Chiloé Island: Land of Myth & Sea
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Chiloé Island: Land of Myth & Sea

Located off the west coast of Chile, Chiloé Island is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago, known for its unique cultural heritage, including its distinct folklore, mythology and iconic wooden churches. The island is also known for its traditional stilt houses, abundance of native potato varieties and diverse ecosystems.

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Atacama’s Moon Valley
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Atacama’s Moon Valley

Located eight miles west of San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile’s Atacama Desert lies el Valle de la Luna. Part of Los Flemencos National Reserve, the area was declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982 for its natural environment and unique lunar landscape filled with stone and sand formations formed by wind and water.

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Stargaze in the Heart of Atacama Desert
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Stargaze in the Heart of Atacama Desert

Chile’s Atacama Desert is said to be one of the best places in the world for stargazing because of its extremely dry climate, high altitude, minimal light pollution and near absence of humidity, creating crystal clear skies with perfect visibility of stars and constellations.

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Tikal’s Ancient Maya Civilization
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Tikal’s Ancient Maya Civilization

In the heart of the Guatemalan jungle, surrounded by lush vegetation, lies the ruins of an ancient Mayan civilization, inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD. The ceremonial center is home to massive temples, palaces and public squares accessed by ramps.

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Indigenous Villages of Antigua
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Indigenous Villages of Antigua

Antigua's surrounding villages honor a rich cultural heritage with production of macadamia nuts, local textiles and authentic Guatemalan fare. Slow down and explore off the beaten path in Antigua’s indigenous villages.

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Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco

A district of Mexico City, Xochimilco is known for its canals and chinampas, a farming system developed by the Aztecs to cultivate crops using the surrounding lakes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco harness unique agricultural techniques still in use today.

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Viejo San Juan
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Viejo San Juan

Established in 1521 by the Spanish, Old San Juan is the oldest city in the United States and its territories. There you'll find colonial architecture, impressive fortifications, cobblestone streets, open plazas, and hidden patios. Nearby, el Yunque National Forest is the sole tropical rain forest in the U.S.

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Teotihuacán’s Pyramid of the Sun
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Teotihuacán’s Pyramid of the Sun

A short drive from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is known for its architecturally significant pyramids, including the Pyramid of the Sun and the Moon, which can be seen from heights above in hot air balloons during sunrise. The area is also famous for its well-preserved murals and fine obsidian tools.

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Chasing Waterfalls in Cienfuegos
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Chasing Waterfalls in Cienfuegos

Located on Bahía de Cienfuegos, a bay on Cuba’s southern coast, Cienfuegos is a peaceful town oozing charm. Known for colorful colonial-era buildings, the town is a chief seaport for sugarcane, coffee and tobacco.

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Machu Picchu: A Dream Come True
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Machu Picchu: A Dream Come True

At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Set above the Urubamba River valley, the site was built in the 15th century and later abandoned. Even today, it carries an air of mystery with its exact purpose still debated.

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Cobblestone Streets of Trinidad
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Cobblestone Streets of Trinidad

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988 because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, Trinidad is also one of the most well-preserved cities in the Caribbean.

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Old Havana
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Old Havana

Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, Havana has had many lives. The city is celebrated for its vibrant culture, rich history and mix of architecture, including Colonial, Baroque and Neoclassical. The tropical climate helps give way to beautiful parks and al fresco dining.

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Once the Capital of the Inca Empire
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Once the Capital of the Inca Empire

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is famed for its rich history, culture and architecture. Cobblestone streets lead visitors to Plaza de Armas, alongside archaeological remains like the Twelve-Angled Stone. It's also the spot for freshwater trout ceviche and the perfect jumping off point for Sacred Valley and Rainbow Mountain.

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Sacred Valley & Peru's Andean Highlands
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Sacred Valley & Peru's Andean Highlands

Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands known for fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages, stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo. Together, with Machu Picchu and the nearby city of Cusco, they formed the heart of the Inca Empire in the late 1500's.

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Near-Death Experience on Rainbow Mountain
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Near-Death Experience on Rainbow Mountain

A two hour drive from Cusco, Vinicunca, also called Mountain of Seven Colors, is a mountain in the Andes of Peru with an altitude of 16,522 feet above sea level and extremely harsh conditions. The seven colors come from mineral composition but are only visible during Augusts’s dry season.

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Hiking Peru's Epic Colca Canyon
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hiking Peru's Epic Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is a river canyon in southern Peru famed as one of the deepest in the world. It’s a trekking and rafting destination with canyons, valleys and remote traditional villages honring terraced agriculture that predates the Incas. The giant Andean condor can often be spotted from viewpoints like Cruz del Condor.

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The White City of Arequipa
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

The White City of Arequipa

Known as the “White City” because of its baroque style buildings made of sillar, a white volcanic stone, Arequipa, Peru feels warm and welcoming and is filled with live music, spicy food, antique stores and a vibrant historic center. The town is also surrounded by four imposing volcanoes.

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Dune Buggy Rides & Wine Tastings in Huacachina
Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Dune Buggy Rides & Wine Tastings in Huacachina

Sunsets, sandboarding, lagoons and dune buggy rides. Huacachina is a tiny village and desert oasis west of Ica in southwestern Peru. Its center is filled with emerald green waters of the Huacachina Lagoon, thought to have therapeutic properties.

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