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Every year, July 12-16, the quiet northern village of La Tirana, in the arid Tarapaca region of Chile, honors the Virgen del Carmen with one of the largest religious festivals in the country. La Virgen del Carmen is the patron saint of Chile and tells of the struggle of good over evil through dance, music, and ornate devil and angel costumes. During the festival, the population of the village swells from 600 to over 200,000. Pilgrims arrive from other towns across northern Chile, Bolivia, and Peru by bus, car, and even on foot to celebrate and pay homage to the Virgen in a series of nearly two hundred “bailes,” dances. Within the dances, the most famous one is La Diablada, performed by “diablos,” devils. The dancing group, usually about 20 people, don ornate, colorful costumes and masks depicting carnival-esque devil faces. They dance through the village streets followed by a brass band, jumping and turning pirouettes. Photo: Kendal Montgomery (http://www.kendalmontgomery.com)

San Pedro de Atacama is a beautiful adobe-esque town on the edge of Atacama Desert in Chile, just west of the Bolivian border. I took this photo in near by Valle De Luna, while I was mountain biking through a virtual moonscape of natural geography. The air is so dry and clear here, you get these amazing colors from sunsets. This wild cloud formation just formed before our eyes, and the setting sun painted this crimson red.... an amazing sight. You have to fly into Calama, (90 min bus to San Pedro), or you overland for a couple days from Uyuni, Bolivia and cross the border into San Pedro. The evenings are full of festive small bars with fireplaces and good fun. Try Andes Traveller to rent bikes or horses (www.andestraveller.com.ar). Go hike or bike through Valle de Luna and get lost in time. You can trek, sandboard, see flamingos at the nearby Las Flamencos national reserve, and hot springs; all very close to town. Shot with velvia film and tripod. nikon f100 no filters or heavy processing, just natural magic light!

Legend has it that the first Incas, children of the sun, set down on earth at Lake Titicaca, making this a sacred place, the cradle of life itself. Travelers with more than a week to spend in Peru should plan to visit the beautiful and enormous Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Part of the serene lake lies within Peruvian territory, while the other half is Bolivian. (An ideal trip would include at least one overnight at the spectacular Titilaka Hotel on Suasi Island.)

The reason most come to Aguas Calientes, or maybe even Peru at all, is Machu Picchu. The world-renowned Incan site, perched high above town amid dramatic mountains, is one of the best ways to appreciate the Quechua people’s greatness, since the Spanish never found or plundered it. The site’s purpose is essentially a mystery, though there are many theories. We may never know if it was an educational center, a military outpost, a religious compound, a preparation ground for youths to be sacrificed, a villa for the ruling Incas, or some combination of them all. Regardless, its magnificence is undeniable, both for its evocative structures and the stunning peaks that form its dramatic 360-degree backdrop.

The Inca Trail is perhaps the most famous trek in Peru. This is the road to Machu Picchu, an ancient route that leads from the Sacred Valley into the heart of the Andes. You must obtain a permit and hire an official guide in order to hike the Inca Trail proper. There are plenty of tour operators in Cusco that offer trips up to Machu Picchu, so you should definitely look at reviews before you choose. For better or for worse, the tours are all-inclusive. The local tour operators employ porters to carry your packs and set up a camp. A team of local chefs will prepare three meals a day, and many hikers come back raving about the delicious meals. Keep in mind that the trek can be tough, especially in the first few days. The trail is often narrow, and it flirts with formidable heights. The mountains in this part of the Andes can rise well over 13,000 feet, and many hikers find themselves suffering from altitude sickness. Make sure to take a few days (in Cusco or the Sacred Valley) to acclimatize before you begin the journey. Finally: make sure to plan ahead! The Peruvian government limits trail access to 500 people per day, including porters. This regulation protects the local ecosystem and the delicate ruins, and it ensures that the trail won’t be too crowded. However, it also means that permits for the peak summer season sell out months in advance. If you aren’t able to get a permit for the classic Inca Trail, never fear: there are various other trails that lead to Machu Picchu.

Once upon a time, Europe (mostly Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the UK) dominated the chocolate market and through aggressive marketing and downright colonialist extraction methods, became erroneously known for being the world’s experts on cacao, yet cacao came from South and Central America and didn’t grow anywhere near Europe. Recent years have seen the best chocolate rightfully return to the source where it originated—Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, where a boom of quality chocolate has replaced reimported European milk chocolate sold to those cacao producing countries for generations. But Switzerland is back in the game with this excellent new chocolate shop by local food expert Dieter Meier and his patented cold pressed extraction method that brings out the botanicals and nuances of these sourced cacaos in ways other chocolate manufactures cannot. The results are Cuban, Bolivian, and Guatemalan single bean bars ranging from white to 80% dark that are unlike anything else on the market. The tiny shop overlooking the Limmat River opened in December 2017 and is not cheap, but worth every rappen for its exquisite expression of flavors.

An authentic Latin American kitchen experience at a motel? That’s pretty funky! Chef and owner Raul Claros pays homage to his Venezuelan birthplace and Bolivian childhood by whipping up his mother and grandmother’s old family recipes. Headlining the menu are Bolivian salteñas—imagine empanadas on steroids—filled with a gelatinous beef stew to which he adds carrots, peas, onions, olives, egg, and roast chicken. Representing Venezuela are the arepas, ground corn cakes (grilled or fried) served plain or stuffed with combination favorites like roast chicken and avocado, braised beef in tomatoes and chili peppers, and grilled skirt steak with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. (Thanks to my Dad for introducing this eatery to me!)

The 17th-century estate where Simón Bolívar died in 1830 is the site of several Bolivar monuments as well as an art museum featuring works by Latin American artists inspired by Bolívar, the hero who freed Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela from colonial rule. The estate serves as the city’s botanical garden, also worth your time for its magnificent, centuries-old trees.

Step inside from the dusty street into this walled oasis in the town of San Pedro. With only eight unique cottages and plenty of sun-drenched terrace space, this exquisite hotel (a Relais & Chateaux property) has sofas strewn with local textiles in vivid colors. Awasi is all about privacy and getting away from the crowds, so meet with your private guide to custom-design the excursions to your interests and activity level (after acclimating to San Pedro’s 8,000-feet altitude). Visit far-flung altiplanic villages, enjoy dawn with just you and the flamingos. Back on the homestead after a day, the chef woos guests with refined creations, local ingredients, and a great wine list. After dinner, linger by the mammoth fire pit to sip the rest of your Chilean cabernet under the stars.

With a client roster that includes Kate Moss and Lady Gaga, Divine Decadence Originals clearly knows its stuff. Located in the tony Yorkville neighborhood, this vintage-couture boutique offers rack after rack of extraordinary garments, both big-name (think Valentino, Lanvin, and Chanel) and no- name (like a Bolivian embroidered-velvet jacket). No matter the piece, vivacious owner Carmelita Blondet knows its history and provenance. She buys from the original owners, not auction houses, so the items carry a special magic.