South And Central American Singles Destinations
When is the best time for singles to travel to South and Central American destinations?
There are certain times of the year when travel to Mexico, Central America and South America may be relatively better, and a lot of that has to do with the weather. When you're talking about South America, especially those countries below the equator, keep in mind that the seasons are the reverse of ours. In other words, if it's Summer here, it's Winter there. It's very easy to take a ski vacation in the southern hemisphere in July, which is an unusual thing to do from the United States. In Central America there are rainy seasons that you need to be aware of. Some of them can be long and significant, so it can be very worthwhile to take a look at climatological data. Mexico is another interesting place. Obviously the desert regions in the interior of Mexico are always going to be welcoming and warm. You should avoid perhaps the Cancun, Merida, and Yucatan Peninsula during hurricane season. Again, that's an individual choice. The west coast of Mexico will also have a certain season to it - times when it's significantly warmer, significantly drier. You should take a look at the weather and make sure that you don't run afoul of any of the seasons, which can be trickier than in the United States.
What are popular Argentinian destinations for singles?
One of the most popular destinations is Buenos Aires - it's great for the solo traveller. There's plenty of shopping, there's great cuisine, good nightlife in Buenos Aires, and the dollar continues to be very strong against the Argentine currency, which makes it economial for solo travel.
What are popular Chilean destinations for singles?
One of the great destinations of Chile - there are a couple of them - is Santiago, which has a very vibrant music scene and can be really rewarding. Over the years, the music scene died down a little bit during years of political turmoil, and has now come back with a vengeance. The other terrific place is Patagonia, which I think a solo traveller would find amazingly welcoming and warm, and can be the site of a very active vacation.
What are popular Brazilian destinations for singles?
The most popular Brazil destination for solo travellers is Rio, especially during Carnival. Rio is a very vibrant, alive city - being a solo traveller during Carnival, you may be alone, but you're never really going to be alone. It's a very welcoming scene - it can be rowdy, it can be raucous, so if you're looking for peace and quiet, that's probably not the place to be, but I do think that there are some pretty good opportunities for singles to be a part of a culture and a dynamic that you may not find in any other South American city.
What are popular Peruvian destinations for singles?
Peru is one of those places where a solo traveler can have a really good vacation. Going to Machu Piccu as a solo traveler, you can feel absolutely comfortable doing that. There are enough people there, and you are never going to be alone. It's an amazing destination, it's just breathtaking - unlike anything that you will experience elsewhere in the world. The city of Lima is interesting, the city of Cusco is interesting, but to be up at Machu Piccu as a solo traveler, and to be there as the sun rises, is an experience that you will not have anywhere else.
What are popular Mexican destinations for singles?
Mexico has myriad destinations that are welcoming of singles. When you think of solo and you think of Mexico, the first place that often comes to mind is Cancun. Cancun has a vibrant singles scene. If partying hard is not your thing, you should avoid it perhaps during spring break, but at other times of the year it is very welcoming of singles. Any beach destination works well for the solo traveler. That might be Puerto Vallarta, that might be Mazatlan, Estapa, Zewatanaito; all of those places are excellent. There is also Kabal in Baja, California, which is also welcoming of singles.
What are popular Central American beach destinations for singles?
The best beach vacation destinations in Central America are going to be in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. Particularly in Costa Rica, you can have a vacation on the Carribean side, or you can have a vacation on the Pacific side, depending on how you like your water, or you can have both. You can do a few days on one side, a few days on the other. Panama is an up and coming destination, with the turnover of the Panama Canal back to Panama, this poured a tremendous amount of money into the Panamanian economy, and you can really see a difference. They are developing new resorts and new destinations all over Panama that make a good destination for the solo traveller.
What are some money-saving tips for singles traveling through South and Central America?
Singles traveling through Central and South America will probably be able to find great ways to economize, simply because the dollar is so strong against many of those currencies. Like Europe, Central and South America, if you are eating out, you can peruse the menu before you go in and make sure that you're going into a place that's both affordable and meets youre culinary requirements, whatever those happen to be. Also, you can sometimes book a single room, unlike in the United States where we don't usually have single rooms. In Central and South America, there are single rooms, and those can be much less expensive than paying full freight.
What are some safety tips for singles traveling through South and Central America?
Singles traveling through Central and South America need to abide by the same safety rules as they would anywhere else in the world. Be hyper aware of your surroundings, be sure not to get yourself in a situation.
What are some lesser-known South and Central American destinations for singles?
There are a lot of Central and South American destinations for solo travelers that aren't known. Generally, Central and South America tends to be overlooked by many travelers, and I think that there are tremendous vacation opportunities within both of those geographic areas. Panama is a place that's up and coming. Panama is also especially good for people who are birdwatchers. It's said to have more bird species than just about any country in the world, just in this one small country. Another place that is overlooked, not necessarily by Europeans but by Americans, is Punta Del Este in Uruguay. A really interesting beach vacation destination, and a place that is not very well known in North America, but can be a fun and exciting destination for the solo traveler.
