Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America
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| #1 in 2007: Rio de Janeiro |
Friends, travelers, countrymen, lend me your ear: It is time to crown the Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America in 2007.
Last year the staff here at Viator.com compiled lists of the top-rated tours and activities in each of the regions we cover. Our list of “Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America in 2006″ was a big hit, so if you’re feeling nostalgic jump to the bottom of this post and relive the glory of our 2006 winners in Central & South America.
Otherwise it’s time to crown the 2007 winners, the top 25 things to do in Central & South America based on the actual travel choices made by thousands of travelers over on Viator.com.
Stay tuned, because this list is just the first of many top 25 lists (no kidding: we’re going list crazy this year!) we are publishing as 2007 comes to a close. Stay tuned in the coming days for the Top 25 in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia-Pacific, USA & North America and the Middle East & Africa. As always, we’ll end the year with our “Top 50 Travel Destinations” list.
Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America in 2007
We hear you asking, so Viator what were the big trends and surprises for Central & South America in 2007? Well the main trend we’ve spotted is a big jump in the popularity of outdoor activities in Central & South America. Fishing, canopy tours, 4×4 safaris, hot springs treks– Viator travelers were hitting the outdoors in record numbers in 2007.
There’s also one thing that did not change between 2006 and 2007 — and that’s the continued popularity of both Argentina and Brazil. These two countries remain the most popular places to visit in Central & South America, among Viator’s travelers.
We should also take a moment to say “hola!” to Panama; this was a new country for Viator in 2007, and it instantly grabbed a few spots in our Top 25 list. On a sad note (at least to Scott, who’s written more than one blog post about his love of Belize) is the fact that Belize has dropped out of the Top 25. Here’s hoping to a resurgence for Belize in 2008!
Now, without further ado, Viator’s Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America for 2007:
25. Sightseeing Tour to Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Lapa Star House with Dinner, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
23. Cousino Macul Winery and Concha y Toro Winer, Santiago, Chile
22. Penguin Sanctuary and Otway Sound, Punta Arenas, Chile
21. Four in One - Best of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
20. Poas Volcano and Doka Coffee Bike Ride, San Jose, Costa Rica
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| #13: Buena Vista Hot Springs, Costa Rica |
19. City and Canal Tour, Panama City, Panama
18. Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs, San Jose, Costa Rica
17. Soccer Match at Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
16. Jeep Tour, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15. Buenos Aires City Tour, Buenos Aires, Argentina
14. Arenal Volcano / Ecotermales and Rainforest Adventure, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
13. Buena Vista Hot Springs / Canopy Tour and Water Slide, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
12. Panama Canal Transit - Ocean to Ocean, Panama City, Panama
11. Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso, Santiago, Chile
10. Tigre Delta with Bus and Coast Train, Buenos Aires, Argentina
9. Chilean Folklore Show and Dinner, Santiago, Chile
8. Santiago City Tour, Santiago, Chile
7. Argentinean Fiesta Gaucha, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| #3: Balloon ride in Argentina |
6. Argentina’s Opera Pampa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
5. Buenos Aires by Night - Tango Show, Buenos Aires, Argentina
4. Helicopter Tour, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Hot Air Balloon Flight, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Plataforma Show, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1. Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountain Tour, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
There you have it. Viator’s list of the Top 25 tours and things to do in Central & South America in 2007.
Stay tuned for more lists in the coming days, to help you plan your next trip across the globe. In the meantime, if your curious about the top things to do last year, in 2006, keep on reading…
* * * * * * * *
As 2006 comes to a close, it’s time to look back and ponder the year that was. Everybody is doing it. I’ve read or heard lists of a thousand different types, from Best Books of 2006 to Best Dressed to Top Films to Most Annoying Celebrity (Paris Hilton? Tom Cruise?).
In that spirit, Viator is kicking off its own version of list mania. We’re starting here, with our Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America: 2006 list. Catchy name, eh?
Stay tuned for our Top 25 lists in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia & Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. But wait - there’s more. We’re also working on a global, worldwide, across the orb, Planet Earth Top 100 list of things to do. And that’s not all. You’ll also get a list of Top 100 Travel Destinations in 2006, free of charge and with no obligations. So keep checking back over the next few weeks. We’ll help you to dazzle your friends and family with the most popular tours, activities and things to do from (A)ustralia to (Z)ambia and most letters in between.
Viator’s Top 25 Things to Do in Central & South America: 2006
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| #2 - A platforma show in Rio de Janeiro |
25. Lapa Star House (with dinner), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Sarapiqui Canopy & Rainforest day tour, Costa Rica
23. Rio de Janeiro & Copacabana Beach tour, Brazil
22. Cousino Macul & Concha y Toro wineries, Santiago, Chile
21. Angra Dos Reis island & beaches tour, Brazil
20. Puerto Montt city tour, Patagonia, Chile
19. Argentina’s Opera Pampa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
18. Buenos Aires by Bike, Argentina
17. Quito City Tour and Middle of the World Monument, Ecuador
16. Historic Rio de Janeiro tour, Brazil
15. Jeep tour of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
14. Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs from San Jose, Costa Rica
13. Go to a Soccer (Futbol) Match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
12. Chilean Folklore Show & Dinner (with transfers), Santiago, Chile
11. Helicopter Tour over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10. Cave Tubing & the Belize Zoo, Belize
9. Tigre Delta & Parana River by bus and coastal train, Argentina
8. Rio de Janeiro’s famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, Brazil
7. Tropical Islands of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. Argentinean Fiesta Gaucha, Argentina
5. Sightseeing Tour to Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso, Chile
3. Santiago City Tour, Chile
2. Platforma Show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1. The Complete Buenos Aires Tour, Argentina
There you have it. The complete list of Viator’s 25 most popular things to do in Central & South America in 2006. If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our tours and activities throughout Central & South America: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile (including Easter Island and Patagonia), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama.
Happy travels in 2007.
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June 22nd, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Very interesting
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:11 am
The helicopter flight over Rio was definitely a high point (no pun intended) Good useful Blog. Thanks.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Good list, agree that Brazil is the killer destination in the region. But I am surprised that Panama beat out Ecuador. Ecuador is far superior. Panama is over hyped.
December 13th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
[...] time for another installment of Viator’s Top Things to Do list. So far we’ve covered Central & South America and the Caribbean. That makes it three continents down, four more to go in our ‘top things to [...]
December 15th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Oh, but you have to add a tour to watch the local football and see Boca Juniors play River Plate at Boca stadium. You have to go on a tour as the Boca Juniors supporters are a little ‘rough’ and the crowd goes so wild the whole stadium shakes - literally. It’s also tricky to buy tickets if you don’t speak Spanish, and even then it’s hard to find your seats - and even then, you don’t want to sit in the wrong seat! With a guide, you can get the whole rundown and history and he’ll show you where Maradona sits. Highly recommend local tour company Tangol. The guides are young locals, often university students, and the groups are small - we had a lot of fun!
December 20th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
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January 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
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