USHUAIA, Argentina, on the south coast of Tierra del Fuego, is about as far south as a tourist can comfortably go in the Americas. It faces the Beagle Channel, named for the ship that brought Charles Darwin on his 1832 exploration of local wildlife. Penguins, sea lions and rare sea birds still abound. On desolate Navarino Island, across the channel, is a small Chilean naval installation, Puerto Williams. Antarctica is just 700 miles of iceberg-chocked ocean away.

With a little planning, it's possible to enjoy a very civilized stay in Ushuaia. The city of 25,000 ringed by the Andes has several attractive hotels and inviting restaurants that offer local seafood specialties like centolla, an Antarctic variety of king crab.

Between November and March, the climate turns mild. Daytime temperatures reach the 60's and beyond. The subarctic summer sunset comes after 10 P.M. But be prepared for rapid cooling once the sun goes down.

Getting there is straightforward enough. Direct flights leave Buenos Aires each morning, arriving in Ushuaia by early afternoon. But the aerial approach is not for the faint-hearted. The steep, angled descent over mountain passes generally leaves passengers white-knuckled, though otherwise intact. The problem should be fixed with the scheduled opening of a new approach runway in 1990, which will accommodate international flights.

Until then, consider deplaning in Rio Grande, a scenic 150-mile drive away. This city of 15,000 on Tierra del Fuego's Atlantic coast marks the transition between Patagonian desert to the north and tundra forest to the south. Meatpacking and wool-goods industries are supplied by the huge sheep ranches ranging over the surrounding arid countryside. On- and offshore oil and gas wells add to the industrial base, along with assembly plants lured by the island's free trade zone. Daily buses, unfortunately not coordinated with flight times, link Rio Grande and Ushuaia. A hired car, with driver, costs about $70 one-way, divisible among up to four passengers.

The three- to four-hour drive south to Ushuaia, along National Route 3, affords magnificent views of 100-mile-long Lake Fagnano and Lake Escondido, or Hidden Lake, nestled among the mountains. Hosteria Kaiken, near the eastern end of Lake Fagnano and with good lake views, offers the rare chance for a rest stop. The final hour passes among glaciers, mountain springs and pine forests, still thick despite an active logging industry.

In midcontinent, the Andes soar to more than 20,000 feet. Here, near the southern end of the chain, 4,000-foot summits are more common. Even so, they remain snow-capped well into summer. Even from downtown Ushuaia they appear startlingly close. Glaciers abound, and one, the Martial, is just a short ride, or very long walk, from town.

The Beagle Channel is Ushuaia's visual centerpiece. Five long parallel blocks, beginning with Avenida Maipu along the shoreline, and 15 cross-streets complete the grid.

Excursion boats depart from the downtown docks, at the intersection of Maipu and 25 de Mayo opposite the Hotels Canal Beagle and Albatros. This is also a good place for viewing the local naval squadron and fishing fleet. Four blocks to the west is the Territorial Museum, open Mondays through Saturdays from 4 to 8 P.M. The collection features Indian and early settler artifacts plus exhibits on local birds, including species unique to this region. Admission is about 15 cents.

The main commercial street is the Avenida San Martin, one block above Maipu and dominated by a Nordic-looking church. It has shops selling local crafts and duty free imports, as well as such basics as restaurants, pharmacies and the post office. It is also the site of the government's tourist information office, as well as the private agencies that book local excursions. Two of the largest agencies are Rumbo Sur and Tiempo Libre. Most nonfood businesses close for the midafternoon break from 1 to 4, and then reopen until late evening. As elsewhere in Argentina, the dinner hour runs from 9 until late.

A glass-enclosed catamaran launch departs twice a day from the downtown pier. The morning harbor tour lasts two and a half hours and shows off sea lions and Antarctic seabirds. The noon sailing is an eight-hour round-trip excursion that follows the channel eastward to the Harberton Ranch. The best bet is a combination boat-bus tour beginning with the outbound noon sailing and switching to a tour bus at Puerto Almanza landing for the return. The seaborne portion covers almost a third of the passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic.

MOUNTAINS covered with lush forests meet both shorelines.

The soft Antarctic light illuminates landscapes and water at oblique angles as the sun circles the horizon. Such rare aquatic birds as Magellan, kelp and ashy-headed goose, steamer ducks, black-crowned night herons and delicate Antarctic swallows provide almost continuous delight. There are also glimpses of shepherds, their cottages and their flocks. A special treat is the stop, and photo opportunity, just off a beach full of penguins.

