--- title: "Hidden gems of South America, 10 underrated cities | Wimup" description: "Ten underrated South American cities, ranked by how far they outdo their visitor numbers, from Sucre to Georgetown." url: https://wimup.com/hidden-gems-south-america type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-27 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Hidden gems of South America, beyond Rio and Cusco. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 1 film · ≈ 3 min read Ten underrated cities across South America, from Sucre's white streets to Georgetown's wooden cathedral, ranked by how much more they give than their visitor numbers suggest. Most South America trips run Rio, Buenos Aires, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Atacama. These ten sit just off that circuit. We ranked them by the gap between how good the place is and how few visitors it gets, the same basis as our global hidden gems list. ## Hidden gems of South America, beyond Rio and Cusco. ### 1. Sucre, Bolivia Chuquisaca · Bolivia Bolivia's constitutional capital is a whitewashed colonial grid, on the UNESCO list since 1991, where independence was signed at the Casa de la Libertad. Cal Orcko, at the edge of town, holds more than 5,000 dinosaur footprints. - **Best for:** History · fossils - **Budget:** $30–60 / day - **Go in:** May · Jul · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/sucre.md) ### 2. Cuenca, Ecuador Azuay · Ecuador A UNESCO-listed colonial centre of blue-domed churches above the Tomebamba river, and the workshops that weave the toquilla straw "Panama" hat. Parque Nacional Cajas and its high lakes are under an hour away. - **Best for:** Architecture · crafts - **Budget:** $40–80 / day - **Go in:** Jun · Jul · Aug Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/cuenca.md) ### 3. Salta, Argentina Northwest · Argentina The best-kept colonial city in Argentina, and the base for the north's red quebradas. The MAAM keeps the Llullaillaco children, three Inca offerings found in 1999 near a 6,739-metre summit; evenings belong to the peñas on Calle Balcarce. - **Best for:** Museums · folk music - **Budget:** $45–90 / day - **Go in:** Apr · May · Sep · Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/salta.md) ### 4. Arequipa, Peru Southern Andes · Peru Built of white volcanic sillar under El Misti, and the place most Peru itineraries rush through on the way to Cusco. Santa Catalina, a walled convent of about 20,000 square metres founded in 1579, is a town of its own; Colca's condors are a day away. - **Best for:** Architecture · food - **Budget:** $45–90 / day - **Go in:** May · Jun · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/arequipa.md) ### 5. Paramaribo, Suriname Paramaribo District · Suriname A Dutch colonial capital built of wood, UNESCO-listed since 2002, where a synagogue and a mosque stand side by side on Keizerstraat. Hire a bicycle and cross the river to the old Commewijne plantations. - **Best for:** Heritage · rivers - **Budget:** $60–140 / day - **Go in:** Sep · Oct · Mar Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/paramaribo.md) ### 6. Córdoba, Argentina Sierras de Córdoba · Argentina Argentina's second city and its student capital, around the UNESCO-listed Jesuit Block and a university founded in 1613. Take a weekend for the Güemes fair and a day in the Sierras de Córdoba. - **Best for:** Jesuit history · nightlife - **Budget:** $50–100 / day - **Go in:** Mar · Apr · Sep · Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/cordoba.md) ### 7. Montevideo, Uruguay Río de la Plata · Uruguay The calmer capital across the river from Buenos Aires, with a long Rambla along the water and a grill lunch at the Mercado del Puerto. See a show at the Teatro Solís, open since 1856, and go on a Sunday for the Tristán Narvaja market. - **Best for:** Food · waterfront - **Budget:** $60–120 / day - **Go in:** Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/montevideo.md) · [Watch the Montevideo film](https://wimup.com/watch/montevideo.md) ### 8. Iquitos, Peru Loreto · Peru The largest city in the world no road reaches: you arrive by plane or river boat. Spend a morning at Belén market and on its stilt houses, then take a boat into the forest toward Pacaya-Samiria. - **Best for:** Amazon · rivers - **Budget:** $45–95 / day - **Go in:** Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/iquitos.md) ### 9. Punta Arenas, Chile Magallanes · Chile A wool-baron port on the Strait of Magellan, with marble mausoleums in the Sara Braun cemetery and mansions on Plaza Muñoz Gamero. From November to March, boats run out to the Magellanic penguin colony on Isla Magdalena. - **Best for:** Penguins · history - **Budget:** $70–150 / day - **Go in:** Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/punta-arenas.md) ### 10. Georgetown, Guyana Demerara · Guyana An English-speaking capital of Dutch canals and white timber buildings, led by St George's Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world. Book the day flight to Kaieteur Falls, a 226-metre single drop. - **Best for:** Wooden heritage · falls - **Budget:** $85–170 / day - **Go in:** Feb · Mar · Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/georgetown-guyana.md) ## FAQs ### Why are Rio, Buenos Aires and Cusco not on this list? They are the circuit this list steps off. Each is worth a trip, but none is underrated, and every city here sees far fewer visitors for as much to see. Valparaíso is on our global hidden gems list instead. ### When is the best time to visit? It splits by region. The Andean picks are driest from May to September, Patagonia is open from November to March, and the Guianas are best in the drier months around September and October. ### How do I handle the altitude in Sucre, Cuenca and Arequipa? All three sit between about 2,300 and 2,800 metres, high enough to feel on the first day. Take the first afternoon slowly, drink water and leave the hardest walks for day two. ### Which picks pair well on one trip? Arequipa pairs with Cusco and Lake Titicaca, Sucre with Potosí and the Uyuni salt flats, and Montevideo with Buenos Aires by ferry. Salta and Córdoba both fit a loop through northern Argentina. ### Which pick is the most expensive? Georgetown, at roughly $85 to $170 a day, then Punta Arenas. Sucre is the cheapest on the list, with day budgets from about $30. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.