Real travelers love South America. It’s as though the continent was built for travel; a place that excites, thrills, challenges and infuriates. Sweat yourself dizzy on an Amazon canoe ride before ending the day caiman-watching on a black-water lagoon. Brave a white-knuckle bus ride down Peruvian slopes and be astounded by endless Andean vistas. Endure Patagonia’s wind-driven rain while chasing life-affirming sunsets or simply lose yourself in the chaos of Buenos Aires or Salvador. The real reward, however, is the South American spirit. It seems like the entire continent approaches life with the enthusiasm of an old-fashioned road trip: windows down and stereo blaring. There is as much music as there are adventures to be had. Samba spices up the sandy streets of Brazilian beach towns, panpipes liven Andean markets, Argentine folk music trickles out of truck radios in the pampas, and the jolting rhythm of cumbia makes those Andean bus rides even more absurd.

South America is a continent that engulfs you and changes you – your state of mind, your outlook on life. As soon as you step foot on South American soil, the transformation begins.