Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis – the “Paris of the South” – by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world’s great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city’s enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens – the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron. The “Paris of the South” flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias – cafés – to the city’s popular tango clubs.

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis – the “Paris of the South” – by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world’s great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city’s enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens – the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron. The “Paris of the South” flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias – cafés – to the city’s popular tango clubs.

Uruguay is nestled between the continent’s two giants, Brazil and Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital city, is located at Uruguay’s southernmost point on the Rio de la Plata. A charming city made up of 19th century Beaux Arts buildings, parks, and historic monuments, Montevideo is home to more than half of the nation’s three million citizens. Small in size, but large in status, Montevideo is an example of stability and democracy envied by her larger neighbors, and she is one of the most literate nations in the world, with a tradition of humanism and social justice

Once home to Welsh settlers, Puerto Madryn is known today for its animal life, which Argentina protects in its scenic, remote wildlife preserves. Puerto Madryn is the gateway to many natural splendors, such as Punta Tombo National Reserve, as well as Argentine Patagonia – a small city that caters as a base for exploring the region’s remote wildlife preserves and paleontological sites

Stanley, capital of the Falklands, is a tiny British outpost where the absence of traffic lights and abundance of pubs in comparison to its size makes this a unique place. Indeed, armed only with hospitality, this rural community at the end of the world has no shortage of friendly locals. Situated near Cape Horn in South America, the harbor at Stanley is one of the world’s largest shipping graveyards of the 19th century. Many of the ships that set out for faraway ports met their destiny here, battered by Cape Horn’s treacherous waters. The Falklands is also a bird-watchers haven, with an amazing diversity of seabirds and mammals that breed in the Falklands — black-browed albatross, giant petrels, five types of penguin, elephant seals, sea lions, striated caracara, crested caracara, night heron to name a few.

Located on Chile’s Isla Hornos in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Cape Horn is widely considered to be the southernmost tip of South America. The culmination of the Andes mountain range, the legendary Cape is prone to unpredictably strong winds, choppy waters, icebergs and rogue waves – none of which phase the Princess ships that sail here. Nevertheless, hazardous maritime conditions have protected the rocky region from human settlement, so you’ll enjoy the same views as the earliest explorers discovered centuries ago. Unusual rock formations with deep grooves and granite cliffs covered in trees are its signature features. Navigating around the Cape was a near-impossible feat for sailors who braved its intense winds and treacherous waters in the 17th century. However, those fortunate enough to return from a successful trip were entitled to numerous benefits, including dining with one foot on the dinner table and wearing a gold loop earring to boast of their seafaring victory. Though Cape Horn became a significant trade route between the 18th and early 20th centuries, the opening of the Panama Canal rendered this route obsolete – but that hasn’t prevented adventurers from recreational journeys to the Cape, or the bragging rights that come along with them!

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and one of two main cities on the island territory of Tierra del Fuego. Shared by Argentina and Chile, “The Land of Fire” features unforgettable scenery and trails of discovery framed by the sea, forests, lakes and mountains.

Punta Arenas lies atop rolling hills, looking out over the Strait of Magellan. In the days before the Panama Canal, this was a major port as ships plied the waters of Cape Horn. Punta Arenas remains a prosperous town, today, thanks to its rich natural resources. The city is also the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, a maze of fjords, rivers, steppes and mountains to the north. To the south lies the great frozen mass of Antarctica. Adventure awaits at this port near the end of the earth.

Located in the central part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields, the Amalia Glacier descends from the Andes Mountains and sits towering above the sea. Because of the glacier’s immense weight, the oxygen has been pressed out of the ice, giving it an amazingly beautiful crystalline appearance

Puerto Montt is your gateway to Chile’s magnificent Lake District. Here, snow-capped volcanoes gaze down on alpine valleys nestled among low hills. Glaciers carved out this terrain, leaving the jewel-like lakes in their wake. The Lake District was a magnet for German immigrants, and their legacy can be seen today in the manicured rose gardens of Puerto Varas, the “German Villages” like Frutillar, and the gabled homes with elaborate balconies of Puerto Montt. Despite a population of more than 130,000, Puerto Montt retains the feel of a small town. For a simple introduction to the city, walk along the waterfront road to the fishing port of Angelmo and browse the local artisans’ stalls, then tuck into a snack in one of the small cafés along the way.

Nestled between rolling hills topped with colorful houses and meandering coastal dunes, the bustling city of San Antonio enjoys its reputation as the gateway to Chile’s central valley and the capital of Santiago. With a population of over five million people, Santiago sprawls at the feet of the snow-capped Andes. Inland lies the sun-kissed wine regions of Casablanca and Maipo Maipo Valley, Chile’s internationally renowned wine district.