After taking a spin through the new airline routes connecting Europe to Canada last week, it’s time to shift our focus southward to Central and South America. These two regions are enjoying a real travel renaissance right now. According to the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer, South America welcomed 7% more international visitors in 2025 than the year before, while Central America grew by 5%. Some destinations are absolutely flying. Brazil is up a staggering 37% year on year, and Guyana is up 24%. If you’ve been toying with the idea of a Latin American escape, this is the moment. There are plenty of ways to get there, and while many airlines still route through the US, direct flights from Europe are far more common than most people expect. The greatest gateway is Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, which functions as Europe’s true front door to the region. Iberia, Air Europa, LATAM and many others operate from there, though you’ll also find excellent direct connections from London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Rome, Lisbon and even Istanbul. It’s a big geography, so to make sense of it all, I’ve organised the options from the most visited countries to the least visited. That gives you a clear sense of where tourism is booming, how much flight choice you’ll have when you book, and what kind of travel infrastructure you can expect once you land. Whether you dream of Amazon rainforest, Patagonian glaciers, Caribbean beaches or Andean ruins, the list below has you covered.
Brazil is the giant of South America, and in 2025 it proved impossible to ignore. A record 9.3 million international tourists arrived last year, and the country’s popularity makes perfect sense. You could spend your whole trip in the Amazon, listening to howler monkeys call through the canopy, or you could save your energy for Rio Carnival and its unforgettable street parties and parades. The wildlife is extraordinary, the culture is vibrant, and the food alone is enough to make any traveller plan a return visit. São Paulo, the country’s largest city, is also the best springboard for European arrivals. LATAM lands there from Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam and London Heathrow; TAP Portugal flies from Porto and Lisbon; Lufthansa operates from Frankfurt and Munich; KLM flies from Amsterdam; British Airways from London; Air France from Paris; SWISS from Zurich; Turkish Airlines from Istanbul; and Air Europa and Iberia from Madrid. If Rio de Janeiro is at the top of your wish list, you’re still in luck. TAP Portugal flies from Lisbon and Porto, Iberia from Madrid, Air France from Paris, Lufthansa from Frankfurt, KLM from Amsterdam, ITA Airways from Rome, and British Airways from London, while Gol also connects from Lisbon. It’s hard to think of another destination in Latin America with such comprehensive coverage. Those extra flights mean more schedule flexibility, more competition on fares, and more ways to make your dream trip work. Once you land, Brazil’s domestic network takes over, and you can easily hop between Rio, São Paulo, Salvador and the Amazon. It’s a huge country, but it’s also a welcoming one—and with so many direct options, the hardest part might just be deciding what to do first.
Colombia comes next with 6.2 million visitors, and it has quickly become one of the continent’s most exciting places to explore. Travellers today are drawn to its wildlife-filled national parks, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, colonial architecture and famously excellent coffee. Most flights arrive in Bogotá, the high-altitude capital, where you can spend days exploring the culinary scene, stumbling across street art in the La Candelaria neighbourhood, riding up to Cerro de Monserrate for panoramic views, or heading out to Chingaza National Park for a dose of Andean nature. Avianca is the main carrier on European routes, flying nonstop from Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and London Heathrow. Air France also flies from Paris, Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Edelweiss Air from Zurich, KLM from Amsterdam, and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul. If you prefer a coastal setting, Cartagena is absolutely gorgeous, with its UNESCO-listed fortress and walled old town. From Europe, Plus Ultra and World2Fly fly from Madrid, Neos flies from Rome and Milan, KLM from Amsterdam, and Edelweiss Air from Zurich. Chile is next on the list, with roughly six million visitors drawn by the dramatic beauty of Patagonia, the unearthly stargazing landscapes of the Atacama Desert and the volcanic scenery that stretches along the entire country. You can reach Santiago nonstop with Iberia from Madrid and Barcelona, Air France from Paris, British Airways from London, and LATAM from Madrid. Argentina, Chile’s next-door neighbour, welcomed 5.7 million visitors in 2025, many of them using Buenos Aires as a launchpad for Antarctica expeditions or as the start of a longer South American adventure. Direct flights connect Buenos Aires with Aerolíneas Argentinas from Madrid and Rome, Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Air France from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam, ITA Airways from Rome, and Air Europa, Iberia or Plus Ultra from Madrid. Between these three countries alone, you could easily spend a month and still only scratch the surface.
