Likes: 7,241
Hotel: Explora Patagonia’s Salto Chico
Location: Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia
About: I took this picture from my suite at the southernmost tip of the world back in February in Chilean Patagonia. This is hands down my favorite view on earth. I’ll see you again, dear friend.
8,136
Location: Perito Moreno Glacier, El Calafate, Argentina
About: As one of the biggest tourist attractions in South America, it’s no wonder the Perito Moreno Glacier has over 4,000 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor. This will go down as one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life. The hike was well worth the whiskey shots at the end!
Likes: 9,598
Location: Punta del Este, Uruguay
About: Only a jump, skip, and river crossing away from Buenos Aires is the party beach town of Punta. It has the shortest in-season of any place on earth from around the end of December to the middle of January each year…so, now is the time to see and be seen with the rich and the famous in Uruguay!
Likes: 8,743
Hotel: Alpasion Lodge
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
About: This 5 room lodge provided some of the most tranquil times I’ve ever spent anywhere on the planet. Surrounded by mountains and vineyards isn’t a bad place to be!
Likes: 10,887
Location: Cartagena, Colombia
About: An hour boat ride from the shores of Cartagena in the Caribbean lies amazing dive sights! It took three countries to get my PADI Scuba certification, and I’ll always remember this final dive where the waters were so warm I could take off my wet suit. Here I am achieving enlightenment by finding Nemo.
Likes: 8,092
Location: Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
About: I decided to visit Rio de Janeiro during quite possible its craziest time: during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, because, well, why not?! Vendors were selling various countries’ flags in the form of beach congas – many were using them as towels, others as fashion statements. I did both!
Likes: 6,739
Hotel: Tierra Atacama
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
About: In August of this year I visited the driest place on earth known as the Atacama Desert. It’s a volcanic hotspot with hot springs, luxury adventure hotels, sand dunes and freezing cold salt lagoons like the one pictured here. With water so dense, we floated!
Likes: 7,947
Hotel: Viceroy Miami via Oasis Collections
Location: Miami, Florida, USA
About: Sometimes you just need a girls getaway weekend in the sunny 305. Okay, okay, girls weekend or Bachelor reunion, call it whatever you want. It was so much fun hashing out those group dates and 1-on-1s because we can laugh about it all now. Everything ended up exactly how it should.
Likes: 5,077
Hotel: Four Seasons Buenos Aires
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
About: I’ve been living in Buenos Aires for the past year and a half now, but sometimes, there’s nothing better than a staycation. It’s like a vacation without the travel involved – SCORE. This hotel is probably rated #1 in my book for service.
Likes: 6,560
Hotel: Inkaterra Machu Picchu
Location: Machu Picchu
About: During a month long tour with LAN Airlines, I stopped by one of the of 7 World Wonders. I basically stared in awe for hours and hours until all visitors were kicked out of the park as night fell.
Yacht: Quasar Expeditions’ M/Y Grace
Location: Galapagos Islands
About: I followed in Darwin’s footsteps and traveled 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador to experience everything Galapagos related in November this year. Sailing on Princess Grace Kelly’s honeymoon yacht for a week was quite the royal treatment, to say the very least! I was lucky enough to scuba dive near the islands as they’re known to be the best dive sites in the world. Just press play to see some fun under the sea!
Likes: 6,198
Location: Baños, Ecuador
About: The Swing at the End of the World made me realize that the planet is just a massive playground. If you’re vacation deprived and want to channel your inner 7-year-old, check out the ever adventurous Ecuador.
Likes: 4,863
Hotel: Tcherassi Hotel + Spa
Location: Cartagena, Colombia
About: I’m mildly obsessed with bathtubs (I’ll spare my other IG tub photos!) and this one in particular is the most glamorous bathroom setting ever. No wonder…it’s in a design hotel!
Likes: 6,620
Hotel: Four Seasons Carmelo
Location: Carmelo, Uruguay
About: I’m all about POPS of color, so when the landscape surrounding Four Seasons Carmelo was decked in vines and purple flowers, I couldn’t resist the photo op (when you match the background…).
Likes: 5,386
Location: Home, Fort Smith, Arkansas
About: The year wouldn’t be complete without my amazingly fun family (and Beyonce). My two sisters and I sported matching sweaters this Christmas as a nod to Queen B. Pretty doesn’t hurt all that bad…
Feliz año Lesley! What an incredible year you guys had! Love your amazing pics and you’ve given me some great insider insights into new and old destinations. You’re making my travel list grow more than feasible but I love it! So fun to have shared some of it with y’all in BA and Rio! Come visit us in Santiago pronto. Heres’s to a 2015 full of even bigger adventures! Besos!
Feliz año, Spencer! Thanks so much for the sweet words. I still need to make it over to Santiago, and we’ll let you be the tour guide 🙂 I’ve loved being able to see you in multiple destinations throughout South America. Cheers to more travel memories in 2015. Besos!
Wow! I just discovered your blog and I feel like I’ve been missing out! I never thought to travel to a place like Ecuador, Argentina or Columbia, but after reading your posts I think I have to add them to the list! Thank you for sharing so many amazing pictures, it’s so fun to follow your travels!