Leon, 39 years old, was born and raised in Bogotá and spent practically his whole life exploring his home city. No wonder he's had a successful 17-year career as a professional tour guide! Even when Leon is not working, he loves spending time outdoors, birdwatching and rock climbing. Did you know that Colombia is among the top destinations for birdwatching tours? Over 22% of the world's bird species can be found there!

It should come as no surprise that Leon's dream vacation is hiking in the mountains and immersing himself in the beautiful nature around him - no matter where in the world. But in Colombia, his favorite destination is the lush Coffee Triangle which offers everything he needs to be happy: nature, birds, and great coffee! In fact, Colombia's coffee is one of the best in the world, with the smoothest taste.

Of course Leon also has a favorite spot in Bogotá: Monserrate Hill. Thanks to its lush surroundings, it is the perfect escape from the bustling city and a religious significance throughout history makes it an important pilgrim site. As such, you will encounter tourists as well as pilgrims looking for favors of the saint "El Señor Caido" (The Fallen Lord); you can also try typical local treats and enjoy a beautiful view of the city. As for Leon's recommendation of a must-try delicacy: hot chocolate with cheese and fat-bottomed ants - that will definitely give you a story to tell!

As a tour guide, Leon has a specific topic besides birdwatching that he loves to share with his guests, the history of Colombia. Most people only know of the darker parts so he likes to expand their knowledge and share some perspective, which often results in interesting discussions and a lively exchange of views and experiences.

Say hello to Santiago-based Viviana! She was born in Chile's exciting capital and has more than 20 years of experience working in tourism and hospitality under her belt. As a tour guide, Viviana sees herself as an ambassador for Chilean culture, food and history.
She is proud of Santiago's beauty and there are countless places that every visitor should have on their list, including the iconic San Cristobal hill with a great view of the city as well as a local fish and fruit market. Viviana says that simply walking through the streets will give you an impression of how modern Santiago is. Fun fact: the city is home to the tallest building in South America, Gran Torre Santiago, built in 2014 (300m/984ft). When it comes to local food, her must-try is a delicious sandwich (a Chilean staple), maybe with some fresh avocado, freshly caught fish and the classic cocktail "Terremoto" (earthquake), mixed with Pipeño (sweet fermented white wine), grenadine and pineapple sorbet.
Viviana's favorite destinations in Chile are Torres del Paine and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and for her, these are two of the places that everybody should visit once in their life. Her passion for travel also extends to her free time; she loves exploring new places, meeting people and learning about their culture. At home, she enjoys gardening and playing with her pets, 6 beautiful cats and a super cute German Shepherd. 

One of our Senior Guides, 65-year old Fernando has been welcoming guests to his hometown Rio de Janeiro for 36 years now. As a history buff, he tries to send his guests back in time during his tours to show them the history of both Rio and Brazil. Another of his favorite topics is Carnival, a very rich subject that involves art, traditions, religion and the relationship between white and Afro-Brazilian people.
In his free time, Fernando loves going to the movies and streaming his favorite series. He is also an avid reader and playgoer and enjoys meeting friends for delicious meals. He told us that his dream vacation is going to Egypt as he loves the country's history. But he also wouldn't say no to a river cruise in Europe or Asia! When traveling in Brazil, his favorite destination is Iguazu Falls which he beautifully describes as "Mother Nature's explosion of beauty". We have to agree!

Whenever he is showing visitors around Rio de Janeiro, he recommends that they explore Downtown Rio, a part of the city that offers a lot of diversity, many museums, beautiful monuments and amazing cafés for a snack or lunch. Despite the fact that Rio's main sight, Corcovado hill with the Christ the Redeemer statue, is so iconic that almost everybody has seen it on screen or in a magazine at some point, his most cherished moment is when his guests experience them in real life for the first time. He says that people are always surprised by the unexpected train ride through the beautiful rain forest and feel impressed by the sheer size of the statue, its history and the spectacular view of the city. 

Fernando thinks that every visitor should try the Brazilian national drink caipirinha, a delicious "churrasco" (beef barbecue) and the famous "Feijoada", a stew with pork meat and black beans. Bom apetite!

Born in Guayaquil, Xavier moved to the marvelous Galapagos Archipelago when he was 5. He is now 37 years old and has been working as a tour guide for 17 of those. When he is not introducing travelers to the unique beauty of his home, he loves spending quality time with his wife and their two sons at home on Santa Cruz Island. He is currently teaching his older boy to snorkel. When it comes to his own travel plans, Xavier would love to take his family to Japan because it looks like an amazing place to enjoy nature, get immersed in a totally different culture and taste new flavors. He has big aspirations for this tour - he wants to see it all and explore every corner of his dream destination! 

