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From the jagged but low peaks of Patagonia, to the high Andes of Bolivia and Peru, South America boasts a vast array of national parks that embrace spectacular and hugely diverse landscapes. Glaciated peaks rub shoulders with smouldering volcanoes, while dense temperate rainforest merges with thinner, windswept evergreens. In these remote, untouched destinations, elusive wild animals, among them the world’s smallest deer, the pudú, and the formidable puma, roam.

Hiking is one of the best ways to explore South America and has long been one of my favourite activities during my explorations here. These guides and articles introduce you to the best hikes in South America, including the Torres del Paine W trail and O Circuit in Chile, the hike to Choquequirao in peru and to the Maragua Crater in Bolivia – and which are guaranteed to help you discover some of the continent’s most beautiful, and often pristine, landscapes, too.