Traveling in South America with kids will make lifelong memories. Animal lovers will adore a startling menagerie: penguins, pumas and pygmy deer; whales and condors; soft-furred alpaca and giant flightless rhea; jaguars and marine iguanas. Fit kids will jump at wilderness hikes, kayaking fjords, rafting wild rivers, or surfing on golden beaches. Horse-mad types have trail rides with the cowboys of Chile and Argentina or splashing canters through Brazil's Pantanal. Let them discover wondrous cultures older than Egypt, from the Andes to the Amazon, and learn about the earth and sky amid smoking volcanoes beneath remote starry skies lit by the Milky Way.

Chile and Argentina have fascinating - but distinctive - cowboy cultures, without any Wild West bad guys! riding with Argentinian gauchos across the grass sea of the Pampas is fantastic even without the stupendous barbecues!

Alan Lyall from our supplier Andean Trails reels off some Patagonian pleasures for traveling in South America with kids: “Walking trails in the Torres del Paine National park. Seeing if you can spot a fox, pudu (miniature deer) or ñandu (rhea). Zip lining in cold rain forest, floating on emerald coloured rivers, exploring volcanic caves, picking shellfish and crabs on rocky beaches. Spotting shooting stars in immaculate clear desert skies, horse riding and so much more. Active kids = happy kids.”

Anna Scrivens from our supplier Audley Travel explains why Brazil is a good choice for traveling in South America with kids:

“I think Brazil works well for families – as long as they’re aware of all the traveling involved. Children would love the wildlife in the Pantanal or the jungle in the Amazon or the waterfalls, it’s all very visual. In Rio there are some really good family tours. You can do cycling trips around the beaches, walking, kayaking... It’s a very active country, so even if you just go to the beach, there are kayaks you can hire or boat trips you can take.”