San Pedro de Atacama is an amazing spot for backpackers. While not
exactly off the beaten path, as you will find many adventurous
travlers there, it is a great backpacker destination for several
reasons. Where the Atacama desert meets the Andes mountains, San Pedro
treats you to some really amazing scenes. Pink flamingos in salt flats
surrounded by miles of desert, the Valley of Moon to make you think
you are on Mars, geysers, and more.
Near Rio, be sure and visit Ilha Grande, about two hours to the east.
Its as close to paradise as you'll ever find within two hours of a
metropolis. Also near Rio, you should consider visiting a small town
called "Sana."
This is not going to appear in any guide books, to my knowledge, but
is a fantastic little bohemian farming village of organic farmers. The
main attraction--indeed the principle reason to visit--is a series of
waterfalls that provide natural waterslides. These are truly
unbelievable, and you should easily find a local to take you up and
show you how they work, free of charge. Basically, you slide down the
face of a waterfall on about a 70 degree incline and land safely in a
deep pool...three times in a row. Sana is to the east of rio, just
outside of Casimiro de Abreu (which itself is just northwest of
Macae).
The bus service is irregular, but when i was there in 2001 ran
everyday from Casimiro de Abreu at 1 pm. If you get to Casimiro and
find out that you have missed the day's bus, the walk to Sana is about
12 miles. If you start walking it, you are certain to get a ride as
long as it is day time. There are many campgrounds ($5 U.S) and at
least two pousadas that rent rooms for about $15 U.S.
G.R.Palmer@Dur.ac.uk (George Palmer) wrote in message news:<30bed537.0405271220.20fb1e19@posting.google.com>...
> Hi all,
>
> We're planning a 3 month trip to Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and
> Brazil up to rio starting in July. Although we have a rough
> itinerary, we were wondering if anybody has found any awesome off the
> beaten track places that we could visit? These could be anything from
> little villages to beaches to whatever you thought was a nice little
> find. Any info would be massively appreciated. Go on, share them
> with all of us...
>
> Cheers,
>
> George |