There is something immensely liberating about travelling alone – carving out the time and space to explore.
Why wait for friends to clear their schedules when you can strike out on an adventure of your own? Solo travel can be a revelatory experience that encourages connection with distant cultures at a personal pace and direction. Free from compromise, you can spend longer where you’re captivated, change plans on a whim, pursue a long-held passion or simply enjoy the luxury of travelling entirely at your own pace.
With more than twenty years of designing journeys across Latin America, and many solo trips there ourselves, we know which places lend themselves brilliantly to travelling alone and which don’t. The result is a trip that combines the independence of solo travel with the reassurance that a wealth of local knowledge and support is quietly working behind the scenes.
Our Approach
Travelling solo doesn’t mean travelling unsupported. From the moment you first get in touch, you’ll have a dedicated travel designer who gets to know you, your interests and the way you like to travel, and the support of our concierge team and trusted local partners who will take care of every detail.
Every member of our team has extensive experience travelling in Latin America; we’ve driven the roads, stayed at the lodges and hotels, met the guides and trialled the experiences for ourselves. That deep first-hand knowledge allows us to steer you towards the places and people that best suit your interests and travel style.
We believe some of the best moments are often unplanned, so our trips are paced to leave room for spontaneity. Rather than filling every day and locking you into a rigorous itinerary, we build in the flexibility to explore under your own steam and truly get under the skin of a place.
Throughout your journey, we’re only ever a phone call or WhatsApp message away. Whether it’s changing plans, arranging a last-minute restaurant reservation, answering a question or dealing with the unexpected, your dedicated concierge is available 24 hours a day. It means you can enjoy all the freedom of travelling independently, with the reassurance that someone who knows the region – and knows exactly where you are – is always there if you need them.
We can craft a solo adventure to any region of Latin America, but here go a few ideas…
Famed for its laidback Pura Vida lifestyle, Costa Rica makes for the ultimate solo journey. Friendly, easy to navigate and with an abundance of exceptional lodges and nature-led experiences, it’s the perfect place to embrace the freedom of travelling alone. Often described as a ‘living Eden’, Costa Rica is home to over 30 national parks and has long been a pioneer in sustainable travel.
Explore the luxuriant jungles of the Osa Peninsula, or try surfing the world-class wave spots that adorn the coasts. The Caribbean east coast hosts endangered green turtles that nest along the beach, while sloths lounge in the trees surrounding beach bars serving spicy gumbo.
Those looking for a deeper connection with mind, body and nature might head for the palm-fringed beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula for surf and yoga. We can create experiences focused on skill building, from meditation and scuba diving to catching your very first wave.
Argentina spans an area of over a million square miles, with the geographical diversity of an entire continent; its warm hospitality and extraordinary range of landscapes make it a wonderful destination to explore solo. Buenos Aires bustles with tango halls and century-old cafes, which unravel through thousands of kilometres of pampas before soaring into the Andes.
We know this territory well, and love showing travellers to little-known lakeside hideaways and impossibly remote Patagonian outposts. Guests can stay on working farms, sometimes assisting the gauchos with their cattle work, riding through spectacular wilderness, stopping to cast a line for trout, or enjoy an asado barbecue and a siesta in the shade.
Chile, a 4,000 kilometre strip on the west coast of South America, boasts some of the most remarkable scenery on the planet. Safe, straightforward to navigate and home to some of Latin America’s finest road trips and adventure experiences, it’s an ideal destination for solo travellers – from the ethereal lunar landscapes of the Atacama Desert, with mesmerising salt lakes and volcanoes emerging from the horizon – to the mythical monoliths and white sand beaches of Easter Island.
Accommodation ranges from hearty off-grid cabins to chic boutiques and world-class adventure lodges. We’ve spent years exploring the region, and take great pride in sharing our secret spots.
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Is it safe to travel alone in Latin America?
This is a question we’re asked frequently, and the honest answer is that it depends on where you go and how you travel. Latin America is an enormous and incredibly diverse region; while some destinations are wonderfully straightforward for solo travellers, others require more careful planning.
