Best time to visit South America

September to November is often thought of as the best time to visit South America. Several countries experience springlike conditions, with numerous wildflowers and newborn animals appearing with the rise in temperatures. Really, though, the vast size, altitude contrasts and varying weather in South America means there is no single best time of year to visit. June offers cool, dry weather in the Galapagos, a steamy 30°C in the Amazon – but snow and ice will shut down much of southern Patagonia, which is best visited from November to February. Steep contour shifts can mean balmy temperatures on Chile’s coast but a snowy 5,000m chill just 100km away.

Guy Marks from our supplier Tribes Travel suggests the best time to see Brazil's wonderful wildlife:

“The Pantanal is seasonally flooded so there are islands of dry land where the wildlife concentrates. There’s only one road down there so in the very wet season it’s hard to access – it's certainly more difficult to see jaguars, you can’t drive anywhere, and you’ve got to travel by canoe. You can do horse rides – canters through deep water are fantastic – but you want to go in the dry season really, from July until October.

If you want to go to the Amazon it doesn’t really make much difference when you go; it’s the rainforest so it rains all year. There is high water and low water, but there are advantages to both. In low water you get more walks through the forest, and at high water (Jan-May) as much as ten metres of water rise through the forest – which means you’re ten metres higher into the canopy when you’re in a boat. So the animals that live in the canopy are not absolutely miles away – you can see them much closer!”

The Rio Carnival is famous but you may have more fun and feel less touristy joining Brazilian street parties in African-influenced Salvador or boho colonial Paraty, where incredible celebrations avoid Rio's hype (and price hikes). Other countries party too. In Argentina, top Carnevale spots are the colonial northern cities of Corrientes and Gualeguaychu, with parades over several weekends.