“Latin America has a certain magic that leaves you intrigued by its array of cultures, history and people,” writes Ciccia. “It adds colour and energy to your soul and makes you realize that there is so much more to life than the nine to five job that most of us are used to.” Following her five month trip to South and Central America, British Realtraveler Ciccia spent some time, as she puts it, “contemplating some of the lessons that I picked up during my travels.” Reading the list of travel tips she created, it’s easy to see why so many travelers fall in love with this diverse destination.

Check out this excerpt:

Top 10 Ways to Love Latin America

1) Learn to Speak Spanish

Some of my most amazing experiences have been simply speaking to normal people on the bus, in isolated villages or shady plazas. One fantastic ability that people on this continent have is to communicate. Whether it is by waving their hands around in a frantic and passionate discussion or poetically describing the city and its history, people will tell you their deepest secrets regardless of whether you know them or not. But how can you participate in these friendly exchanges if you don’t speak the language?! If you want to really discover something amazing, try to get past language barriers and embrace a way of thinking and a culture that is so far removed from what you know. I had a few lessons at the Academia Latinoamericana de Espanol in Sucre, Bolivia. I would recommend this school for its professionalism, its price ($5 to $10 depending on group size) and the variety of other cultural activities they have such as salsa and cookery.

2) Immerse yourself in Culture

Many of the countries that make up this continent hold a way of living that many of us cannot even imagine. A great way to experience another person’s way of life is to become involved in cultural exchanges. I visited Isla Amantani on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca and I stayed with a family who had not changed their lives to fit in with modern ways. Their farming techniques, their dress, and their customs have not changed for centuries. The family treated me as a daughter and talked about how difficult life can be on this splash of land in the world’s highest inland sea. I would also encourage staying in a Casa Particolar (see my blog for details of a fantastic casa) in Cuba wherever possible as you will meet the most sincere people around and come face to face with the real Cuba that the hotels want you to ignore.

3) Dance!

A trip to any country in Latin America will be lacking in substance and style unless you put your dancing shoes on and learn how to salsa in Cuba, to tango on the streets of Buenos Aires, or to samba in Rio de Janeiro. You will not have a choice: dancing is infectious here and you simply will not be left alone until you join in! My favourite night out was with a group of crazy Argentineans in Cordoba. This city is brimming with students who make it their mission to party all night every night. I was taken to what can only be described as a refugee shelter where the young and beautiful come to dance to live Quarteto music. I have never seen so many people dance!

4) Taste the Food

If travel is about discovery, then I dug into some of the best food I have ever tasted! Since visiting Venezuela I have become addicted to fried yucca and green plantain. I have never quite been able to get over how good the meat is in Argentina and how fabulous Chilean wine is. Peru has some delights too; anything Creole is delicious! Eating and drinking are to be enjoyed with new-found friends so why not accept that invitation to drink with a mate in Argentina to the strumming of a guitar in the park? Food and drink are an essential part of Latin American culture so make sure that you explore every part of it. If you go to Lima visit Baranco, the artisan’s neighbourhood, to sample national Peruvian dishes at a daily food market. The desserts will actually make you think you have died and gone to heaven’s kitchen.

5) Learn to Love Nature

South and Central America have some of the most diverse landscapes in the world. Essential viewing is the Salt Flats of Uyuni. This vast terrain of nothingness tricks you into thinking that you have stepped into a hall of mirrors and leaves you feeling that this land full of contradictions has changed every notion you had of the Earth. Green, yellow, red, white and turquoise lakes and moon like rocks will inspire your ideas of extra-terrestrial beings and their far away universes. Prepare yourself for the mythical flight of the condor, heights that will leave you literally breathless and apparently bottomless canyons.

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Be sure to read Ciccia’s entire Top 10 journal for the second half of this descriptive list, and also check out her travel blog as well to follow along on the adventure that took her through the South American countries she’s mentioned so far, Guatemala, Panama, and more! With an accessible style, several humorous stories, and a sensitivity to human rights issues, Ciccia’s blog is a great read for anyone heading to the region.

Useful links:

South America Travel Guide
Top Spots in South America
Things to Do in South America
More Top 10 Lists

To share your own set of travel tips, visit this topic on our Forums or send an email to: carrie-at-realtravel.com.