Spirit Of South America With Amazon & Galápagos Cruise

The world’s largest river basin is a living greenhouse to over 10,000 varieties of plants; sanctuary to over 5,000 species of animals and birds; and mother to over 200 tributaries feeding 8 countries of Latin America. The Amazonia is a world of its own with mysteries and beauty unparalleled and undiscovered. Walk beneath the canopy of the towering trees or cruise the black waters of the river and let the strange splendor of this exotic world captivate and charm you.

Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities of Latin America, a major world port, and Argentina’s commercial and social center. Heavily industrialized, he city is one of the world’s leading exporters of processed foods. It was founded in 1536, abandoned, then resettled in 1580, and was the first Latin American city to revolt (1810) against Spanish rule.

Officially independent in 1816, it became the capital of a united Argentina in 1862. It grew into an urban colossus in the late 19th century, when railroads into the agriculturally abundant pampa to the west began to supplement the great inland river transportation system that linked the city with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil, and immigration from Europe increased. Famous landmarks include the 19th century cathedral, the opera house, and the many beautiful municipal parks.

Española Island, part of the Galápagos Islands, is a popular tourist stop. Visitors are attracted by the variety of wildlife, most notably its avian population, its restored giant tortoise species, and plentiful sea lions.

Nearly all of the bird species found on Española Island are visible at Punta Suarez, on the western end of the island, one of two main visitor sites. The population includes tame mocking birds, uncommon red and green -trimmed marine iguanas, both blue-footed and masked boobies, albatross colonies and more.

The second site, Gardner Bay, is on the northeast side of the island. It offers one of the most spectacular beaches in the archipelago. It’s a good spot for swimming although snorkeling is better on nearby islets such as Tortuga.

Guayaquil, (gwä-yä-kêl´) city (1990 pop. 1,531,229), capital of Guayas prov., W Ecuador, on the Guayas R. near its mouth on the Gulf of Guayaquil, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. It is Ecuador’s largest city and its chief port and manufacturing center. Founded by Sebastián de Benalcázar in 1535, it was liberated from Spain by Antonio José de Sucre in 1821, and in 1822 was the site of a meeting between Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín that determined the course of South American independence. The climate is hot and humid.

Lima is on the Pacific coast and was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro of Spain. It was considered the most important Spanish city in the Americas. Today the downtown area is a bustle of activity, the streets crowded with vendors and peasants who have moved in from the countryside. Lima has many treasures in its historical buildings and museums, especially the Gold Museum.

Manaus, (me-nous´) city (1990 est. pop. 1,114,000), NW Brazil, capital of Amazonas state, on the Rio Negro. Surrounded by jungle, it is the westernmost of Brazil’s major cities, the commercial center of the upper Amazon region, and a major river port accommodating oceangoing vessels. Founded in 1669, it grew rapidly during the rubber boom of the late 19th
cent. Since the 1970s, increased interest in development of the Amazon basin has brought Manaus new importance. Its opera house is renowned.

Rio de Janeiro, (rê´o dâ zhe-nâr´o) city (1990 est. pop. 6,042,000), SE Brazil, capital of Rio de Janeiro state, former capital of Brazil, on Guanabara Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil’s second largest city and principal port, Rio (as it is popularly called) has diverse manufactures and handles much of the nation’s foreign trade. It is predominantly a modern city, with a new airport and subway system. A cosmopolitan city, long the cultural center of Brazil, it is also its greatest tourist
attraction. Rio is celebrated for its pre-Lenten carnival and for its beautiful natural setting within an amphitheater of low mountains. Noted landmarks are Sugar Loaf Mt., which dominates the harbor, and Corcovado peak, with its colossal statue of Jesus. Founded by French Huguenots in 1555, the city was taken by Portugal in the 1560s. It replaced Bahia (now Salvador) as Brazil’s capital in 1763 and was supplanted by Brasília in 1960.