Top 10 cities in South America

We all know that the real beauty in traveling to a new country or continent is to be mesmerized by the natural attractions, historical sites and hidden gems. However, cities play their part as well and we have just loved some of the cities we have passed through in our journey throughout South America. From exploring historical centers and towering skyscrapers to the ability to be able to find some home comforts and cheaper airbnbs, we are about to take you through our list of the best cities we have come across on this epic trip through this wonderful continent. We are Mark and Anastasia and you're watching Something to Remember. We just finished traveling in South America and these are our top 10 cities. Number 10. Ushuaia, Argentina. We are starting our list with the southernmost city on the planet. Ushuaia could possibly be further up on our list if it weren't for our penguin tour getting cancelled twice because of the silly wind. But regardless, we really enjoyed spending a couple of days in the city known as Fin del Mundo or the end of the world. This magical place is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and is the perfect starting block for your Patagonian adventure. Secret tip. If you are interested in visiting the Antarctica, there are agencies in Ushuaia that offer last-minute deals and often they'll have posters on their windows saying ask about last-minute trips to the Antarctica. We didn't get pulled in fully, we nearly did, but we have linked the name of the nice lady we were talking to in the description box down below. So if that's something you're interested in, why not give her an email and see what kind of deals she can offer. Number nine. Sao Paulo, Brazil. South America's largest and most populated city jumps onto our at number nine. We spent a few days in this vibrant city during the World Cup and we can tell you that nowhere demonstrates Brazilian samba fever as much as the people of Sao Paulo. Take a walk down Bico de Batman to observe some of the best graffiti you will see and explore the area of Pinheiros if you fancy a bustling nightlife. Try out Batecos instead of going to fancy places for food and drink. Batecos are where the Brazilians will be. They are basically simple bars and restaurants on the corner of the street that have cheap and tasty food and drink options. Spending an evening mingling with the Brazilians at a Bateco is an experience you'll never forget. Number eight. Montevideo, Uruguay. The truth is we only went to Montevideo because of Mark's obsession with football. He really wanted to see the venue of the first World Cup final in 1930, Estadio Centenario. Whilst we were there, however, we really liked our brief stay in the city. It's a nice size which makes it easy to navigate around. Visits to the football stadium and Plaza Independencia are essential, as well as a walk on the promenade that runs along the Rio Plata. We also ate some delicious empanadas at Mercado del Puerto, the city's most famous market area, and found the people to be friendly and hospitable. Secret tip for the whole of Uruguay and not just Montevideo is to use your bank card when paying in hotels or restaurants because you'll receive an 18% tax rebate a couple of days later or maybe a couple of hours later onto your bank card. Number seven. Armenia, Colombia. I thought that was a country in Eastern Europe, we hear you say, and you are right, but it is also the name of a quaint little hidden gem in central Colombia. We used Armenia as a base to visit Cocora Valley and also do a tour of a Colombian coffee farm, but this tiny city left a lasting impression on us. It's pretty much just one long main street, but it is filled with beautiful places to eat and drink. We loved how cheap everything was here, including this dream fruit shop that had all sorts of fruit we had never even heard of, as well as the tastiest mangoes we have ever had. This place is called Garden Cafe and Chocolate and is ideal for pretty much anything food and drink related. Number six. Santiago de Chile. Wine, wine, and more wine. That's what we remember from our trip to Santiago, but don't judge us yet, we'll explain why in a sec. Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro San Cristobal are a must visit in Santiago, but we also found out a few other interesting things that are special about this famous city. It's called Coffee with Legs, a literal translation from Spanish, and this is quite an interesting tradition. One guy decided to open coffee shops because his friends were drinking instant coffee and they just didn't want to switch from going to fancy places for having coffee, so instead he decided to open something a bit different. Waitresses, they wear very short skirts, so it attracts men to come here and spend their money on coffee. And this tradition is quite popular and it still exists, so these girls, they work on high heels and wear a bit shorter skirts than I guess other places. These waitresses will be overly friendly and even a bit flirty with their customers. For the most part, it isn't as city as it sounds and we found it to be quite a fun experience. Back to the wine, and you will have heard of the famous Castellero del Diablo Chilean wine, and the visit to the winery that produces it is the best thing we did in Santiago. You get to explore the beautiful vineyards and get to taste some of the red and white wines that are produced here. This might be the most important secret tip on our list, and it is to book the fine wines tour instead of the standard tour. It's an extra few euros, but trust us, it is definitely worth it for that cheese. Number five, Cuenca, Ecuador. Ecuador was one of our favorite countries in South America, and Cuenca was the first place we fell in love with in what we think is an extremely underrated country. Cuenca's city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its stunning blue-domed cathedrals. Old colonial buildings, a buzzing historical center, and the picturesque setting of Cajas National Park not too far away really make Cuenca stand out when we think back to the most pleasant places we visited in South America. Everyone always asks us where the best food we ate on our whole trip was, and to be honest, it's hard for us to look past this quiet little unassuming barbecue meat shop that we found in Cuenca. Not only