The wild and rugged parks of Central and South America present limitless delights to the intrepid traveler. You can feast your eyes on a parade of natural wonders, all of them vast and epic in scale: spreading glaciers, dense jungles, and sharp peaks that call out to be scaled. Many of these parks are difficult to get to, protected by the mountain ranges and jungles that are respon- sible for their pristine beauty. But that's all part of their allure standing near the lip of a tumbling waterfall or deep in a humid jungle listening to the cacophony of monkeys and birds. you'll feel as if you've found your way into a lost and precious world. Chile's Torres del Paine National Park offers up the magnificent beauty of the Andes, with tower- ing massifs whose reflections shimmer in the park's cool lakes. You can spend all day hiking through the fields of glowing rock and never tire of their staggering beauty. The tangled mangroves
of Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park run right up to its sparkling beaches and coral reefs just offshore, while nearby Poas Volcano National park offers a craggy moonscape of steaming craters and otherworldly plants In Canaima National Park, Angel Falls plunges toward the jungle, so high that its waters turn to mist before they can even reach the ground. And then there's the ruined beauty of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, where Maya ruins have been protected for centuries by the roots and vines that snake their way through its cobbled walkways. Look closely at all this rich natural grandeur and you'll spot the profusion of animals that make these parks their home: jaguars, llamas, clouds of jewel-bright butterflies, and noisy monkeys swinging through the canopy. No matter which parks you visit, their untamed beauty is intoxicat- ing to anyone who craves adventure. The longer you look into these steaming jungles and wide rivers, the more there is to see and discover.