Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia most recently ranked by The Economist as the number one “most livable city in the world”. Vancouver is a picturesque city surrounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the snow capped peaks of the Coast Mountain range. Every bit as cosmopolitan as Seattle, with a distinctive European flair, Vancouver is the Canadian jewel of Puget Sound. The city is rapidly expanding, yet still maintains its serene beauty and desirable lifestyle.

Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city with many unique neighborhoods to explore including Gastown, Yaletown, Chinatown and the West End. Located 26 miles northwest of the United States border, Vancouver is considered a major Pacific Coast seaport while being the foremost commercial, financial, tourist and cultural center of British Columbia.

Archaeological evidence shows that the Coast Salish people had settled the Vancouver area by 500 BC. In the 1870s, Vancouver was founded as a sawmill settlement called Granville. In 1858, gold was discovered on the Fraser River. It triggered a massive invasion of more than 25,000 Americans with high hopes and forced the governor to declare the area a British Colony. In 1886, the city was incorporated and renamed Vancouver after Captain George Vancouver, a British naval captain who explored the area in 1792.

Today, Vancouver is one of Canada’s most important cities and one of the world’s major economic centers. More than two million people currently live in the Greater Vancouver area. With a reputation as one of the most livable cities in the world, it’s no coincidence that the city’s population grows steadily. Vancouver is a community proud of its past with a keen eye toward a future rich with promise.

Vancouver is home to Canada’s largest Chinatown, which was designated a Provincial Heritage in 1971 and is the location for many exotic shops, restaurants and the Chinese Cultural Center. Chinatown features Dr.Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, which is the only authentic classical Chinese Garden outside of China. 

Ushuaia, Argentina

This cozy Argentinean community, tucked into an inlet along the Beagle Canal, sits a mere 750 miles from Antarctica. That said, while Ushuaia may be set against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks, that’s where the comparison to the frozen continent ends. Instead, this colorful and naturally beautiful city is very much a tourist’s delight, a cosmopolitan haven at the end of the world where the summer sun runs to 18 hours a day and activities range from hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding to kayaking and sport fishing.

Given Ushuaia’s unique location at the southern end of Tierra del Fuego Island, visitors can choose to play hard in the great outdoors and still have time to take in some of the local flavor at a café, shop, gallery or restaurant—lamb and spider crabs are signature dishes here. The Ushuaia Maritime Museum, set in a former prison, is perhaps the city’s quirkiest cultural venue. It is home to an extensive collection of nautical history on the region exhibited in what was once a severe and desolate penal institution. 

 

Punta Arenas, Chile

While Punta Arenas is clearly a thriving city these days, the first Spanish settlements along the Strait of Magellan coast, dating back to the late-16th Century, proved less than successful due to the extremely harsh climate and lack of food and water. In 1843 the Chilean government tried its luck with a team of 21 settlers, and in 1848 the surviving group moved to the banks of the Las Minas River, officially becoming Punta Arenas. The settlement became known primarily as a military penal colony, with a less than illustrious history of mutinies that caused considerable hardship on local residents and the city itself. Ranching, mining and nautical trade eventually helped settle the city down by the turn of the century, and it has continued to grow and prosper with tourism through the new millennium.

Puerto Montt, Chile

The original settlement of Puerto Montt was named for the Chilean President at that time, Manuel Montt and dates back to 1853, when Vicente Perez Rosales and a group of  German immigrants decided to colonize the densely forested region around Lake Llanquihue. When train service arrived in the early 20th Century, the city really took off and became a popular stop for travelers between Magallanes and Chiloé. The city was ruined, and then rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake. Not surprisingly, given its nautical setting, Puerto Montt has recently grown into a major fishing and fish industry port known for its salmon. 

Valparaiso, Chile

Situated about 120km (72 miles) northwest of Santiago, Valparaiso is the second biggest city in Chile and the Capital of the Region.

In 2003 Valparaiso was declared a World Heritage Site, due to its historical importance, natural beauty, original architecture and layout.

You will find many funiculars, known as 'ascensores' throughout Valparaíso. These are a way for local people to be taken to and from their homes high up in the picturesque hillside neighborhoods. Some of the 'ascensores' where built as early as 1883. These are a must do when you visit the city as you will get to see some amazing views from them as you go up.

Muelle Prat (Prat Wharf) can be found at the foot of the Plaza Sotomayor, the main square of Valparaíso. Muelle Prat is the only wharf where the public can closely watch the loading and unloading of the ships from a safe distance (if that's your type of thing). You will find a typical handicrafts market at this wharf and boat trips around the harbor can also be taken from here.

Arica, Chile

Arica is in the Northern Chile. It is a seaside resort town (170,000 pop): quiet, relaxed, safe, with several nice beaches and sun virtually every day of the year. The city of eternal spring is the northern gateway to Peru and Bolivia.

Arica spreads out at the foot of El Morro Hill, the site of a major battle of the Peruvian War (1879-83). Today, the hill is a national historic monument, complete with an open-air museum. The summit of El Morro affords excellent panoramic views, which survey the city, the ocean, and even the distant Atacama. Among adventure travelers, the city is best known as the starting point for excursions into the Atacama Desert. 

The Museo Arqueologicò San Miguel de Azapa, located a short distance out of town, gives an excellent introduction to the history of the area. Among its most fascinating exhibits are a collection of Incan mummies, whose bodies were perfectly preserved in the extraordinarily arid sands of the forbidding Atacama.
Also of interest in Arica is the San Marcos de Arica church, designed by the famed tower-builder Gustav Eiffel. 

 

Lima, Peru

Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city.

The modern city is a curious mix of the modern mega city with some 'islands of modernity', large but orderly slum areas and colonial architecture in the city center.

Metropolitan Lima is a metropolis of almost 8.5 million people. Many of these people have migrated from the Andes mountains to find work in Lima, without success. For this reason, there is widespread poverty in the city center and in the peripheral areas. If you fly into Lima, the first thing you see upon leaving the airport is these types of poor neighborhoods between the airport and Lima's historic center.

Lima is built upon a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert. In the summer, the weather is usually beautiful, very warm and sunny, sometimes with rains around January. In the winter, the city is overcast and rainy for days at a time. The rain in the wintertime doesn't fall hard, but it gets everything wet. Temperature also falls to around 7-12 C⁰ (45-55⁰ F), which seems chillier when combined with the general dampness.