The bus trip back crosses a striking stretch of tundra forest and returns to town around 6 P.M. Fares range from under $10 a person for the harbor tour to around $20 for the afternoon round trip to about $30 for the combined boat-bus excursion. Full meal service is available on the afternoon boat.

A decade ago, Argentina and Chile nearly went to war over the ownership of three tiny islands at the channel's Atlantic end, just beyond the Harberton Ranch. Argentina feared Chilean possession would bring extensive new maritime rights in the Atlantic. A papal compromise gave Chile the islands but not the full Atlantic maritime zone.

There are also land tours to Tierra del Fuego National Park, Lakes Fagnano and Escondido and the Harberton Ranch. The park, with camping facilities, offers close-up views of Fuegian flora and fauna.

The ranch, founded in 1886 by Thomas Bridges and his sons, is the island's oldest. One of its present owners is Natalie Goodall, an American-born marine biologist and author of a comprehensive bilingual guide to Tierra del Fuego. Land trips include a ranch tour, while boat passengers must content themselves with an offshore view.

A new Ushuaia is rapidly growing just above the downtown grid. In the 1970's, Argentina's military government established a tariff free zone in the island to encourage economic development. Electronics and other assembly plants moved here from other parts of Argentina and drew immigrants by offering wages well above the national average.

Today, growth appears to outstrip the Government's capacity to plan and deliver basic services and many of Ushuaia's highly paid workers must cope with fairly squalid housing. Even as new multifamily dormitory blocks are at last being built, private plots continue to be subdivided to wedge in yet another tiny A-frame log cabin without municipal water or electricity connections.

While these new housing areas are scarcely scenic, the rising elevation offers panoramic views of Ushuaia and its environs on both sides of the channel. And just beyond the new construction, accessible by foot, taxi, or excursion van, lies the road leading to the Martial Glacier. Even if you skip the chair-lift ride over the glacial surface, the journey is worth it for the exceptional mountain views along the way.

After seeing the end of the earth, you might imagine yourself beyond being impressed with still another geographic wonder. Instant refutation is available on the way back north, by means of a brief detour to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina's Glacier National Park.

To visit it, break your return journey at Rio Gallegos, an Atlantic coast fishing port and offshore oil center just on the Patagonian side of the Strait of Magellan. The nearest Argentine port to the Falkland Islands, Rio Gallegos is these days a peaceable city of 100,000.

From there, either a half-hour plane trip in an old propeller- driven Fokker, or a four-hour land journey takes you to the tiny town of Calafate, overlooking Lake Argentino, Argentina's largest lake. The Fokkers are run by LADE, a state airline operated by Argentine Air Force pilots. The fare is $15. Buses run by the many tour companies serving Calafate cost $10. The ground scenery is nothing special, while the flight both a convenience and an adventure.

The plane arrives around lunchtime, and most of what there is to do in Calafate can be done in the remainder of the same day. It's a frontier town, with dogs in the streets and horses in the front yards. The houses in the richer part sport brightly colored chalet roofs of painted tin, wood being a scarce commodity in this part of Patagonia.

Many British immigrants settled in the cool, sheep grazing country of southern Patagonia. This is reflected in the style of some of the wooden cottages and gardens, and most noticeably in the tea rooms. With the evening meal rarely served before 9 or 10, it won't ruin your appetite to drop by at tea time to either La Loma, an attractively decorated inn up a small hill from the main part of town, or Maktub, on the main street, the Avenida del Libertador.

Maktub looks like a Victorian private home, with an entry foyer dominated by a cozy couch and an oval mirror. Inside, virtually every flat surface is used to display a large china and curio collection, including a silver-plated lighter in the shape of an army jeep. There's also a huge hookah on the mantel and the walls are hung with Arab and Eastern art.

The singular taste is that of Irene Amado, an Argentine with Arab roots, who personally greets guests and makes sure they are well served. A wool cozy warms the teapot and the table service comes from the displayed china. Her cakes, including such British specialties as dobosh torts and savory cakes, are memorable.

An artisan's market, run by the Argentine National Park Service, offers a variety of hand-crafted items at bargain prices. Woven wall hangings with Indian and gaucho motifs range from $6 to about $80, depending on size. Painted ceramics of costumed local people cost about $20. Bowls for sipping mate, the traditional Argentine tea, range from $5 to $20. Sweaters are $10 to $20, warm and comfortable lambs-wool slippers around $10, dolls about $5, leather belts from $3 to $10, woolen gloves around $3 and woven purses $2 to $3.

