So Much To See On A Cruise Around South America

A Great Cruise Around South America

We found so much to see and do on a cruise around South America with Oceania Cruises.  A short stay in Miami warmed us up from the cold Toronto winter. A few stops in the Caribbean returned us to places we visited before – Antigua, St Lucia and Barbados. And then we headed for South America.

In Brazil we started with a 7 day trip on the Amazon River. And then visited several ports in Brazil. We spent a few day in Buenos Aires before we headed to the Falkland Islands. It was an amazing trip north up along the Chilean Fjords.  And then we sailed through the Panama Canal back to Miami.

We had so many great experiences along the way – great beaches, fascinating wildlife, outdoor adventures and great cities too. Each stop was a great taste test and showed why there were so many spots in South America we needed to revisit.  

Warming Up In Miami

It was cold in Toronto when we headed south with Air Canada to Miami. We had 10 days to thaw out. After a short stay at the Courtyard Miami Airport, we moved downtown to the JW Marriott Marquis Miami.  We splurged using our Marriott Bonvoy points and got a great status upgrade. Since we were early risers, we got lovely sunrise views in the morning.

We had no big plans for our stay in Miami. The intent was to relax and finish all the prep to get our blog and social media ready for a 2 month slow down. In a spot that was warm and sunny.  Every day we spent time outside walking.  Or we enjoyed the rooftop pool. The hotel resort fee covered a range of activities that included a pool room, air hockey, a basketball court and a movie room. One day we headed down and tried our luck at the indoor bowling alley.

Once again we celebrated David’s birthday when we travelled. There were treats in the room. And a special treat when we ate in the restaurant. The treats did not stop once we got onboard the cruise ship!

It was a great relaxing stay in Miami before we left to cruise around South America. We were rested and relaxed.  And ready to begin our next adventure.

Three Days In The Caribbean

After 2 days at sea, we landed in St. Johns, Antigua. We visited Antigua before on cruises. So this time we booked a catamaran trip and enjoyed the sun and water. Our champagne and lobster catamaran trip was a fun way to spend a day in port.

The second Caribbean port was St Lucia.  We visited St Lucia by cruise ship many times. And enjoyed several vacations on the island. On this visit to St Lucia, we chose to stay onboard while everyone else went off on tours. It let us enjoy all the things to do onboard our beautiful floating resort. And we even managed to get a massage!

Our final Caribbean port was Barbados. On our first visit to Barbados we did an island tour and saw many of the main sights. We went for a fun underwater submarine adventure on our second visit to Barbados. So on this trip we just walked into town and wandered on our own.

The Caribbean stops on our cruise around South America gave us a chance to relax.  We knew that many of the ports on this long cruise would be far busier!

A Short Stop At Devil’s Island In French Guiana

After a few days in the Caribbean, we headed towards South America.  Our first stop was off the group of islands known as Les Iles Du Salut (Salvation Islands) in French Guiana. These islands were initially used by people escaping the malaria-infested mainland (thus Salvation). But ultimately this group of islands was converted to a penal colony. In preparation for our visit, we watched the movie Papillion about this French penal colony and one of very few successful escapes.  

We anchored in the bay and were tendered to Ile Royale. As the tender boat was bashed against the cruise ship by the waves, we understood why so few people survived an escape attempt. Ile Royale was the island where the main penal colony was housed. The much smaller Devil’s Island was used for less violent, political and leper prisoners. It was visible across the rough seas.  We also saw Saint Joseph island in the distance.

Walking Around Ile Royale 

There were several paths to walk around Ile Royale or to go up to the buildings on the higher ground. The prison buildings were in various states of repair.  It was easy to imagine how tough life was in this isolated spot. The church was well maintained with a colourful altar. Perhaps the saddest part of the island was the Children’s Cemetery. Families were large on the island and infant mortality high.  

There was a small hotel on the island for anyone who wanted to spend more time here. A working lighthouse was at the top too. And a small museum provided more information about the history of the island.  

It was hard to believe that this penal colony was only shut down in 1952. It was an interesting stop before we started cruising the Amazon River. David just wished he found the monkeys that so many of the other guests got pictures of! Even if he did get pictures of the peacocks and overgrown large rodents that roamed the island.

Cruise Around South America And Explore The Amazon River Too

We enjoyed 7 days cruising along the Amazon River. It was fascinating to see the traffic on the broad river and to stop in many interesting ports along the way. We saw river life in the small city of Santarem. And learned about the local customs in the smaller town of Parintins.  

On our stop in Manaus we got in the water with pink dolphins. And in Alter Do Chao we found beaches and dolphin art. On our stop in Boca da Valeria we got our first close-up look at sloths.  

We got some great outdoor adventures travelling on the Amazon River on a cruise around South America.

A Great Variety Of Ports In Brazil

We sailed down the coast and had many interesting port stops in Brazil. Relaxing stops in Buzios, Iha Grande and Parati showed us the beaches of Brazil on our schooner water adventures.

