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Central and South America occupy an unusual position in the budget travel conversation. The region’s reputation for high airfare from North America and Europe, combined with assumptions about expensive accommodations in its major cities, leads many travelers to exclude it from consideration when planning a trip within a realistic budget. The exclusion is a mistake. Exchange rates in several countries give travelers from the U.S. and Europe purchasing power that does not exist at comparable destinations closer to home, and many of the region’s most significant cultural and natural attractions cost little or nothing to visit. The argument for budget travel in Central and South America is stronger than the airfare concerns suggest.
The region's geographic range amplifies the value case. A single subcontinent encompasses ancient Incan ruins, active surf towns, urban capitals with world-class food scenes, wildlife-rich frontiers, and Andean mountain cities, all within a part of the world where the currency dynamics tilt in favor of the visiting traveler. Budget travel in this context does not mean choosing between an affordable trip and an interesting one. It means choosing which type of extraordinary experience to pursue first, and it often means being pleasantly surprised by how much the money stretches once the airfare is paid.
