Natural wonders of South America

South America is one of the most scenic continents in the world with a diversity of natural wonders second to none. Here's our list of the most amazing places to visit:

• The expansive Amazon rainforest 5.5 million square km (or over 2 million square miles), extending to 8 countries surrounding Brazil.
• The Amazon River, second longest in the world at 6,450 km (4,100 miles).
• Lake Titicaca on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes, one of the highest lakes in the world at 3,812 m. (12,500 ft.) above sea level.
• The unique flora and fauna of the Galápagos Islands.
• Breathtaking waterfalls - Angel Falls in Canaima National Park, Venezuela and Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina.
• Ecuador's Rio Upano, a challenging white water river known as the "River of Sacred Waterfalls" with incredible scenery, good hiking trails and outstanding rafting tours.
• Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, one of 10 UNESCO heritage sites and biosphere reserves across the continent.
• The fjords and glaciers of Chile's Inside Passage.
• Cape Horn, the lonely promontory at the tip of the continent, legendary for the hazardous seas that surround it.
• Spectacular Rio de Janeiro, a natural wonder in itself, edged by the white sand beaches of Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon and watched over by iconic Sugar Loaf mountain (1,296 feet, 395 m) and the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain (2,310 feet, 704 m).