Our Latin America Bucket List
The Places We’re Dreaming of (Even If We Won’t Get to Them All This Year)
When we decided to travel around South America and Central America as a family of four, we knew one thing: we wouldn’t be able to see it all. But that didn’t stop us from dreaming. This is our ultimate Latin America bucket list places that have caught our hearts before we’ve even stepped foot there.
Some of these are must-visits for this trip, others are for the future. Think of this as our long-haul wish list, a little bit practical, a little bit “maybe one day,” and fully shaped by what excites us as a family: nature, culture, learning Spanish, and letting our kids experience life beyond the classroom.
Central America
Guatemala
Lake Atitlán (those volcano views!)
Antigua’s colourful streets
Learning Spanish in San Pedro
Chichicastenango Market (yep, we’re bringing snacks for that one)
Nicaragua
Surf town vibes in San Juan del Sur
Volcano boarding in León (…well, maybe not with the kids)
Colonial charm of Granada
Costa Rica
Sloths. That’s it.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Family-friendly beaches on the Pacific side
Wildlife spotting in Manuel Antonio
Panama
Casco Viejo in Panama City
The Panama Canal (because why not?)
Caribbean islands of Bocas del Toro
South America
Colombia
Medellín for the cable cars and city views
Guatapé for colourful buildings and climbing the rock
Cartagena’s old town magic
Coffee region — yes please
Ecuador
Quito’s old town (at altitude, so we’ll take it slow)
Otavalo Market
The Andes + hot springs in Baños
Galápagos (one day… maybe after a lottery win)
Peru
Machu Picchu (classic, we know — but come on!)
Sacred Valley with stops in Ollantaytambo and Pisac
Learning about Inca history with the kids
Cusco, for culture and alpaca spotting
Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni (salt flats dreams)
Sucre for chill vibes
La Paz — riding the cable cars like locals
Chile
Atacama Desert’s moon-like landscapes
Torres del Paine (might need a future kid-free hike…)
Valparaíso’s street art and steep hills
Argentina
Buenos Aires for dancing, eating, and people watching
Patagonia (again, maybe a future trip — looks chilly!)
Iguazú Falls from the Argentine side
Will we get to all of these this year? Nope.
But this list keeps us dreaming big, planning smarter, and picking places that truly fit our family travel style. We’ll keep adding, changing, and maybe even crossing a few off along the way.
Got a favourite spot in Latin America that needs to be on our radar? Message us! We’re all ears (and backpacks).
