From the snow-packed glaciers of Patagonia to the star-strewn skies of the Sahara Desert, 2023 was an incredible year for travel. Over the course of the year, I visited 10 countries on three continents. Here’s a round-up of my favorite places in 2023:

Favorite International Cities

My favorite city abroad was Medellín, Colombia. Known as the city of eternal spring, I loved Medellín for its vibrant green spaces, perfect weather, and welcoming people. If I could live in one city for a longer period of time, this would be it.

A close second was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I loved the access to incredible beaches, where I took surfing lessons and listened to music by Antonio Carlos ‘Tom’ Jobim. I also enjoyed Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, where I went for my friend Khaoula’s wedding, as well as Kairouan, a Tunisian city where parts of Indiana Jones were filmed and the largest mosque in Africa resides.

Other notable mentions were Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo, Brazil: my second visit to the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere did not disappoint. The city that pleasantly surprised me was Panama City, where the ceviche was fresh and the Canal was an engineering marvel. I also loved the colorful Afro-Caribbean art on the streets of Cartagena and the laid back beach party vibes of Santa Marta, both in Colombia.

1. Medellín, Colombia
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Tunis, Tunisia
4. Kairouan, Tunisia
5. Buenos Aires, Argentina
6. São Paulo, Brazil
7. Panama City, Panama
8. Cartagena, Colombia
9. Santa Marta, Colombia

Favorite Small Cities, Towns, and Villages Abroad

When I got to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina, a small but lively town in the northern part of Patagonia, I immediately wanted to change my flight to stay longer. Which I did, opting to visit Argentina’s lake district for three weeks. Bariloche reminds me of Colorado, and my travel partner Kim said it felt like Sweden in the summertime. An area filled with gorgeous, accessible hikes, mouth-watering chocolate, and welcoming people, I recommend stopping here when you come to Argentina.

After Argentina and Brazil, I stayed in Cusco, Perú for six weeks, and the former capital of the Inca Empire impressed me at every turn. It was the safest place I felt traveling solo in Latin America. 

In Tunisia, I loved Chenini, a Amazigh desert village that was carved out of the mountain and built with mud and stone. Several scenes from Star Wars were filmed in the area, and George Lucas even named one of Tatooine’s moons after the town. 

Minca, Colombia is an adventure lover’s paradise, and I had an incredible time on hikes to its waterfalls and listening to bird song as I worked remotely in the jungle. In Southern Patagonia, I was impressed with El Calafate, and its access to Los Glaciares National Park, and El Chaltén, also known as the national trekking capital of Argentina. 

Puerto Natales, Chile, was a calm, jumping off point for the W Trek, and Sidi Bou Saïd in Tunisia has been a tourist mecca since the likes of Cervantes and Simone de Beauvoir. Finally, Lamay, Perú, was a quaint town nestled in Perú’s Sacred Valley with epic hikes and remnants of the Inca trail surrounding it.

1. San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
2. Cusco, Perú
3. Chenini, Tunisia
4. Minca, Colombia
5. El Calafate, Argentina
6. El Chaltén, Argentina
7. Puerto Natales, Chile
8. Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia
9. Lamay, Perú

Favorite Countries

It was difficult to pick one favorite country this year. However, I loved Argentina Patagonia for its proximity to nature, glaciers, and mountains. Colombia and Tunisia were close seconds for their food, hospitality, and warm people. Perú was a dream for trekking, and Brazil is always a good time; I was grateful to reconnect with friends in São Paulo I hadn’t seen since the pandemic and explore the beaches and architectural marvels of Rio. 

Chile was clean, organized, and had some of the most gorgeous landscapes I’ve ever seen. I was impressed with Panama and thrilled to visit the autonomous region of Guna Yala off of its coast. Meanwhile, Uruguay gave me a taste of Carnaval, Candombe, and an overall relaxed atmosphere in Montevideo. 

Paris is always a good idea. I ended up being thankful for a surprise, 24-hour layover in the City of Lights. I visited my dream bookshop: Shakespeare & Company, ate at the oldest cafe-restaurant in the city, and saw Notre Dame as it is slowly rebuilt from fire. 

Finally, after 10 years, I returned to Costa Rica and reconnected with my host families and former teachers. I even saw several of the family dogs who were my friends when I studied and interned abroad. This trip was so special, and I’m thankful for my host friends and families who made the end of my trip meaningful and reminded me why I travel in the first place.

1. Argentina
2. Colombia
3. Tunisia
4. Perú
5. Brazil
6. Chile
7. Costa Rica
8. Panama
9. Uruguay
10. France

Favorite National Parks

My passion is to visit national parks, and 2023 was an epic year for them. I was able to take my dream trip to Patagonia where I visited Torres del Paine in Chile and Los Glaciares in Argentina. On the border of Argentina and Brazil, I saw the legendary Iguazú Falls, an Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of nature.

I was lucky to meet up with my former coworker Juan in Colombia, and we hiked the two miles to Tayrona National Park near Santa Marta, where we saw monkeys in the jungle and camped beside the sea. Finally, after a decade, I went back to Irazú Volcano in Cartago, Costa Rica, with my host neighbor Nati. Last time we visited, we weren’t able to see the crater due to bad weather, but this time, visibility was crystal clear, and I was able to view Costa Rica’s tallest volcano.

1. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile
2. Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina
3. Iguazú Falls National Park 
4. Tayrona National Park in Colombia
5. Irazú Volcano in Costa Rica

Favorite Hikes

Latin America is chock-full of incredible, once-in-lifetime hikes. I was lucky to complete four days of Chile’s famous W Trek and the mythical Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Notable hikes in Patagonia included Laguna Negra, Laguna de los Tres, and Refugio Frey. Dream hikes in Perú were 7 Lagunas de Ausangate around the country’s fifth highest mountain, as well as Huchuy Qosqo, Waqrapukara, and Vinicunca, aka the legendary Rainbow Mountain. Finally, I joined my Tico friends who I hadn’t seen in 10 years to visit the waterfalls of Bajos del Toro in Costa Rica.