THE glaciers, of course, are the main reason to come to Calafate. The Perito Moreno is an ice sea as vast as the city of Buenos Aires. In midday, evaporation builds huge white clouds that loom over the mountain peaks in its path. The two and a half hour bus ride to the site offers views of Lake Argentino, aquatic birds, glacier-carved rocks and snow-covered peaks. Argentine tour guides are generally well-trained and knowledgeable; mine, Carlos Moran, was enthusiastic, helpful and linguistically adept.

The first view of the giant ice mass comes as you reach the shore of the Brazo Rico, literally the Rich Arm, of the lake, walled off from the lake's main portion by a glacial dam. You can walk or ride to the blue-white ice barrier itself. The color comes from minerals the glacier has scoured out along its route. A boardwalk, with handrails, makes it possible to walk alongside the ice, between the Brazo Rico above and the main lake level below.

In a four-year cycle, the glacially fed waters of the upper part rise until they are as much as 100 feet above the main lake level across the ice dam. Finally, the accumulated pressure drives the dammed-up water through the barrier, sweeping away everything - earth, rocks, shrubs, ice - in its path. The event lasts for about 24 hours. It happened on Feb. 17, 1988, and can be seen in a daily slide show in Calafate.

While the next breakthrough isn't expected until 1992, there's still plenty to see. The ice dam itself is some two and half miles across. Ice palisades, 100 feet tall and more, press forward at the glacier's face, squeezed by the slowly advancing ice behind them. Every few minutes, another large chunk breaks off with a loud crack and falls into the waters below, where it will drift as an iceberg until finally melting away. WHERE THE AMERICAS END The Basics

Southern Hemisphere seasons are conveniently opposite to ours. Ushuaia enjoys mild weather, along with a near-midnight sun, roughly from November to March.

Argentine Airlines (7 Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020; 212-698-2050) can arrange flights within, as well as to, Argentina. A one-way ticket from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia costs $92, to Rio Grande $87. But those who will be visiting three or more destinations within the country should consider the See Argentina Pass. This costs $199 for 14 days or $290 for 30 days. You don't have to commit yourself to an itinerary until you are ready to begin using the pass. Hotels

Package deals, with hotel, meals, excursions and transportation from Rio Gallegos are available.

One of the better hotels in Ushuaia is the Cabo de Hornos (San Martin and Triunvirato; telephone 92187) at $35 a night for two. Las Lengas (Goleta Florencia; 91390), on a bluff with harbor views, charges $30 a night. Book well in advance. With only 800 hotel rooms of all classes in Ushuaia, in-season vacancies are rare.

Calafate's hotels re friendly and well kept, though scarcely grand. Pine beams and simple decor give them the feel of a ski or hunting lodge. The newest and fanciest is Los Alamos (Gobernador Moyano and Bustillo; telephone 74), with a lake view. Double rooms are $30 a night in season. El Quijote (1191 Gregores; 17) and the Michelangelo (Gobernador Moyano and Comandante Espora; 45) are in the sae class. Restaurants

Two can eat well for about $10, including wine.

In Ushuaia, Los Canelos (Maipu and 9 de Julio) has a maritime atmosphere, fireplace and good views of the channel. Try the cazuela de mariscos, a hearty casserole of local seafood. Tante Elvira (San Martin near Rivadavia) features centolla and a more Continental atmosphere.

In Calafate, dinner is usually at your hotel. But this is typically after 9 P.M., so you might well want to pay an afternoon call at the attractive tea rooms, like Maktub (Avenida Libertador) and La Loma, up a small hill from the main part of town.

Important Latam historic sites

Manzana de las Luces, Buenos Aires, Argentina: The Manzana de las Luces (Block of Lights) served as the intellectual center of the city in the 17th and 18th centuries. This land was granted in 1616 to the Jesuits, who built San Ignacio -- the city's oldest church -- still standing at the corner of Bolivar and Aslina streets. It's worth a visit to see the beautiful altar.

Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina: The majestic Teatro Colon, completed in 1908, combines a variety of European styles, from the Ionic and Corinthian capitals and French stained-glass pieces in the main entrance to the Italian marble staircase and exquisite French furniture, chandeliers, and vases in the Golden Hall. The Colon has hosted the world's most important opera singers.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia: The Tiwanaku lived in Bolivia from 1600 B.C. to A.D. 1200. Visit the Tiwanaku archaeological site, which is about 2 hours from La Paz, and you'll see proof of some of the amazing feats of this pre-Columbian culture. The stone-carved Sun Gate could gauge the position of the sun. The technologically advanced irrigation system transformed this barren terrain into viable farmland. The enormous and intricately designed stone-carved monoliths found here give testament to the amazing artistic talents of these people. Much here still remains a mystery, but when you walk around the site, it's exciting to imagine what life must have been like here for the Tiwanaku.

Potosi, Bolivia: Once one of the richest cities in the world, and now one of the poorest, Potosi is a fascinating but tragic place. A silver mining town that once bankrolled the Spanish Empire, Potosi is a high-altitude relic featuring beautiful church architecture and primitive mining, both of which you can experience firsthand.

Brasilia, Brazil: Built from scratch in a matter of years on the red soil of the dry cerrado, Brasilia is an oasis of modernism in Brazil's interior. Marvel at the clean lines and functional forms and admire some of the best modern architecture in the world.

Pelourinho, Brazil: The restored historical center of Salvador is a treasure trove of baroque churches, colorful colonial architecture, steep cobblestone streets, and large squares.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chiu Chiu, and Caspana, Chile: The driest desert in the world has one perk: Everything deteriorates very, very slowly. This is good news for travelers in search of the architectural roots of Chile, where villages such as San Pedro, Chiu Chiu, and Caspana boast equally impressive examples of 17th-century colonial adobe buildings and the sun-baked ruins of the Atacama Indian culture; some sites date from 800 B.C. Highlights undoubtedly are the enchanting, crumbling San Francisco Church of Chiu Chiu and the labyrinthine streets of the indigenous fort Pukara de Lasana.

Chiloe Island, Chile: Chiloe's historical appeal is in large part derived from the fact that many citizens live much as they did 200 years ago, tilling fields with an ox and a plow, plying the coves with rickety wooden fishing skiffs, and hand-knitting sweaters to keep out the cold. Chiloe is home to a rare display of antique ecclesiastical architecture in the form of hundreds of 17th- and 18th-century wooden churches, two dozen of which were recently named a World Patrimony by UNESCO.

Cartagena, Colombia: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984, the old-walled city of Cartagena is the greatest living outdoor museum dedicated to Spanish colonial history. A walk through one of Cartagena's narrow, cobblestone streets, complete with centuries-old Spanish mansions, flower-strewn balconies, and horse-drawn carriages showing tourists around town, might make you feel as if you've stepped onto the set of a colonial-era telenovela. Best of all, the fines attractions -- the plazas, the fortress, and most of the churches -- are free.

Quito's Old Town, Ecuador: When you walk around old Quito, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time. The oldest church here dates from 1535, and it's still magnificent. La Compania de Jesus only dates from 1765, but it is one of the most impressive baroque structures in all of South America. It's rare to find a city with so many charming colonial-style buildings. When you wander through the streets, it really seems as if you are walking through an outdoor museum.

The Nasca Lines, Peru: One of South America's great enigmas are the ancient, baffling lines etched into the desert sands along Peru's southern coast. There are trapezoids and triangles, identifiable shapes of animal and plant figures, and more than 10,000 lines that can only really be seen from the air. Variously thought to be signs from the gods, agricultural and astronomical calendars, or even extraterrestrial airstrips, the Nasca Lines were constructed between 300 B.C. and A.D. 700.

Cusco, Peru: Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, is a living museum of Peruvian history, with Spanish colonial churches and mansions sitting atop perfectly constructed Inca walls of exquisitely carved granite blocks that fit together without mortar. In the hills above the city lie more terrific examples of Inca masonry: the zigzagged defensive walls of Sacsayhuaman and the smaller ruins of Q'enko, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay.

Iglesia de San Francisco, Caracas, Venezuela: This is the church where Simon Bolivar was proclaimed El Libertador in 1813, and the site of his massive funeral in 1842 -- the year his remains were brought back from Colombia some 12 years after his death. Begun in 1575, the church shows the architectural influences of various periods and styles, but retains much of its colonial-era charm.

The best Latam museums

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires: This museum contains the world's largest collection of Argentine sculptures and paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries. It also houses European art dating from the pre-Renaissance period to the present day. The collections include notable pieces by Manet, Goya, El Greco, and Gauguin.