What he loves most about the Galapagos Islands is that there are so many special places to visit and every island has something new and different in store. You just have to see them all! It is very important to him that travelers make sure to buy from small local businesses during their stay so every penny they spend benefits local people and helps improving their quality of life. You can start by trying Xavier's food recommendation: delicious cheese empanada with a cup of organic Galapagos coffee. Yummy!
Despite the fact that Galapagos is on the bucket list of virtually every avid traveler, did you know that Charles Darwin didn’t like the archipelago in the beginning? Xavier told us that he only fell in love with the islands later on and in the end, he could never forget them. 

As a guide, Xavier likes to cover all kinds of topics but he especially enjoys the controversial ones. For example, he is very fond of the human history of the Galapagos. Well, there is one topic he will not discuss because passions run too high - soccer!

41-year old Nicolas is a true "porteño" - born and raised in Buenos Aires. It almost goes without saying that one of his passions is dancing Tango. He also enjoys reading and taking long walks through his hometown to discover new places. During his own vacation, you can find Nicolas in any place at the beach and South East Asia is at the top of his travel bucket list. Working as a tour guide for 20 years, he has had lots of opportunity to explore Argentina. He keeps returning to the Iguazu Falls though, his favorite destination. 

When asked what every visitor should do in Buenos Aires, Nicolas' very first suggestion is going to a Milonga, a Tango-specific dance club, closely followed by a cup of coffee and people-watching at the café London City. And what goes better with coffee than a sweet treat such as an alfajor or a medialuna? Talking about food, Nicolas also recommends having empanadas and pizza at the famous pizzeria Guerrin as well as a typical "asado" at one of Buenos Aires' excellent steak houses, like Bodegones. 
During his city tours, Nicolas loves surprising his guests by taking them to the spectacular bookstore El Ateneo, located in a beautiful old theater house, the Museum of Fine Arts or the Museum of Latin-American Art (MALBA). He is very passionate about Argentinean art as well as the impressive architecture of Buenos Aires and also enjoys sharing his knowledge about local history with his guests.
Picture credit: turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar

Nelida is 47 years old and lives in Lima. She started her journey as a professional tour guide in 1996. Her favorite part of her work is not only sharing Peru's history with her guests but also talking about the everyday lives of locals. That is the best way to gain an insight into a foreign culture, which for Nelida is one of the most fascinating parts of travelling. Her dream destination is China, to learn about one of the most ancient cultures in the world.

Nelida's favorite destination in Peru is Cusco, with its captivating mix of Inca and colonial heritage. But you can learn about much more ancient cultures during your travels in Peru. Did you know that the oldest city in America, Caral, is located not too far from Lima and can be visited as a day trip?
Lima has many more amazing places to visit and among Nelida's favorite recommendations are the Palomino Islands, home to a large population of sea lions and different seabirds, as well as the fortress of Real Felipe. It was built in 1774 to defend the port of Callao from pirates and corsairs, who were very notorious in the region at that time. When she is not working, you can usually find Nelida curled up with a good book and we bet she also knows all the best reading spots in the city!
As many Peruvians, Nelida is very passionate about food and she always recommends that her guests try ceviche and pisco sour, Peru's national dish and drink, respectively.  

Carla is one of our guides in Montevideo and 55 years old. Her journey as a tour guide actually started in Basel, Switzerland where she worked for 5 years before returning to Uruguay. Carla has been a guide for over 20 years. In her downtime, she likes taking walks on La Rambla, Uruguay's coastal promenade, visiting museums and playing bridge. She would love to return to Europe for a dream vacation in Italy with her family, to enjoy its art, beaches and food. 

Luckily, there are plenty of beaches and amazing cuisine in Uruguay as well! Carla's favorite destination is Punta Ballena, near Punta del Este, where you have the best views you can imagine: the hills, the River Plate with its beach, Carlos Paez Vilaró's Casapueblo and the Lussich Arboretum, an excellent place to go for walks with the family.

In her hometown, she always recommends a visit to the Museum of Decorative Arts. It is a testament to the lifestyle of wealthy Uruguayans at the beginning of the 20th century and exhibits paintings by important artists including Ribera, Ghirandaio and Snayers, as well as sculptures by Benlliure and a reproduction on silk of The Surrender of Breda.

First-time visitors are often surprised to hear about Uruguay's high quality wines. Many wineries in the surroundings of Montevideo offer guided visits of their property and tastings. One of them is Establecimiento Juanico by the Deicas family, one of the oldest wineries in the country. As for food, Carla suggests trying chivito, a sandwich with veal tenderloin, ham, cheese, egg, olives, tomatoes and lettuce.

When on tour with Carla, she will tell you about the tradition of Uruguay's national beverage, Mate. The hot mate tea is prepared in a dried, hollowed-out gourd and sipped with a steel or silver straw. Before the pandemic, mate was shared with close friends and family while going to the park or to la Rambla.