South America Complete Country Checklist

Get to planning your next South American vacation with a full list of all the countries that make up South America with this checklist. Learn the basics of the countries currency, tourist spots, and major cities. Screen shot or pin the checklist below to track your travels as you make your way around the region. Here is the South America Complete Country Checklist.

Traveling the world is something I strive to do and countries in South America are getting pretty high on my list while day dreaming about my next vacation. This blog lists all of the South American countries including their major cities, major tourist attractions, and their currency.

While you might generalize the continent and think every country speaks Spanish you might be surprised to find out that’s not true. Spanish is the main language spoken in most of these countries, but other than different dialects or slang of Spanishes you might encounter, some countries have don’t have Spanish as their first language. But, if you’re lucky while visiting some of the major cities or popular tourist attractions you may find locals are more familiar with English.

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South America Checklist

Argentina

Major Cities: Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario

Major Tourist Attractions: Iguazú Falls, Perito Moreno Glacier, Route of the Seven Lakes, Monte Fitz Roy

Currency: Argentine peso ($)

Bolivia

Major Cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra, La Paz, Sucre, El Alto

Major Tourist Attractions: Salar de Uyuni (salt lake), Tiwanaku, Lake Titicaca

Currency: Bolivian boliviano (BOB)

Brazil

Major Cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador

Major Tourist Attractions: Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf, Iguaçu Falls, Copacabana

Currency: Brazilian real (R$)

The primary language in Brazil is Portuguese

Chile

Major Cities: Santiago, Puente Alto, Antofagasta, Vina del Mar

Major Tourist Attractions: Torres Del Paine National Park, Valle de la Luna and the Atacama Desert, Easter Island, Cape Horn

Currency: Chilean peso ($)

Colombia

Major Cities: Cartagena, Bogotá, Medellin

Major Tourist Attractions: Eje Cafetero, Leticia, Tayrona National Natural Park, The Lost City

Currency: Colombian peso

Ecuador

Major Cities: Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca, Santo Domingo

Major Tourist Attractions: Galapagos Islands, Cotopaxi and Cajas National Parks, Quilotoa Lake, Bartolomé Island

Currency: United States Dollar

Guyana

Major Cities: Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam

Major Tourist Attractions: Kaieteur National Park and Falls, Kanuku Mountains

Currency: Guyanese dollar

The official language is English.

Paraguay

Major Cities: Asunción, Ciudad del Este, San Lorenzo

Major Tourist Attractions: Saltos del Monday, Itaipú Dam, Ybycuí National Park

Currency: Paraguayan guaraní

Paraguay has an additional main language besides Spanish called Paraguayan Guaraní.

Peru

Major Cities: Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo

Major Tourist Attractions: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Cusco’s Architectural Treasures, The Inca Trail

Currency: Sol

Suriname

Major Cities: Paramaribo, Lelydorp, Brokopondo

Major Tourist Attractions: Galibi Coppename Nature Reserve, Central Suriname Nature Reserve, Brownsberg Nature Park

Currency: Surinamese dollar

The primary language in Suriname is Dutch.

Uruguay

Major Cities: Montevideo, Salto, Ciudad de la Costa

Major Tourist Attractions: Estadio Centenario, Colonia de Sacramento, Hot Springs

Currency: Uruguayan peso

Venezuela

Major Cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Maracay, Valencia

Major Tourist Attractions: Angel Falls, Los Roques Archipelago, Isla de Margarita

Currency: Venezuelan bolívar

Overall, South America is such a remarkable continent with so many countries to explore. South America encapsulates so many different cultures, terrains, climates, and so much more. Hopefully this South American checklist will help and guide you when planning your next vacation. Which country are you crossing of your South American checklist next? Leave it in the comments below!