposite end of the Amazon, a victim of a tangled web of international politics. Her journey to reunite after 20 years separated had all of Europe spellbound.

Off the Map: A Journey Through the Amazonian Wild

The is the adventure of John Harrison and with wife Heather as they explore the unexplored region of the Amazon in the Guiana Highlands bordering Brazil.

With just a canoe and a shotgun, they follow the most remote tributary of the Amazon River with no means of contacting the outside world.

This one sounds really interesting, too and just added it to my wishlist ! It’s perfect if you want a South America adventure book.

Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries

Kim takes us on a historical journey through the Andes Mountains, the world’s longest mountain range, while bringing a fresh view to characters of the area like Charles Darwin, Che Guevara, Pablo Escobar, and more.

We learn about life in the islands of Lake Titicaca and meet a Patagonian woman who is the last living speaker of her language and so many others that were involved with those who influenced the continent so much.

I didn’t think this one sounded like it was for me when I first saw it, but this actually sounds really interesting!

Eight Men and a Duck: An Improbable Voyage by Reed Boat to Easter Island

Nick heard fellow bus passengers discussing the improbable plan to sail the 2,500 miles from Northern Chile to Easter Island in a boat made of reeds. They wanted to revive the pre-Incan boat building method while having an incredible adventure.

Nick talked his way on board to find himself plagued with uncertainty, especially when the crew was made of a tree surgeon, a jewelry salesman, and two ducks. Where’s the navigator? Does anyone here know how to sail? Where is the life raft?

This is perfect for fans of adventure and sailing books.

Ipanema Turtles: A South American Adventure by Bike

Starting at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Laura and Patrick set off on a 21,000-kilometer bike ride across South America.

They experienced a side of the continent most people don’t see as they cross the Andes, the Amazon, and the Atacama. They traveled through Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana making their way back to the beach where it all began.

This one sounds really fun, too, and I may or may not have also gotten this (I did.)

One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rainforest

In 1941, Richard Evan Schultes took leave from Harvard and disappeared into the Amazon for twelve years, mapping uncharted rivers and living with dozens of Indian tribes.

In the 1970s, he sent two students to follow in his footsteps and unveil the botanical secrets of coca, the source of cocaine, a sacred plant known as the Divine Leaf of Immortality to the Inca. This is an account of adventure, discovery, betrayal, and destruction bringing together two generations of explorers.

This is another one I would eventually like to read.

Walking the Amazon: 860 Days. The Impossible Task. The Incredible Journey

In April 2008, Ed Stafford decided he wanted to be the first man to ever walk the entire length of the Amazon River. He started on the Peruvian coast and crossed the Andes to find the official source of the Amazon.

He passes through Colombia and Brazil, facing logistical issues, wildlife, indigenous people, and more all while facing his own personal struggles, fears, and doubts.

His journey lasts 860 days and over 4,000 miles as he witnesses deforestation, pressure on tribes due to loss of habitats, and nature in its raw form. I love books about walking long distances and this was a great one for that.

Amazon Woman: Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, and a Quest to Kayak the World’s Largest River from Source to Sea

On her 35th birthday, Darcy set off on a 148-day journey kayaking the entire length of the Amazon River with her boyfriend of twelve years and a mutual kayaking friend/colleague. The emotional waters encountered on the trip were often more difficult to navigate than the class five rapids on the river itself.

Along the way they encounter 25 days of whitewater rapids, illegal loggers, narco-traffickers, Shining Path rebels, ruthless poachers, and surprisingly friendly locals before reaching the triumphant end becoming the first to achieve this accomplishment.

Cloud Road: A Journey through the Inca Heartland

This is the account of the five months John spent in the Andes Mountains while following the Camino Real, the great road of the Incas.

Finding and studying remote villages is central to the quest but he also faces dog attacks, sweltering canyons, floods, and stubborn donkeys on his way from the Equator to Machu Picchu.

Have you read any of these South America books? Which ones? Any other books set in South America I should check out?

Author: Megan Johnson

I'm Megan, a cheesehead at heart currently residing in the Sunshine State. You can probably find me reading, watching Forensic Files, or both. View all posts by Megan Johnson