MALBA-Coleccion Constantini, Buenos Aires: This stunning new private museum houses one of the most impressive collections of Latin American art anywhere. Temporary and permanent exhibitions showcase such names as Antonio Berni, Pedro Figari, Frida Kahlo, Candido Portinari, Diego Rivera, and Antonio Sigui. Many of the works confront social issues and explore questions of national identity.

Museu de Arte Sacra, Salvador: When you walk into this small but splendid museum, what you hear is not the usual gloomy silence but the soft sweet sound of Handel. It's a small indication of the care curators have taken in assembling and displaying one of Brazil's best collections of Catholic art -- reliquaries, processional crosses, and crucifixes of astonishing refinement. The artifacts are shown in a former monastery, a simple, beautiful building that counts itself as a work of art.

Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro: It's impossible to miss the MAM. It's a long, large, rectangular building lofted off the ground by an arcade of concrete struts, giving the structure the appearance of an airplane wing. Inside are walls of solid plate glass that welcome in both city and sea. Displays present the best of contemporary art from Brazil and Latin America.

Museo Arqueologico Padre Le Paige, San Pedro de Atacama: This little museum will come as an unexpected surprise for its wealth of indigenous artifacts, although the museum's famous mummies have been taken off display due to ethical questions. Still, considering that the Atacama Desert is the driest in the world, this climate has produced some of the best-preserved artifacts in Latin America, on view here.

Museo del Oro, Bogota: With over 20,000 pieces of gold, the Museo del Oro offers the largest collection of its kind in the world, providing a visual history of Colombia and Latin America from the pre-Columbian era to the Spanish conquest. Taking a guided tour of the museum is one of the best ways to learn about the indigenous groups that inhabited modern-day Colombia before the arrival of the Spaniards. Whatever you do, don't leave Bogota without visiting the top-floor gold room, a dazzling display of 8,000 pieces of gold.

Fundacion Guayasamin, Quito: Oswaldo Guayasamin was Ecuador's greatest and most famous modern artist. His striking large paintings, murals, and sculptures had an impact on artists across Latin America and around the world. This extensive museum displays both his own work and pieces from his collection. Combined with the neighboring Capilla del Hombre, this is a must-see for any art lover or Latin American history buff.

Museo de la Nacion, Lima: Lima is the museum capital of Peru, and the National Museum traces the art and history of the earliest inhabitants to the Inca Empire, the last before colonization by the Spaniards. In well-organized, chronological exhibits, it covers the country's unique architecture (including scale models of most major ruins in Peru) as well as ceramics and textiles.

Monasterio de Santa Catalina and Museo Santuarios Andinos, Arequipa: The Convent of Santa Catalina, founded in 1579, is the greatest religious monument in Peru. More than a convent, it's an extraordinary and evocative small village, with Spanish-style cobblestone streets, passageways, plazas, and cloisters, where more than 200 sequestered nuns once lived (only a handful remain). Down the street at the Museo Santuarios Andinos is a singular exhibit: Juanita, the Ice Maiden of Ampato. A 13- or 14-year-old girl sacrificed in the 1500s by Inca priests high on a volcano at 6,380m (20,926 ft.), "Juanita" was discovered in almost perfect condition in 1995.

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Sofia Imber, Caracas: Occupying 13 rooms spread out through the labyrinthine architecture of Caracas's Parque Central, the permanent collection here features a small but high-quality collection of singular works by such modern masters as Picasso, Red Grooms, Henry Moore, Joan Miro, and Francis Bacon, as well as a good representation of the conceptual works of Venezuelan star Jesus Soto.

Some Latam small towns and villages

San Martin de los Andes, Argentina: City planners in San Martin had the smart sense to do what Bariloche never thought of: limit building height to two stories and mandate continuity in the town's Alpine architecture. The result? Bariloche is crass whereas San Martin is class, and the town is a year-round playground to boot. The cornucopia of hotels, restaurants, and shops that line the streets are built of stout, cinnamon-colored tree trunks or are Swiss-style, gingerbread confections that all seem right at home in San Martin's blessed, pastoral setting. Relax, swim, bike, ski, raft, hunt, or fish -- this small town has it all.

