South America’s verdant heart is as superlative as nature gets: it is the world’s most biodiverse place, drained by the largest river system on Earth. Adventures abound in this unimaginably vast jungle, where indigenous tribes thrive on nature’s bounty and you awake in your eco lodge to the sounds of howler monkeys, roaring jaguars and the melodies of extraordinary birdlife. Set out on foot and discover rare flora famed for their healing properties or spot caimans and pink dolphins on a boat trip or kayaking adventure.

Sitting coolly on the Caribbean Sea, with the palm-lined beaches of Tayrona National Park rolling away to the east, Santa Marta is the stuff of Latin daydreams. This is the oldest European settlement in South America, a decadent legacy writ large in the Spanish-era churches and grand townhouses. A lively bar scene keeps things going until well after the sun has dipped below the horizon, and the pretty, pastel-toned streets are tickled by Caribbean breezes.