Don't Go Home After the Rio Olympics

You’re already flying all the way to Rio de Janeiro, so why not add another stop or two? Here, 12 South American destinations that are easily reached by plane, car, or even helicopter.

1. TACKLE THE AMAZON.

The adventure begins in Manaus, where you’ll hop aboard the 12-passenger Gadean, a 140-foot yacht, for a weeklong charter cruising one of the world’s longest rivers. You’ll see pink dolphins, barbecue on sandbars, and fish for piranhas along the way. (4-hour flight to Manaus)

2. SAIL THROUGH ACTUAL PARADISE.

Brazil isn’t known for nautical exploration, but there’s no better way to do Angra dos Reis, the gateway to roughly 350 small islands, than by sea. Hop a ferry or charter a sailboat and crew with the help of a local travel specialist to hit the beach at ruggedly beautiful Ilha Grande—where you can stay at the secluded, shorefront Asalem hotel—and other unspoiled isles.

3. MAKE AN ARCHITECTURAL PILGRIMAGE.

The country’s capital, Brasília, is filled with Oscar Niemeyer’s monumental, free-flowing buildings, including the National Congress and the Metropolitan Cathedral. (1¾ hour flight)

4. SUMMER LIKE A CELEB.

The upper-class enclave of Búzios caught Americans’ attention in 1964 when Brigitte Bardot famously stole away to the town with her Brazilian boyfriend Bob Zagury. Since then, celebrities from Madonna to Mick have dipped their toes in these blue-green waters. If you have days to spare, rent a villa; for shorter stays, useCasas Brancas Boutique Hotel & Spa, which is close to the beaches, as your home base. (35 minutes by helicopter or 3 hours by car)

Getty Celeb-spot in Búzios, just north-west of Rio de Janeiro.

5. DO SOUTH AMERICA’S MAMMOTH FALLS.

Book a room at Belmond Hotel das Cataratas—it’s inside Iguaçu National Park, so you’ll have the breath-taking views and trails all to yourself in the mornings and evenings when other visitors aren’t allowed. (2¼ hour flight)

6. SEE A MINING BARON’S IMPRESSIVE ART COLLECTION.

The indoor/outdoor contemporary art museum Inhotim is surprising—not just for its size (buildings and installations are scattered across 2,500 lushly landscaped acres) but also for its off-the-beaten-path location in the Brazilian countryside. The collection, owned by mining magnate Bernardo de Mello Paz, has art-world cred, with works by Olafur Eliasson and Anish Kapoor. (70-minute flight and 2 hours by car)

7. TREK A MIND-BLOWING SANDSCAPE.

With nearly 600 square miles of pristine white sand dunes, rivers, and freshwater ponds, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park makes for a surreal adventure. Whether you explore by four-wheel-drive or kitesurf board, the otherworldly landscape rivals anything on the continent (including the Bolivian salt flats). Getting around takes time, so budget at least a week. Lodges and cabins are basic, but some tour companies (like Matueté) provide their own upgrades. (3¼ hour flight and 4 hours by car)

Getty Bolivia isn't the only South American country with otherworldly landscapes. Visit Brazil's Lençóis National Park.

8. BE CHARMED BY BRAZIL’S PRETTIEST COLONIAL TOWN.

Everyone loves the gorgeous low-slung sixteenth-century town of Paraty, known for its small hotels in renovated mansions (at Casa Turquesa, every guest gets a pair of Havaianas on arrival). There’s not much to do but hit the palm-backed sandy beaches, but after fighting crowds in Rio, that may be exactly what you’re looking for. (45 minutes by helicopter or 4 hours by car)

9. RELAX ON THE BEACH WITH THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

Fashion types and lapsed hippies have turned the remote fishing village of Trancoso into an idyllic, stylish escape on the Atlantic. Stay at the 11-bungalow Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa, opened in 2009 by former Diesel creative director Wilbert Das, who filled it with vintage furnishings and colorful art. (1½ hour flight and 1½ hours by car)

10. PARTY IN BUENOS AIRES.

Book a Park Suite at the Palacio Duhau–Park Hyatt in leafy Recoleta, have a wood-grilled rib eye at Miranda in Palermo, then drink Fernet and Coca-Cola at the Faena until well past midnight. (3½ hour flight)

Getty Head to nearby Buenos Aires, which is a little more than three hours by plane.

11. TICK URUGUAY OFF YOUR LIST.

In the walkable seaside capital of Montevideo, you’ll find pastel colonial-era buildings and restaurants likeJacinto, where chef Lucía Soria serves light, vegetable-centric dishes such as a leek and pumpkin tart. Stay at the 15-room Alma Histórica Boutique Hotel, overlooking downtown’s Zabala Square. (3-hour flight)

12. EAT AND DRINK YOUR WAY THROUGH SANTIAGO.

With great hotels (The Singular), restaurants (Boragó), and wine bars (Bocanáriz), Chile’s capital is one of South America’s best food cities. (4¾ hour flight)

HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

If the idea of driving Brazil’s famously chaotic highways doesn’t sound like a vacation, call on Brazil travel experts Paul Irvine of Dehouche, Jill Siegel of South American Escapes, or Martin Frankenberg of Matueté, who can coordinate drivers, guides, and logistics.