South America or bust

[paulom]

Hi,

I'm very glad that I stumbled across this site. It has a lot of very useful information and it's great to read other peoples experiences as well.

I read through most of the threads in this topic and even though I found some that applied to what I need to ask, I didn't find one which was specific to me. So please forgive me if what I am asking seems like a repeat of some of the other threads.

A friend and I are going on a trip to South America. We will be starting in Mexico City in mid-November and travelling overland all the way down to Panama. I read in this site about the dangers of travelling through the Darien Gap so I can safely say that we are not too keen to venture through it.
Is the best approach to catch a flight from Panama City to Caracas?

Once in South America, we would like an opinion on the best route to take, given the time of the year we are going (from December onwards). We don't have a time frame in mind necessarily, we will be there at least 4 months and happy to stay as long as it takes to get through it all.

Should we start from Colombia and travel south via the west coast (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina) and then make our way up the east coast towards Brazil? Or is there a better route to take? I read a couple of conflicting opinions about the rainy season so am a little confused about the impact that will have on our trip.

We are planning to do this trip overland but are there certain sections where you actually recommend that we take a flight instead? Either because doing it overland is hard or just because there is nothing really to see in between

Thanks in advance for any help. Keep up the great work!
--Paulo

[Mark]

Hi Paulo,

From Panama City you can either fly to Caracas, Venezuela, Bogotá, Colombia or Quito, Ecuador. It depends on what you want to see and do. Also, don't forget distances are enormous in South America. Traveling from Caracas to Bogotá alone will take many days overland.

Traveling south via the West coast (Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) is the way to go. Yes, you're traveling in the rainy season but this will only have an effect on your trip when you're in remote areas and roads are inaccessible due to heavy rainfall. Do ask around about road conditions while traveling. Your fellow backpackers will be your best source for valuable information.

I've traveled 18 months overland from Caracas, Venezuela to Ushuaia, Argentina. No flights whatsoever. The landscapes are breathtaking all the way. You'll have the time of your life.

Best wishes,
Mark