was it absolutely delicious, it's up there with the best value for money we have ever paid for any meal in our lives. We paid four euros each for this huge meat platter with homemade fries and a salad. There was pork and chicken and steak. Very good. Number four, Baños, Ecuador. We have spoken before about what there is to do in the surrounding areas of Baños and Ecuador. From whitewater rafting, mountain biking, hiking, and waterfall chasing to ziplining and being suspended over a canyon in a gondola, you can find yourself doing almost anything here. But the best thing about Baños is that the city has such a great vibe to it as well. Baños is the kind of place that you could recommend to anyone of any age or nationality and be confident everyone will have amazing experiences to take away from it. When hiring your mountain bike in Baños, use a company called Wonderful Ecuador. We got our bikes here for just five dollars each per day when every other place we asked for double that. When you get to the end of the route, simply hop in the back of a service truck to get you and your bike back to Baños for just three dollars. And secret tip for Baños, take a gondola across the river and hike to Novia Waterfall. This was an incredible hidden gem and the one that we found by accident just by deciding on going on a little adventure. When we were trying to find it, we ended up on this narrow jungle path where we even saw a poisonous snake at one stage, but the reward when we did find the waterfall was just breathtaking. And the best thing about it that there were no people at all and we couldn't believe it because it's so easy to get to and it's so spectacular, so definitely to do it. Number three, La Paz. We are convinced there is no other city on the planet that could possibly be as unique as Bolivia's capital. If you're watching this video and you haven't subscribed yet, it would mean the world to us if you would join our community and click the little subscribe button below. La Paz is an old historical city tucked in and around an abundance of snow-capped mountains. The main mode of public transport here? Cable cars. Watch our full video on La Paz to find out more, but we can assure you, you will be amazed at this system of getting around. Other things to get up to in La Paz include a mountain bike adventure on Death Road, a trip to what Neil Armstrong described as being the Valley of the Moon, and of course, a spellbinding visit to Witch's Market. Instead of taking a taxi or a bus to Valle de la Luna from the city center of La Paz, hop in the green cable car that takes you to a newer part of the city. And when you arrive there, just hop in a taxi. It's just a 10-minute ride and it's costing you $3, so really worth it. Number two, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Messi's Argentina team won the World Cup when we were in Buenos Aires. So it is time to reveal our number one city. No, I'm just joking. Apart from that, there was so much more to Buenos Aires than the sheer pandemonium of the country winning their first World Cup since 1986. But we have to be honest and say that that day and the following days following the victory were a huge part of the reason why we loved Buenos Aires so much. And to be honest, I don't think I'll ever not feel a little bit Argentinian after those few days. Apart from that, Buenos Aires is just such a comfortable, livable city. It is probably the most European-influenced city in South America. We just took a walk down along the pier here and strangely enough, it's actually kind of reminded me of Dublin a bit. This is kind of like the River Liffey with the bridge going across. And there's actually even a bar over there called Temple Bar, so I feel right at home here. And that means it's full of historical colonial buildings, delicious pastries, cheeses, and meats, and streets filled with places to sit outside, to eat and drink, and until your heart's content. Take a walk around the colorful area of go shopping in the famous Palermo and stroll around Avenida de Julio, where the stunning obelisk dominates the view. Secret tip for Buenos Aires, predict the future and go there when Argentina are about to win their next World Cup. Just joking. Again. We mentioned it earlier, but we really enjoyed making our own breakfast in Buenos Aires. Find some cheese and ham shops, local baguettes, and some baked pastry from the local bakeries, and enjoy a delicious homemade bread cake as good as any you would get from a restaurant. Time to reveal our number one city, and if you watched our 30 things to do in South America video, you might have noticed that six out of the 30 top things to do were from one city and one city alone, and that place is Rio de Janeiro. Stand at the foot, literally, of one of the new wonders of the world. Take a cable car to the summit of the world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain. Play football with locals on iconic beaches like the Copacabana. Fly over the city and a hang gliding experience. Climb seaside mountains to get amazing views of Rio from above. Take a walk into the city center to experience Cathedral Metropolitano, the Celeron Steps, the Maracanã, and more. Rio has it all, so if you're planning a trip to South America and this place wasn't a priority, give your head a wobble and reorganize yourself to get a few days in this city. Incredible. So, secret tip for Rio is to do the Pedro de Gavia hike instead of the Telegraf Rock hike. Telegraf Rock is a very popular thing to do. It only takes 45 minutes to hike there, and you might have seen before where people hang off the rock and it looks like they're going to fall hundreds and hundreds of meters if they let go of the rock. It's simply an illusion and it's not true, and to be honest, it's just a bit too touristy for our but instead, if you want a real challenge, hike Pedro de Gavia. It is the tallest mountain in the world that ends directly in the ocean, and it is definitely challenging, steep, hot, tough, hot, all those words, but then once you reach the top, all those words turn into breathtaking, unbelievable. So, these are our top 10 cities in South America. Have you been to South America? Which city is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. So, if you decide to visit any of those cities, we are positive you're going to have something to remember just like us.