The small cities of Fortaleza and Recife provided some different views of life in Brazil. A day in bigger city of Santos offered an interesting mix of activities. We spent  a day in Porto Bela for beach fun. And toured the small city of Rio Grande on another day trip.

For two days, we got a quick look at big and colourful city of Rio de Janeiro. But it was just a small teaser for a longer return visit. 

We enjoyed so many different ports in Brazil on a cruise around South America.

A Few Days In Buenos Aires

We spent an overnight in port stop in Buenos Aires. There was so much to see and do in this large city in Argentina. We visited several of the different neighbourhoods and each was quite different. n Recoleta we learned about the history through the architecture and visiting the Recoleta Cemetery. The La Boca area alive with colour and music.

One day we headed out of town and explored the Tigre River and Parana Delta. This provided a very different look at this part of Argentina than we got in the large city of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires was a fascinating stop on our cruise around South America. On this trip, we missed the opportunity to visit a major iconic sight.  But on another trip we finally made it back and explored Iguazu Falls from both the Brazil and Argentina sides.

Two Great Ports In Uruguay

We visited both Punta Del Este and Montevideo in Uruguay twice on our travel in South America. The two cities were very different.

In Punta Del Este we enjoyed wandering in the small beach town. We could not miss visiting “The Hand” (“La Mano”) sculpture. And we sure had a fun interaction with the sea lions in the harbour.

We explored the architecture of the larger Montevideo. And on one day we escaped the city for winery tour at the Juanico Winery (Establecimiento Juanicó). This gave us a very different perspective on our first visits to Uruguay.

We Landed In Stanley In The Falklands On Our Cruise Around South America

We left the mainland of South America for two days and visited Stanley in the Falkland Islands.  The British history in this outpost was interesting to explore.

For outdoor adventure, we visited the Bluff Cove Lagoon for our first opportunity for penguins in the wild.  We were amazed with the large groups of penguins we saw. It got us excited for our planned cruise to Antarctica.

A stop in the Falkland Islands provided a very different experience as we cruised around South America.

At The End Of The World In Ushuaia, Argentina

From the Falkland Islands we cruised around Cape Horn at the bottom of South America. Then we headed into Ushuaia.  

Our day trip in Ushuaia took us on the Fin del Mundo trains (“End of the World”) to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park.  We explored the park by train and then on a small boat. The scenery was lovely in all directions.

Heading to the far south on a cruise in South America let us enjoy the town of Ushuaia. We went even further south when we left from Puerto Williams on our cruise to Antarctica.

Cruising Along The Chilean Fjords In Patagonia

We enjoyed the outdoor scenery on many days as we cruised along the Chilean Fjords.  Mountains, glaciers and snow covered peaks amazed us.

One day trip in Chile provided a fun day from Punta Arenas at  Magdalena Island for a penguin visit. When we docked in Port Montt, on our day trip we explored the Osorno Volcano and Petrohue Waterfalls. 

We only skimmed the surface of what there was to see and do in Patagonia Chile. This was perhaps one of the biggest surprises on our cruise around South America.

Much More To See In Chile

While we enjoyed the outdoor adventures, we also found time and learned about the history and traditions of Chile. We visited the Puro Caballo Equestrian Centre on a visit to Casablanca for a local horse show.  We were intrigued with a flamenco dancer, dramatic costumes and an amazing demonstration of horsemanship.

Our visit to the petroglyphs at the Enchanted Valley National Historic Monument gave us another perspective.  The large open-air museum provided a view of the Molle indigenous culture from this area.  

We could not leave Chile without some wine tasting.  Our wine experiences at the Casa Del Bosque Winery gave us a walk through the vineyard and 3 wine tastings. The Tabali Winery was deep in the dry lands of the Enchanted Valley.  We enjoyed touring the desert facility and tasting local treats.

We found so many reasons to enjoy a visit to Chile on our cruise around South America.

Finishing Our South America Cruise Heading Through The Panama Canal

After Chile we headed north along the west coast of South America. To return to Miami we travelled through the Panama Canal. We were fascinated by the size of the massive locks and the mechanisms used to move water and boats.

As we travelled along the Panama Canal, we had continuous views of the busy traffic that moved daily though this amazing canal system.

It was a treat to finish our cruise around South America with a trip through the Panama Canal.

Fascinating Sights On A Cruise Around South America

We enjoyed so many fascinating sights on our cruise around South America. Starting in the Caribbean warmed us up. Crusiign along the Amazon River was a bucket list adventure. The great variety of ports in Brazil gave us a broad perspective on this interesting country.  Stops in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo gave us larger cities to enjoy.

The Falkland Islands was a treat with our first look at penguins. But the outdoor adventures continued in Ushuaia and up along the coast of Chile. We missed visiting Peru on this trip. But headed back for Lima and Machu Pichuu on a return visit to South America. Cruising back to Miami through the Panama Canal finished our circumnavigation of South America.

We got such a diverse look at South America on this trip.  But it only whetted our appetite for more trips back to this amazing continent.

Have you done a cruise around South America?  What was your favourite thing to see or do?

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