South America - Picks for S. America spring break

i'm looking to go 1.5 - 2 weeks in s. america for spring break. what would you guys all pick for something that's not ultra touristy yet still safe and would let me make it back home alive?

Belize

Costa Rica

Chile

Argentina

Brazil

Peru

Colombia (aside from the parts where there is still a semiactive rebellion)

I'd go to Chile and Argentina and have a ball.

i'm looking to go 1.5 - 2 weeks in s. america for spring break. what would you guys all pick for something that's not ultra touristy yet still safe and would let me make it back home alive?

Is Puerto Rico an option for you? Seems to be nice ..

See:
http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Best_Spring_Break_Destinations/

Safety is an issue throughout the developing world, but I wouldn't spend much time worrying about it (unless you go to Caracas or Juarez). My guess is that wherever you go you will not be spending time in the rough parts of town.

As for where to go, it obviously depends on so many things. Deep South America (Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil) will be noticeably more expensive to get to than Central and northern South America. Having said that, Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities and Patagonia, Iguazu Falls and Mendoza are all easy (if somewhat expensive) side trips from there. Montevideo, Uruguay, is a cheaper side trip and ticks off another country. Chile and Brazil have great sites, too.

If you are on a budget and can get to a Spirit Airlines city, check out their route map and pick. Cartegena, Colombia, is a great choice. Beautiful city, somewhat touristy, but still exotic. You can travel around Colombia cheaply (by bus or air) from there. Peru has a lot to see and do as well.

The only places I would avoid would be Venezuela (if you haven't traveled LatAm before, not the best place to start) and Costa Rica (might be too touristy for your taste).

My suggestion would be Uruguay. First world but less expensive than Chile and Argentina, the other first world countries in South America. Friendly people and no visa/entry fees. Fees for Argentina and Chile if you arrive in Bueunos Aires or Santiago are approximately $130.

For added discussion, please follow as the thread moves to the Travel->S. America forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

If you are on a budget and can get to a Spirit Airlines city, check out their route map and pick. Cartegena, Colombia, is a great choice. Beautiful city, somewhat touristy, but still exotic. You can travel around Colombia cheaply (by bus or air) from there. Peru has a lot to see and do as well.



Cartagena is a cool destination, 2 weeks there would be a bit much though, but whilst in the region you could go east to taganga for some partying, Parque Nacional de Tayrona for some amazing beaches, further East to La Guajira desert depending on how adventurous you fancy being. You can also go West to El Golfo de Morrosquillo, stay in an eco hotel and depending on when you go, pretty much have the whole place to yourselves. From there you can also do a boat trip to the San Bernado Islands. from Cartagena the Rosario Islands etc.


Cartagena is a must see especially if you flew into CTG, but from there within easy reach you have some spectacular destinations