Family adventure in South America

HERE's how to have an adventurous family holiday in the continent, from hiking in Peru at Machu Picchu to horseriding in Chile.

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YOU'VE holidayed as a family at Disneyland, New York or Hawaii and the kids are ready to graduate from playing on the beach in Fiji.

So now you're ready for a family adventure. Here are five suggestions for a family holiday in South America.  1 Peru Boat tours on Lake Titicaca, jungle adventures in the Amazon basin and learning about the Inca civilisation are some of the things that attract families to Peru. When travelling to Machu Picchu, it's wise for families to acclimatise at a lower altitude in the Sacred Valley, rather than Cuzco. Sonesta Posadas del Inca and Aranwa Sacred Valley are two hotels offering family-friendly activities such as horseback riding, swimming and mountain biking. Climbing the Inca ruins at Pisac or Ollantaytambo is fun and educational, and the train to Machu Picchu is a bonding adventure. But exploring Machu Picchu can be tiring and it's a good idea to stay a night in Aqua Calientes. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel has family packages that cater for children of all ages and has facilities including children's menus, cribs and highchairs. In Peru, the Amazon is another place that is geared up for family adventures. Rainforest Expedition (perunature.com) has a menu of programs suitable for those travelling with kids. An example is the Refugio Amazonas program, which has an educational trail based on the story of a six-year-old girl living in the rainforest.  See peru.travel 2 Argentina Gauchos, soccer and Iguazu Falls are three good reasons to take the family to Argentina. In Buenos Aires, a few blocks away from Palermo's trendy shops and bars is the Buenos Aires Zoo, where kids can marvel at the Andean condor and aguara guazu (a maned wolf). The Museo de los Ninos Abasto is a museum to teach children under 10 about Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors fans will love the new soccer-themed hotel, Hotel Boca (hotelbocajuniors.com), which has memorabilia and life-sized paintings of players on room doors. But if you want to see a match, book tickets well in advance. Horse riding with the gauchos is fun for all the family and there are several estancias about an hour from the city. But it's worth travelling a little further to Iguazu National Park, where older children can have fun jet boating beneath the falls and zip-lining in the forest.  See www.argentina.travel 3 Ecuador When it comes to nature, South America's second smallest country is a tough competitor to beat. The Galapagos Islands is a dream destination for nature lovers and a great choice for an educational holiday for children. They'll learn about Charles Darwin's voyage on the Beagle and his discovery of a wildlife wonderland. The Galapagos Islands has 1300 species found nowhere else on Earth. The easiest way to see the Galapagos is to take a cruise. Ecuador is named after the equator, the line that divides the northern and southern hemispheres, and there's a quirky interactive outdoor museum near Quito called Museo de Sitio Intinan, where you can stand with one foot in each.  See ecuador.travel 4 Chile Santiago is a good place to start a South American adventure as it's clean and relatively safe. The Chilean capital also has an efficient metro system and plenty of parks and outdoor areas. The largest public park is Parque Metropolitano, which is easy to reach by funicular to the top of Cerro San Cristobal. On the way, visit the Jardin Zoologico to see Chilean animals such as puma, vicuna and deer, as well as condor and tropical birds. Beyond Santiago, Patagonia in the south has spectacular scenery of forests, lakes, glaciers and granite pillars. The region is great for trekking and horse riding. A cruise aboard expedition-style ship Stella Australis (free for children under three, and half price for those up to 12 sharing a cabin with an adult) is a good way for families to explore. Passengers go ashore in Zodiacs for twice-daily excursions and the landscape is a stunning outdoor classroom where the whole family can learn about the region's history. Another region with adventure appeal is the Atacama Desert in the north, with its lunar landscape, geysers and thermal springs.  See chile.travel 5 Brazil With 7000km of beaches and 44 national parks, Brazil is a natural playground for families. The Pantanal, the Amazon basin and Iguacu Falls are adventure destinations with plenty to offer. Safaris in the Pantanal, one of the world's largest tropical wetlands, often include visits to local schools and farms, wildlife quizzes and campfires. In Rio de Janeiro, families should head for Leblon Beach, an upmarket area with organised beach sports for adults and children. There's a free play zone with toys for toddlers and the opportunity of joining local school children in a game of beach soccer. On weekends, the beaches are filled with entertainers, jugglers, magicians and musicians. At Museu do Indio, a museum for Brazil's indigenous cultures, children can get creative with body stamps and paints and play in models of native Indian houses. Sao Paulo is Brazil's largest city and its cultural capital. It has an array of museums, cafes and bars. And plenty for the little ones, including a Wet 'n' Wild water slide park, a science museum, zoo and a snake study centre.  See www.visitbrasil.com