South America cruise ports

The resort village of Alter do Chao boasts beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Relax on the shores of the Tapajos River and Lago Verde (Green Lake). Be sure to plan a visit to the superb Center for the Preservation of Indigenous Art as well. Find out why Alter do Chao is a vacation spot of choice for many Brazilians.

A small Amazon village in the middle of the Amazon. Get a taste of the Amazonian lifestyle up close while bartering for local handcrafts at the port.

The Brazilian Venice, the port city of Recife is marked by the waterways that connect the various districts of the city. The name "Recife" comes from the barrier reef that protects the city's beautiful beaches. The sun shines brighter in Recife and it shows in the warm waters that surround the port. Also, check out Recife's tremendous cuisine!

The second-largest town on Chile's Chiloe Island, Castro is a tiny jewel nestled on the scenic coast. Visitors delight in the famous local cuisine, featuring exotic meat and seafood dishes for the most discerning tastebuds. Travelers can stroll through the sunny confines of the local market, which offers a variety of richly textured native clothing, hand-crafted artwork, and unique souvenirs.

Experience the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of cruising down the mighty Amazon River. The Amazon gets as wide as two hundred miles in places and the dazzling array of plant and animal species tops twenty thousand different varieties. You'll see parrots and toucans, turtles, alligators, and even a few monkeys!

This sleepy fishing village lends its name to the grape brandy that is produced here. Excursions from Pisco include visits Tambo Colorado, a site of well-preserved Inca ruins; flights over the mysterious, giant geoglyphs drawn in the earth's surface near the town of Nasca; and cruises to the Ballestas Islands, a nature sanctuary where you can observe a wealth of wildlife such as pelicans, cormorants and sea lions.

If you are looking to [cruise to the Falklands](/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?port=204), there's a good chance Stanley will be included on your itinerary. Its human population is greatly outnumbered by about one million penguins and half a million sheep.The Falklands are a remote island group in the South Atlantic, about 300 miles east of South America's Patagonian coast. They cover about 4,700 square miles -- roughly the size of Connecticut or half the size of Wales. The landscape is harsh and windswept, boggy and treeless.The islands are a British Overseas Territory but Argentina claims sovereignty and invaded the islands, which it refers to as Las Malvinas, in 1982. The resultant Falklands War lasted 74 days -- from April 2, with the invasion of South Georgia, until the Argentine surrender on June 14. Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 and P&O's Canberra were among the merchant vessels drafted in as a troop carrier and hospital ship. In total, 255 British military personnel, 649 Argentines, and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the conflict.