VISTA - SOUTH AMERICA PART ONE

1. Madidi National Park (Bolivia)

Madidi National Park, Bolivia [ Photo by Gareth Fabbro / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and along with nearby protected (though not necessarily contiguous) areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba, and (across the border in Peru) the Manu Biosphere Reserve. Madidi is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world. Adjacent to the west, with the Tambopata-Candamo Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in Peru, on the east by the TCO (Tierra Comunitaria de Origen / Indigenous community land) Tacana I, on the north by TCO Tacana II and south adjacent to the Integrated Management Natural Area National Apolobamba, TCO Lecos Apolo, TCO Lecos Larecaja and Biosphere Reserve and Indigenous Territory Pilón Lajas. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

2. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Bolivia)

The 80m Cataratas Arcoiris in the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park [ Photo by Rojk / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is a national park in northeast Santa Cruz Department, Province of José Miguel de Velasco, Bolivia, on the border with Brazil. Founded on June 28, 1979, the park was originally named "Parque Nacional Huanchaca." Less than a decade later, in 1988, the park was renamed "Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado" in honor of the late pioneering biologist and Bolivian conservationist Prof. Noel Kempff Mercado, both for his research and discoveries in the Park and in memory of his tragic death in the area; Mercado was murdered in the park by drug traffickers when he inadvertently stumbled across a secret cocaine laboratory high on the Huanchaca plateau. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park occupies 15,234 km² (5,880 mi²) in the northeastern corner of the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

3. Aparados da Serra National Park (Brazil)

Itaimbezinho, Aparados da Serra, Brasilien [ Photo by Claus Bunks / public domain ]

The Aparados da Serra National Park (Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra) is located in the Serra Geral range of Rio Grande do Sul state in the south of Brazil. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

4. Chapada das Mesas National Park (Brazil)

Morro do Chapéu. While this mountain is not inside the park, it is one of the best known landmarks of the region. [ Photo by Vitor 1234 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Chapada das Mesas National Park is a national park of Brazil. It falls within the municipal areas of Carolina, Riachão e Estreito. It was created to preserve the cerrado vegetation of the region and it is mostly visited for its waterfalls. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

5. Chapada Diamantina National Park (Brazil)

Chapada Diamantina National Park [ Photo by Glauco Umbelino / CC BY 2.0 ]

The Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina in Portuguese) is a 1,520 km² national park in the Chapada Diamantina region of Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil. The park is located between approximately 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia. Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century. The region is semi-arid, however it has no shortage of water, from the many rivers and streams. On average, the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. In this place is located the highest point of state in Pico do Barbado with 2,036 meters. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

6. Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Brazil)

Chapada dos Guimarães National Park [ Photo by maccosta / CC BY 2.0 ]

The Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães in Portuguese) is a national park in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. The Chapada dos Guimarães edge is visible in this satellite photo (Google). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

7. Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (Brazil)

Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park [ Photo by Ricardo Pipo / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Brazil's Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is located in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, an ancient plateau with an estimated age of 1.8 billion years. Based in the Brazilian state of Goias, the Park was created on January 11, 1961 by President Juscelino Kubitscheck, and listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2001. It occupies an area of 655 square kilometres and is maintained by IBAMA. The average yearly temperature is 24-26 degrees Celsius, ranging from a minimum of 4-8 degrees Celsius and reaching a maximum of 40-42 degrees Celsius. With altitudes between 600 and 1650 meters, it is the highest plain in Central Brazil. The highest point of the park and of the state of Goiás is Serra da Santana, at 1691 meters above sea level. Its rock formations are one of the oldest on the planet. There are quartz with outcrops of crystals. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

8. Fernando de Noronha (Brazil)

Dois Irmãos – Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. [ Photo by Roberto Garrido / CC BY 2.0 ]

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, around 354 km (220 miles) offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of 18.4 square kilometres (7.1 sq mi) and had a population of 3,108 in the year 2009. The area is a special municipality (distrito estadual) of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco (despite being closer to the state of Rio Grande do Norte) and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its timezone is UTC−2h. The local population and travellers can get to Noronha by plane or cruise from Recife (545 km) or by plane from Natal (360 km). A small environmental preservation fee is charged from tourists upon arrival by Ibama (Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). The life above and below sea is the main attraction of the island. (based on a wikipedia article /cc by-sa)

9. Iguaçu National Park (Brazil)

Iguazu Falls, in the province Misiones, in Argentina [ Photo by Reinhard Jahn, Mannnnnheim / CC BY-SA 2.0 DE ]

Created by federal decree nr. 1035 of January 10, 1939, the Park comprises a total area of 185,262.5 hectares and a length of about 420km, 300km of which are natural borders by bodies of water and the Brazilian and Argentinean sides together comprise around 225 thousand hectares. On November 17, 1986, during the UNESCO conference held in Paris, the Iguaçú National Park was listed as Natural Heritage of Humanity and is one of the largest forest preservation areas in South America. The Iguaçú National Park owes its name to the fact it includes an important area of the Iguaçú river, approximately 50km of the length of the river and the world famous Iguaçú Falls. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

10. Itatiaia National Park (Brazil)

Véu de Noiva waterfall [ Photo by Vittau / public domain ]

The park is part of the Mantiqueira mountain range, and home to Brazil's third highest mountain, Pico das Agulhas Negras, which stands at 2,878 meters. This peak is visible to the northwest of Resende when driving between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on the Via Dutra highway, which is the easiest route to get there. The park is divided in two areas: high and low. The high area is accessible through an entrance about 35 km from the main entrance and gives access to the Pico das Agulhas Negras and Prateleiras complex. Josef Mengele lived in this area after World War II. The low area of the park is much closer to the city of Itatiaia and has many waterfalls, such as Véu da Noiva with 45 meters. The low area has also a Natural History museum. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)