While South Americans tend to live life by the pace of a slightly different drum than the rest of us, life on the continent can still be frantic. When you combine traffic with crowding, congestion and pollution, South America is still a place where a traveler can long for a place to kick back and relax.

Thankfully, there are plenty of those, and here are a couple of my favourite locations, ideal for when you want to step off the beaten path, kick back and relax.

Mancora, Peru

There's more to Peru than Inca ruins and abundant llama. Not far from the Ecuadorian border you'll find the tiny town of Mancora. It's a refreshing place to visit in a land where there are so many sights to see - literally because there are no sights to see.

This coastal town boasts a beautiful beach on the Pacific coast, very popular with surfers over the Peruvian summer, and as a result there are a couple of surf shops dotted along the town's main street.

Spend your days here chilling out on the sand, braving the Pacific waves, eating ceviche (the best I had!), Peru's national dish, and fresh fish for dinner. Papa Mo's Milk Bar is built right on the sand and serves icy cold beer for practically peanuts.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Yes, a big city is a strange choice as a location for some R&R, but the beauty of Buenos Aires is that in this city it's just as easy to mellow out and relax as it is to get swept away in the infectious spirit and excellent nightlife.

Buenos Aires has some beautiful parks, leafy tree-lined avenues and some excellent cafes where you can spend an afternoon with an espresso, a jamon y queso toasted sandwich, and an English newspaper. The central city streets are filled with jacaranda trees which bloom a brilliant purple in the spring - well worth a photo or two. Or you could spend the day trawling the antique shops of San Telmo, or the cool air-conditioned designer stores in the central city.

Visit the world-famous Recoleta cemetery, where Eva Peron rests her head and you'll find some humorous name combinations from the time that Irish settlers met the Spanish inhabitants of this city, with names like Enrique O'Farrell. Alternatively, marvel at the control of the city's dog walkers, wrangling up to 20 pets at a time.


Ihla Grande, Brazil

There are plenty of beautifully idyllic spots for rest and relaxation in Brazil, but Ihla Grande was our spot where we got away from it all after the madness of Rio de Janeiro. 150km off the coast of Rio, in the Atlantic ocean, Ihla Grande is a picture-postcard perfect island, packed with tropical beach and lush rainforest. At the time we visited, there weren't even any ATMs - a fact that's handy to know beforehand.

The ferry from the mainland will drop you at Vila do Abraao, the main village with a couple of souvenir shops and open-fronted restaurants selling traditional Brazilian fare. Turn left when you get off the ferry and keep on walking - you'll come to an awesome little guest house where they feed you, give you free rein over their bar stereo, and boast a really cool tidal pool where you can swim with the fishes - just not in the Mafia sense.

Catch a boat or walk through the heart of the island's jungle to get to Praia Lopes Mendes, one of the most beautiful beaches you'll see. Perfect for a surf, a bodyboard or just a sunbathe.


Caribbean Coast, Colombia

Colombia often gets tagged with a description akin to coke, armed blokes, and kidnappings aplenty. This isn't strictly fair on a nation which boasts amazing scenery and whose people are so friendly and welcoming that I'd rate them right up there with the Irish.

Granted, there are probably more picturesque patches of Caribbean coastline, but Colombia's stretch of the Caribbean is a great place to kick back, take it down a gear or two, and enjoy an icy drink on the sands.

Cartagena is the beautiful walled colonial city made famous for its abundance of emeralds and being the location of Romancing The Stone. This fun-filled city can be as mellow or as exciting a host as you want it to be, and has an intriguing history of smuggling and a real-life version of pirates of the Caribbean!

The tiny town of Taganga further east is an idyllic, palm-tree laden spot where you can do nothing but sip fruit juice and read a book in a hammock, or experience the waters of Parque Nacional Tayrona - one of the cheapest regions in the world to get your dive ticket.