Peru remains a bucket-list destination for many, with Machu Picchu at the top of countless travel lists. Around 3.4 million tourists arrived in 2025, and they didn’t come only for the famous Inca citadel. The country is rich with Inca, Chavín, Moche and Nasca sites, not to mention Spanish colonial architecture that makes cities like Cusco and Lima feel like open-air museums. Direct flights to Lima are available with Iberia from Madrid and Barcelona, Air France from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam, and Air Europa, LATAM or Plus Ultra from Madrid. El Salvador, another country with 3.4 million visitors, is smaller but equally tempting, offering archaeological sites, brilliant beaches and volcanoes. Iberojet and Iberia fly to San Salvador from Madrid, and Iberojet also flies from Barcelona. Costa Rica is next, with around 2.9 million visitors and an extraordinary claim: it contains about 5% of the world’s biodiversity. If you love wildlife, you’ll feel spoiled, and San José has direct connections from Madrid with Iberia and Iberojet, from Zurich with Edelweiss Air, from Paris with Air France, from Frankfurt with Lufthansa, from Amsterdam with KLM, and from London with British Airways. Guatemala, with 2.5 million visitors, is less served but very rewarding; travellers come for Mayan sites like Tikal, the serene beauty of Lake Atitlán and the colonial charm of Antigua. Iberia is the only direct option to Guatemala City from Madrid. Uruguay also saw 2.5 million visitors in 2025, offering a laid-back alternative with beautiful beaches and a slower pace of life than its larger neighbours. From Madrid you can fly to Montevideo with Air Europa, Iberia or Plus Ultra, and Iberia also connects Barcelona. These mid-tier countries are easy to combine with each other, and they’re a reminder that you don’t need a huge flight network to have an amazing trip.
Panama, perhaps best known for its canal, welcomed 2.3 million visitors in 2025 who discovered its beaches, snorkelling spots, spectacular waterfalls and hikes. Direct options include Air Europa and Iberia from Madrid, Air France from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul. Paraguay, with two million visitors, remains refreshingly off the radar, even though it has waterfalls and UNESCO-listed Jesuit missions; your only direct option is Air Europa from Madrid. Ecuador, the home of the Galápagos Islands, attracted 1.3 million visitors; from Madrid you can fly direct to Quito with Air Europa, Iberia or Euroairlines, and KLM also flies from Amsterdam. Once there, the Galápagos are a relatively short hop away, and you can explore cloud forests, indigenous markets and the equator itself. Bolivia, with 1.1 million visitors, offers one of the most dramatic landscapes anywhere in the world, including the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, plus the ancient ruins of Tiwanaku and the colonial city of Potosí. Air Europa and Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) fly direct from Madrid. Honduras, with 920,000 visitors, is for those who want something less explored, and its coral reefs, beaches and archaeological sites are well worth the journey; Iberojet flies to Comayagua from Madrid and Barcelona, while Air Europa flies to San Pedro Sula from Madrid. Guyana, with just 290,000 visitors, is one of the most rewarding under-the-radar choices, with Georgetown’s unique food scene and the spectacular Kaieteur Falls; KLM flies direct from Amsterdam. Suriname, next door, invites visitors into jungle exploration and welcomed 220,000 people in 2025; KLM and Surinam Airways both fly from Amsterdam to Paramaribo. French Guiana brings up the rear with just 70,000 international tourists. It’s probably best known for the Guiana Space Centre, the European spaceport, but its dark history at Devil’s Island is fascinating and sobering. Air France flies to Cayenne from Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Air Caraïbes flies from Paris Orly. These lesser-known countries may require a little more planning, but they are perfect for travellers who have already seen the highlights and want to go deeper.
Before you book, a few practical tips can save you money and stress. Many routes above are daily, especially on popular routes to Brazil and Colombia, but others run only a few times a week or are seasonal. If you’re flexible with your dates, use sites like flightconnections.com to see exactly which days different airlines operate, and that will also tell you if a route is seasonal. If you’re flying with Iberia, remember the airline offers a stopover programme, allowing you to spend up to ten days in Madrid before or after your Latin American trip, at no extra airfare. That’s an excellent way to add a Spanish city break without complicated extra bookings. Also, check government travel advisories for the country you plan to visit. Venezuela is currently under warnings in many countries, and there are also alerts for parts of Ecuador, Colombia and elsewhere. A direct flight doesn’t mean every corner of a country is trouble-free, so research the latest guidance before you commit. With all that in mind, there has never been a better time to plan a trip to Central or South America. The region is more connected to Europe every year, visitor numbers are climbing, and even the least-visited countries have at least one door in from the outside. Whether you want to dance in Rio, hike in Patagonia, stand before Machu Picchu, or simply relax on a Costa Rican beach with a cold drink in hand, there’s a nonstop flight waiting to get you started.