We’ve travelled extensively throughout the region, and only recommend places and people we know and trust – from choosing the right neighbourhoods and hotels to arranging reliable private transfers and guides. We’ll also tell you where it’s perfectly safe to explore independently, and where we’d recommend having a guide by your side.
Throughout your journey, your concierge and trusted local partners will provide 24/7 support. Should anything happen – a flight cancellation, lost luggage, change in plans or you simply need advice – there’s always someone who knows exactly where you are and how to help.
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Will I have opportunities to meet people while I’m travelling?
One of the first things we’ll ask is how much company you’d like along the way. Some people are looking for complete solitude; others enjoy opportunities to meet like-minded travellers. We can tailor your journey to give you as much independence – or as much connection – as you’d like.
That might mean staying at a family-run estancia where guests gather around a communal table each evening, or a small wilderness lodge where shared activities naturally bring people together. If you’d rather not explore alone, one of our trusted local guides can accompany you throughout the trip, sharing not only their knowledge but the people and places that make a destination special.
We can also build itineraries around attending a small group expedition, workshop or retreat. You might spend a few days on a horseback adventure in Patagonia, a surf camp in Nicaragua, a yoga retreat in Costa Rica or an art tour in Mexico City, before continuing with your own private journey.
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What are the best destinations for solo travel in South and Central America?
It depends on how you like to travel. If you’re looking for an easy first introduction to Latin America, parts of Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile and Argentina are among the most straightforward places to explore independently, with well-established tourism infrastructure and many of the region’s finest hotels and adventure lodges. If you’d rather something more adventurous, we can arrange remote road trips (with a private driver or solo), guided treks and horseback adventures into wild, little-visited regions where the experience is more rugged and immersive. Tell us your interests, and the balance of adventure and comfort you’re looking for, and we’ll steer you to the places that are the best fit for you.
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Can you design a solo trip around a particular interest?
One of the great advantages of travelling alone is that the journey can be built entirely around whatever you’re passionate about. That might mean spending a few days birding in the Amazon rainforest with an expert ornithologist; honing your photography skills alongside an award-winning travel photographer; visiting private art collections and artists’ studios with a curator; joining a leading archaeologist on a dig; or taking a cookery class with a world-renowned chef at his private home. Tell us what you’re interested in, and we’ll draw on our longstanding network of contacts across Latin America to connect you with the people and places that bring it to life.
“The team at Plan South America took my desire of photographing Patagonia and put together an amazing road trip itinerary. I drove from Puerto Montt roughly 3000km to Ushuaia in a most amazing solo roadtrip. PSA coordinated lodging and suggested side-trips which were simply amazing! I received daily route suggestions, and PSA frequently checked in to determine if I had questions or encountered challenges.
I have also worked with PSA to put together a 2-week trip to Cuba, traveling from one end of the island to the other. I cannot provide a more supportive endorsement! Next road trip from Peru through the salt flats in Bolivia is already in the mix… life is not a straight line, get out there and explore.”
“From the beginning, PSA took the time to genuinely understand exactly what I was looking for from a month-long trip through South America. The planning process was incredibly smooth and well organised. Hattie created a clear, detailed itinerary while still remaining flexible whenever I wanted to make adjustments or refine plans along the way. Nothing ever felt too much trouble.
Once I was travelling, PSA’s concierge service was genuinely exceptional. Knowing there was a knowledgeable team available 24/7 throughout an entire month of travel provided enormous peace of mind. Whenever I had a question, needed support, or wanted help making changes, they responded quickly and efficiently. Having that level of backup while travelling across multiple countries made the whole experience feel effortless and stress-free.”
“Initially I did a trip using PSA in 2015 and then in the last two years another four trips. Every trip has been breathtaking, not only because of the incredible stunning geography of places that I’ve visited and people I’ve met, but because of the seamless way the whole trip is planned – from touchdown to take off. One of the most outstanding features is the standard of the guides we have had everywhere we have been. Many have become lifelong friends due to their warmth, incredible knowledge and joy of life making ‘out of this world’ memories.”
CONTACT US
Get in touch to start planning your journey.
Conde Nast Traveler Specialists every year since 2017