Cafayate Wine Town, Argentina: This small, sandy village in the Argentine Northwest is surrounded by multicolored mountain ranges and red rock desert. Vineyards punctuated by tall cactus sentinels stretch into the foothills. Home to the delicious white wine torrontes, Cafayate offers beautiful luxury wine lodges or more down-to-earth family-run hotels.

The Isla del Sol, Bolivia: There are actually several small villages on the Sun Island, but in total, only a few thousand people live here. There are no cars and barely any telephones. At rush hour, things get very chaotic: You may have to wait a few minutes while the locals herd their llamas from one end of the island to the other. Spend a day here, and you'll feel as if you have taken a trip back in time.

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil: This village of three streets in a sea of white sand is the perfect spot to learn to surf. You'll never get cold, while steamed crab and fresh tropical juices between waves do wonders to keep you going.

Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil: Situated on a green lush island just a boat ride away from Salvador, this sleepy village offers some of the best laidback beach life on the northeast coast of Brazil. Car-free and stress-free, Morro de Sao Paulo offers the perfect mix of deserted beaches, watersports, and fun nightlife in an idyllic setting.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile: Quaint, unhurried, and built of adobe brick, San Pedro de Atacama has drawn Santiaguinos and expatriates the world over to experience the mellow charm and New Age spirituality that waft through the dusty roads of this town. San Pedro hasn't grown much over the past 10 years -- it has simply reinvented itself. Its location in the driest desert in the world makes for starry skies and breathtaking views of the weird and wonderful land formations that are just a stone's throw away.

Pucon, Chile: Not only was Pucon bestowed with a stunning location at the skirt of a smoking volcano and the shore of a glittering lake, it's also Chile's self-proclaimed adventure capital, offering so many outdoor activities that you could keep busy for a week. But if your idea of a vacation is plopping yourself down on a beach, Pucon also has plenty of low-key activities, and that is the real attraction here. You'll find everything you want and need without forfeiting small-town charm (that is, if you don't come with the Jan-Feb megacrowds). Timber creates the downtown atmosphere, with plenty of wood-hewn restaurants, pubs, and crafts stores blending harmoniously with the forested surroundings.

Villa de Leyva, Colombia: You'd be hard pressed to find a place more picturesque than Villa de Leyva, one of the earliest towns founded by the Spanish. At 500 hundred years old, Villa de Leyva is nearly unspoiled by the ravishes of time. Offering green and white colonial-style churches, cobblestone plazas, delightful bed-and-breakfasts, a thriving arts community, and pristine countryside, it's no wonder Villa de Leyva has become the weekend getaway of choice for upscale Bogotanos. Villa de Leyva makes a great base for exploring the spectacular Boyaca countryside and participating in all sorts of adventure sports and eco-opportunities from repelling and kayaking, to nature walks through the nearby desert and waterfalls.

Otavalo, Ecuador: This small, indigenous town is famous for its artisans market. However, it also serves as a fabulous base for a wide range of adventures, activities, and side trips. Nearby attractions include Cuicocha Lake, Peguche Waterfall, Mojanda Lakes, and Condor Park.

Ollantaytambo, Peru: One of the principal villages of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Ollanta (as the locals call it) is a spectacularly beautiful place along the Urubamba River; the gorge is lined by agricultural terraces, and snowcapped peaks rise in the distance. The ruins of a formidable temple-fortress overlook the old town, a perfect grid of streets built by the Incas, the only such layout remaining in Peru.

Colca Valley Villages, Peru: Chivay, on the edge of Colca Canyon, is the valley's main town, but it isn't much more than a laid-back market town with fantastic hot springs on its outskirts. Dotting the Colca Valley and its extraordinary agricultural terracing are 14 charming colonial villages dating to the 16th century, each marked by its handsomely decorated church. Yanque, Coporaque, Maca, and Lari are among the most attractive towns. Natives in the valley are descendants of the pre-Inca ethnic communities Collaguas and Cabanas, and they maintain the vibrant style of traditional dress, highlighted by fantastically embroidered and sequined hats.

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay: Just a short ferry trip from Buenos Aires, Colonia is Uruguay's best example of colonial life. The old city contains brilliant examples of colonial wealth and many of Uruguay's oldest structures. Dating from the 17th century, this beautifully preserved Portuguese settlement makes a perfect day trip.

Merida, Venezuela: Nestled in a narrow valley between two immense spines of the great Andes Mountains, this lively college town is a great base for a wide range of adventure activities. Its narrow streets and colonial architecture also make it a great place to wander around and explore.