Claire

Travel in South America is a joy to behold. The rich variety of destinations, experiences, landscapes and geography fascinated me so much, that I chose to relocate here, over 20 years ago! The best thing I ever did! Allow me to share my knowledge and passion for Central and South America with you and help you plan your holiday of a lifetime!

PACKING LIST FOR SOUTH AMERICA

5MINREAD

Written by:Claire

Last Update: 2024-12-05

South America is a HUGE region with a variety of different climates and ecosystems that at all come together to form this incredible continent. Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to take in such a large destination, especially if you are doing a multi destination trip to South America. One day you could be sunbathing in Colombia and the next trekking through the glaciers of Patagonia.

The Long Road

Pack Light!

When packing for a trip to South America think about function rather than style. Fashion kind of goes out of the window and the priority is not to look good in photos, the focus is to think light, multifunctional layers for all seasons. When you are carrying your pack for long periods of time and sometimes in scorching heat, this is possibly one of the most important aspects of packing.
Sportswear is a must when travelling through South America. Short, leggings and light cotton t-shirts long-sleeved and short sleeved will be your basic wardrobe on your journey. Remember to always pack layers.

Canyon photography

A light weight waterproof jacket is small and essential item for the sometimes-unpredictable weather in South America. A down warm jacket. Temperatures plummet in certain regions such as Patagonia or The Andes so go well prepared!

Near rainbow mountain, Peru

Footwear

You will also need to pack footwear for various terrains. Although you may wear heels every day at home, South America is not heel friendly! Comfortable sandals are a must for long days on your feet walking around cities and markets. Evening wear is generally pretty casual too in South America so flats are always acceptable whether it be day or night.
Of course, you shouldn’t forget worn in hiking boots or good running shoes. Even if hiking is not your thing, a trip to Latin America is not complete without some form of walking, whether this is a day trip to Machu Picchu, or some mountain climbing in the Andes.

Trekking boots

Machu Picchu, for example, even if you opt to take the bus up to the archaeological site, there is still some uphill walking involved along tricky terrain inside the ruins to get to the beautiful viewpoints.
Flip-flops are a must -bring, they are lightweight and take up very little space, so flip-flops are a must for Brazil’s impressive beaches, Colombia’s coastal region or simply to let your feet breath after a hard day’s trekking.

Flipflops

Electronics

Your smartphone camera is certainly good enough quality to capture the day-to-day life of South America as you ramble through cities and market places but for the more photo savvy you may want a more professional option to capture your trip.

Go Pro cityscape

A Go-Pro durable, waterproof camera is a great choice, and a pre-loaded smart tablet can be great for traveling light so you can leave the laptop at home. You can even download your favourite games or books to keep you entertained on long bus journeys.

A tablet will also save you time instead of searching out the few internet cafes that once decorated South America. These days most hotels will provide free WIFI and if not, there is sure to be a cafe or restaurant nearby where you can connect to the internet.

Tablet

Don’t forget to check what type of power adapters you need in order to charge them up in the evenings. Each South American country has its specific plug-in socket to a universal adapter is a good option. A small pre-charged external battery is also very useful to have in your day bag in case your phone or camera dies while you are out on an excursion.

Toiletries for Latin America

Pack Imodium or another diarrheal medication.
Bring any prescribed medication with you as certain medications use a different name and may be hard to find.
Ask your travel clinic or Dr for a stomach medication such as ciprofloxacin as a back-up, especially if you are short on time. Stomach issues are common so this will help you avoid missing out on activities due to illness

Medical kit

If you are not too choosy you can buy shampoo, conditioner, shower gel etc. in any local supermarket in South America, though if you’re visiting parts of the Caribbean for instance, toiletries and Western brands may be in short supply.

If you have a preferred toiletry from back home, chances are they will not be available in South America so bring it with you. Even if they do stock expert products, you will pay considerably more for them here in South America.

Hotel toiletries pack

Jungle areas are of course associated with insects and mosquitos. You’ll want to try to avoid being bitten of course, so be sure to come prepared with strong DEET repellent.
Sunscreen is also an essential when it comes to packing for South America, and you can actually buy sunscreen combined with DEET to save on packing space. Sunscreen should even be used on cloudy days, especially at higher elevations, it can catch you out in South America and don’t forget a head covering!

Sunscreen

When travelling through high elevation regions you should be very aware of altitude sickness, and the dangers of not properly acclimatizing. This is a potentially serious issue that can be avoided with proper acclimatization. Typically, altitude sickness occurs at altitudes over 2,500 metres though most people can ascend to 2,500 metres with little or no effect. At over 3,000 metres elevation, 75% of people will develop mild symptoms. Travellers to the Andes, Bolivia, and those taking on treks like the Inca Trail should be prepared for this and allow adequate acclimatization time in your itinerary.