Rivaling Madrid or Paris for sophistication and culture, the tree-lined boulevards of fashionable Buenos Aires are home to superb restaurants, art galleries, museums, the magnificent Teatro de Colon and the brightly colored houses of La Boca barrio. As the sun sets, Recoleta awakens and the passionate melodies of the tango rise from the milangas along San Telmo’s cobbled streets. Few cities in South America share the ambiance, lifestyle and amenities that make Buenos Aires so endearing.

Spend the day enjoying this beautiful, chic beach resort, its marinas, museums and fascinating shops. Or venture into the equally picturesque countryside and visit a cattle station. Take a trip to Sea Wolves Island and view a colony of endangered sea lions and seals. Visit the 18th-century city of Maldonado with its many enchanting buildings, cathedral and lovely museum. Look for fine leather goods, jewelry and artwork. Excellent beef and seafood highlight the menus here.

Explore this lovely old Portuguese city, its gracious squares and beautiful churches. Visit the Museum of Sacred Art and the fascinating Oceanographic Museum. Or see the vast pampas and feel the gaucho life on a local estancia.

Discover the quaint fishing village charm and lively beach atmosphere of Porto Belo, tucked at the base of lush mountains on a sparkling emerald bay. Take a few moments to peruse the wharf shops before shuttling off to the main square in downtown Porto Belo. Look for unique Brazilian beachwear, jewelry and hand carved wooden art pieces. Enjoy a tour of the area. Then, visit Quatros Ilhas Beach to enjoy fresh seafood, shrimp, and the famous Caipirinha made from Brazil’s sugar cane liquor, cachaca at a beachside café. Relax to the soft whisper of the waves in this beach lover’s paradise.

Journey inland to vibrant São Paulo and see its modern skyscrapers and monuments, and visit the beautiful art museum. Or explore charming Santos and its extraordinary Botanical Garden including an Orchidarium with over 100 flower species and an aviary alive with macaws, toucans and parrots. Take a scenic drive to Guaruja and visit the resort towns fascinating aquarium.

The tiny fishing village of Búzios, just 105 miles from Rio de Janeiro, is considered one of the ten most beautiful spots in the world. The village burst into prominence when French actress Brigitte Bardot visited here in her heyday (there’s a statue of her looking out to sea on the Orla Bardot). Today, this once sleepy village is an international resort — St. Tropez, with a unique Brazilian beat. Búzios offers some of South America’s most attractive beaches. Indeed, you could lounge on one magnificent beach each hour of the day, sipping a delicious caipirinhas of course.

There’s a little bit of Carnival celebrated here everyday. From its famous beaches to its iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio radiates an air of exuberance that is hard to find anywhere else. Make the scene on trendy Ipanema or take a cable car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain and enjoy the amazing views. Sway your hips to the rhythm at a samba show or enjoy the tranquility of king Dom João VI’s Botanical Gardens and verdant Tijuca Forest.

In Brazil, there are giant stretches of unexplored rainforest, islands with pristine beaches and endless rivers. The small city of Cabo Frio feels like it’s just been discovered. The principle beach is Praia do Forte, or Fort Beach, which sprawls wide and unbroken for more than four miles. On the left side you will find the São Mateus fort, which is a protected site by the National Historic Heritage Institute. This is also the perfect place to snap a photo of the stunning view of the coast. If you enjoy shelling, visit Concha Beach, which gets its name from the treasures you’ll find in the sand. And if you prefer an active beach day, head to the white sand dunes of Dunas Beach, perfect for surfing, kite surfing and sailing.

The oldest and most historic city in Brazil is renowned for its deeply rooted Afro-Brazilian culture. With an amazing number of magnificent baroque colonial-style churches, Salvador has been nicknamed the ‘Black Rome.’ Many of the most interesting museums and churches are located in the Cidade Alta. Surrounding Pelourinho Square, tour bright, multi-colored houses, cobbled streets and aromatic markets.

Discover colonial Brazil in Recife and nearby Olinda and step back in time along narrow, winding streets amid meticulously restored homes, churches and lovely plazas. Admire the scenic views from the Malakoff Tower and Olinda’s hilltop plaza. Visit the old Dutch Fort, the Jewish Historic Archive and a local artist in his workshop and gallery. Take home lovely traditional Pernambuco handicrafts like clay figurines, wood sculptures, leather or woven straw items or hunt for unusual trinkets in artisan shops. Indulge in a delicious lobster lunch or just about anything your palate desires.

The busy port of Belém, Brazil is the gateway to the Amazon, and it is laden with jungle riches like hardwoods, orchids, nuts and minerals. It is known as the Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region, or Cidade das Mangueiras (city of mango trees) due to the number of those trees found in the city. Belém offers colorful markets, including indigenous handicrafts and quartz jewelry. Nearby is the emerald world of the Amazon’s Guama River.

French Guiana is best known for the infamous penal colony to which convicts and undesirables were deported from France. For a long time the small archipelago was known by the name of “Devil’s Island.” The notorious convict settlements were built in 1852. Today, discover a lush, green landscape, where tropical foliage has grown over the old prison buildings and softened their aspect from forbidding to quaint. The most famous prisoners were Alfred Dreyfus, the French Army officer falsely convicted of treason, and Henri Charrière, who was immortalized in the movie “Papillon” for supposedly being the only convict to escape from “the Green Hell.” Please be advised that due to the under-developed nature of this destination, organized tours are not available.

Castries is the capital, commercial center and main cruise port of St Lucia. Founded by the French in about 1768, it changed hands in the earlier 1800’s, when the British made the town a major naval port and built fortifications on Morne Fortune, overlooking the harbor. Today, the port offers something for everyone. Bargain hunters can head over to the duty-free shops at Pointe Seraphine; Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve allows visitors a rare glimpse of rain forest flora and fauna; and, for those looking for a fun day trip, a visit to the Grand Pitons or a hike up to Fort Charlotte on Morne Fortune offer beautiful vistas and historical perspective.

Roseau, a small town with plenty of colonial charm, offers the colorful New Market, where you can stop for a refreshing coconut drink. Dominica’s real beauty lies in its unspoiled natural landscape – the dense rain forests, lush foliage, natural springs and rivers and tall, smoldering peaks. Dominica is home to one of the Caribbean’s great natural wonders-the scenic Valley of Desolation, where in a verdant tropical gorge, white mists from bubbling hot springs swirl in the air.

St. Maarten is the smallest piece of land shared by two sovereign states. Legend has it that the Dutch and French boundaries of the island were determined by two men who challenged one another in a race around the island, with the Frenchman walking faster and claiming more land. Legend or not, both the Dutch and French settled here in the 1630s and despite occupancy by the British twice, the Dutch and French have lived peacefully together ever since they arrived.

Sunny Florida skies, year-round warmth and sunshine, a buzzing nightlife and a mix of cultures define this cosmopolitan city. Celebrity-drenched South Beach attracts people-watchers and the Art Deco District is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. Tropical style shopping experiences are readily available from Bal Harbor to Lincoln Road and Coconut Grove. Enjoy authentic Cuban cuisine and culture along Calle Ocho or travel back in time with a visit to the historic Venetian Pool. There is something for everyone in this city dubbed the “Gateway to the Americas.”