1. W Trek: Chile
2. 7 Lagunas de Ausangate hike: Perú
3. Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: Perú
4. Laguna Negra hike: Argentina
5. Laguna de Los Tres hike: Argentina
6. Huchuy Qosqo: Perú
7. Waqrapukara: Perú
8. Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain: Perú
9. Cataratas Bajos del Toro: Costa Rica
10.  Refugio Frey: Argentina

Favorite Tours

Since I was in high school, I’ve wanted to stargaze in the Sahara Desert, and I was able to fulfill this dream with an exceptional two-day tour of Southern Tunisia. My second favorite tour was hiking the Perito Moreno Glacier near Calafate, Argentina, where I overcame my fear of falling. 

If you visit Perú, I definitely recommend a half-day or full-day tour of the Sacred Valley. I loved visiting with the artisans in Chinchero and seeing how they wove fabric from alpaca and sheep hair. And near Panama, the autonomous islands of Guna Yala were absolutely breathtaking, with some of the clearest water I’ve seen during my travels.

In Colombia, Comuna 13 was once considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Latin America, but it’s been transformed by local artists, musicians, rappers, and street performers who showed us the vibrance that Medellín has to offer. 

While in Panama and Perú, two of my favorite tours were visits to animal sanctuaries. I was able to meet Manny the sloth at the Gamboa Nature Reserve, a sloth sanctuary right outside of Panama City. I was also lucky to witness an Andean Condor fly right over my head at the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary, near Pisaq, Perú. While there, I saw rescued pumas, Andean mountain cats, and vicunas. 

Colombia boasted a day trip to Guatapé, which bills itself as the most colorful town in the Americas due to a law that says every building should be decorated with a zócalo, a colorful tile with raised, carved dimensions. You can also take a boat trip and see mansions including the abandoned, former residence of Pablo Escobar which floats on its own island.

1. Sahara Desert Tour in Southern Tunisia
2. Perito Moreno Glacier Tour in Argentina
3. Guna Yala Islands Weekend Tour
4. Day Tour of the Sacred Valley in Perú
5. Comuna 13 Tour in Medellín, Colombia
6. Sloth Sanctuary Visit in Panama
7. Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary in Perú
8. Guatapé Day Trip in Colombia

Favorite Historic Sites and Museums

If you only visit one historic site in Tunisia, I recommend El Jem Amphitheatre. The largest colosseum in North Africa, it held 35,000 spectators and was patterned after Rome’s, without being an exact replica. Unlike Rome’s Colosseum, which is packed with tourists and has many sections roped off from visitors, we had the place to ourselves. We explored the tunnels where gladiators and wild animals prepared to fight. We could climb all over the structure and into the arena itself.

Also in Tunisia was the exceptional Bardo Museum, the second most important museum in North Africa after Cairo. The historic site of Carthage was phenomenal  as well, with the ruins of Roman baths and another smaller amphitheatre. 

While in Brazil, I made it to Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, one of the new seven wonders of the modern world in Rio de Janeiro.

Also in Rio was the phenomenal Royal Portuguese Reading Room, one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. In São Paulo, my favorite museum was the Museu Língua Portuguesa, a linguist’s nerdy paradise. The location that rounded out the top 10 sites was Perú, where I saw the Incan Laboratory of Moray, the Salt Mines of Mara, and Ollayantombo, all in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

1. El Jem Amphitheatre in El Djem, Tunisia
2. Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. The Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia
4. Royal Portuguese Reading Room in Rio de Janeiro
5. Moray, Perú’s Incan Laboratory 
6. Maras Salt Mines near Cusco, Perú
7. Carthage in Tunisia 
8. Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro
9. Museu Língua Portuguesa in São Paulo, Brazil
10. Ollantaytambo, Perú

Favorite US Cities

I didn’t visit anywhere new in the US this year, but the cities I did see were old favorites. I went to Denver twice to visit my sister, where the Rocky Mountains never disappoint. I saw my friends Christine and Esther in Houston, and we visited the gorgeous butterfly center at the Museum of Natural Science. In Fort Worth, I spent time with friends and family I hadn’t seen in years at our old standbys of the Stockyards and Joe T Garcia’s Tex-Mex Restaurant. I traveled to Dallas several times for concerts at the House of Blues with my cousins and best friend, who I also visited at her home in San Antonio.

• Denver, Colorado
• Houston, Texas
• Fort Worth, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Dallas, Texas

Favorite US Towns

My best friend’s bachelorette party at North Padre Island near Corpus Christi, Texas was the highlight of my favorite US towns. We had a great time chilling on the beach and doing sunrise yoga by the sea. Fort Collins, which Disney patterned Main Street, USA after, is always a good time, and I was thankful to see my childhood friend Breanna and her husband Derek. Finally, we helped Alex move to Littleton, Colorado, and spent time with her friends in the charming town of Arvada, where Alex participated in a mural festival.

• North Padre Island, Texas
• Fort Collins, Colorado
• Littleton, Colorado
• Arvada, Colorado

2023 was an exceptional year for travel. I reconnected with old friends from Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, Tunisia, and Colombia, and made tons of new ones around the world. I’m looking forward to more trips in 2024, starting with a girls’ trip to Guadalajara in January and a writers’ retreat in Iceland in April. As always, I hope to see you somewhere around the world this year, and if you want to join me, please reach out! See y’all in 2024. 🙂