Sporting life

This sports-loving continent with its rugged and varied terrain is just the place for sports enthusiasts and sportsmen who enjoy doing it in style whether it is heli-skiing, snowboarding, sailing, polo, golf, hunting, fishing, football, tennis, mountain-biking, horse-riding, the Olympics and the myriad of watersports. Sporting traditions in Latin America are extremely strong and it is not a surprise that some of the world’s biggest and most important sporting events will take place here very soon. The Olympics in 2016 and FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2014, both to take place in Brazil are only some of them. Soccer universally is the most popular sport here and the passion for soccer needs to be seen to be believed. For a soccer fan there is nothing more iconic as Maracana Stadium and Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro or Boca Juniors museum in Buenos Aires. Skiers and snowboarders who visit Chile during the country's ski season would enjoy Portillo, the country's most popular ski resort with 23 trails and a peak elevation of nearly 11,000 feet. But for the even more adventurous at heart, there is plenty of heli-skiing you can do up in the Andes near Santiago. The remote regions of Atacama, Patagonia and Easter Island in Chile all provide for mountain-biking and horseback riding. Undoubtedly, the most exotic destination for horseback riding and trekking, you can reach Machu Picchu doing either on Mountain Lodges of Peru’s Salkantay Inca trail, the most luxurious way for you to get to this ancient citadel. Polo enthusiasts will know that Argentina, with its fine breed of horses and pampas plains, is one of the best places to play or watch this most luxurious of sports. The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans sandwiching the continent and the many lakes, rivers and rapids in it means abundant opportunities for all sorts of water-sports as well as fishing in almost every country in Latin America. Nomads in Patagonia Chile provide exclusive opportunities for fly-fishing and other water adventures whilst you cruise on their luxury vessel. You can even take off to heliski in the Andes from on board. Along with participating you can certainly watch some exciting games here in a football crazy continent. There are also a number of ATP tennis tournaments here. Of course the next Olympics and FIFA Soccer World Cup is here in Brazil.