With its wide boulevards, leafy parks, grand buildings and varied culture and nightlife, Buenos Aires is the most European of all Latin American cities, and is reminiscent of Paris or Barcelona.

The porteños (‘people of the port’), as the residents of Buenos Aires are called, are more European too – descended from the first Spanish founders and Italian immigrants from the 19th century. Their culture and cuisine still flavours the city and can be enjoyed in countless art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as fine restaurants. But the city has also spawned its own art forms, notably the tango, for which Buenos Aires is famous.

With several new museums and a continuous agenda of cultural attractions and events, Buenos Aires is a 24-hour city, with much to see and do.

The cultural and religious centre of the Inca world, Cusco was once an awesome city. The seat of the God-king, the Inca (‘Inca' technically refers to just the monarch, often called the Sapa Inca, who was revered as a divine ruler by the people), it was a city built to reflect the might of the Empire.

Despite its brutal sacking by the Spanish conquistadors, Cusco remains an exciting and vibrant place. Today it is a large commercial centre and the capital of Cusco Department as well as the undisputed archaeological capital of South America, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the continent's biggest tourist destinations.

Spectacular colonial architecture stands astride monolithic ruined Inca palaces made of perfectly hewn stone, which line atmospheric, scorched cobbled plazas. White-washed alleys and terracotta-tiled roofs are home to a rich mix of history, lively nightlife and a vast array of museums, sights and scenery. The collision and fusion of indigenous Andean and imported colonial cultures is interesting and always evident, even to those tourists who only come to the city as a staging post for the most famous trek in the Americas, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Despite the number of visitors it receives, Cusco remains relatively unspoiled and it is still easy to experience the city's beauty and ancient feel, which remains very tangible today. Although Cusco has embraced tourism and developed a sound infrastructure to support the influx of visitors, the city's magnificent historical past still has a powerful hold on its glorious present.

Peru’s capital, Lima, is a vibrant city whose grandeur may be faded but still lives on. Once the heart of Spain’s South American empire, modern Lima is a huge metropolis crammed with culture, and a history that pre-dates the Incas.

Halfway along Peru’s desert coastline, Lima lies between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Andes. The historic centre, with its Spanish colonial mansions graced by latticed wooden balconies, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lima has beautiful churches, museums, pretty seaside suburbs and a few remaining Inca ruins. It is also a gateway to the marvels of Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon jungle.

As Peru’s economic powerhouse, Lima is home to around one third of the country’s people. Even in the richest districts, signs of poverty are never far away. Shantytowns continue to grow around Lima, while the upper classes have mostly moved to seaside suburbs like Miraflores and San Isidro. With their skyscrapers and international banks, these are now the main business centres, with nearby Barranco a hub for nightlife.

In many ways, Montevideo is Uruguay. The capital totally dominates this tiny country's economic, political and cultural scene – a fact that is less surprising when you consider that more than half of the nation's people live here.

Montevideo was founded by the Spanish, and later fought over by Argentina (after its independence) and Brazil (then under Portuguese control). The population today is overwhelmingly white, mostly of Spanish and Italian descent, and the city thrives as one of South America's foremost financial centres.

The city's Ciudad Vieja (Old Town) is a throwback to the past, where narrow alleyways shaded by turn-of-the-last-century buildings open up into tree-lined avenues. Like Buenos Aires, across the mouth of the River Plate, pavement cafés are plentiful, particularly around the pedestrianised avenue Peatonal Sarandí.

Montevideo is a working port, but the long seafront promenade known as La Rambla is dotted with clean beaches either side of the upmarket neighbourhood of Carrasco, a 20‑minute drive from the docks.

The city itself is a curious mixture of old-fashioned formality and laid-back South American style. To those arriving from Buenos Aires across the water, Montevideo's residents can seem reserved at first, but as night falls the city's workers let their hair down. Into the small hours, bars are busy with high-spirited customers, and most clubs open well after midnight and close with the rising sun.

The city's climate is mild year-round (the hottest months are January and February) but it is prone to changeable weather coming in from the Atlantic.

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Quito is one of the best preserved colonial cities in America, complete with cobbled plazas and lavishly decorated cathedrals. Ecuador’s capital city is also breathtaking – literally. With its central square set at 2,850m (9,350ft) above sea level, it is the second highest national capital and a place where even a little exercise can leave unacclimatised travellers out of breath. So slow down your pace before setting off to explore this former Inca site.

The historical part of the city, Old Town, where most attractions are located, is a relatively poor and charmingly unkempt neighbourhood. Wandering here, you’ll mingle with indigenous Ecuadoreans whose multicoloured ponchos create a fascinating visual effect set against the backdrop of whitewashed colonial buildings. 

Beyond the neo-gothic tower of Basilica del Voto Nacional lies Mariscal district, with its numerous backpacker hostels and great bars and restaurants. The modern and orderly New Town begins further north. Its most fascinating sight is the rim of Guapolo valley flanked by high-rise hotels and villas, including that of the country’s most renowned painter Oswaldo Guayasamín.

The 2016 Olympics host, Rio de Janeiro is an awe-inspiring city where impossibly steep granite mountains rise from the ocean between glorious stretches of golden sand. Brash skyscrapers vie for space with impeccable colonial buildings, and lush forests tumble down hillsides into densely populated residential areas.

Its diverse cultures and peoples live in varying degrees of wealth or poverty. Rich exclusive areas stand in stark contrast and close proximity to the slum areas or favelas. But no matter what their background or economic standing, the Cariocas (Rio’s residents) are characterised by a passion and enthusiasm for life.

The cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) revels in life, with the beach, football, samba and Carnival the principal diversions. High above all this fun and frivolity are Rio’s ever-present landmarks – the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the summit of Corcovado (hunchback) mountain and Sugarloaf with its historic cable car.

As well as these twin icons, Rio boasts a wealth of attractions and activities, plus great food, music and entertainment – enough to keep a visitor busy for any length of stay.

A natural port of the Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) in southeast Brazil, the city was founded by the Portuguese on 1 January 1502. They named it Rio de Janeiro (River of January), under the mistaken impression that it was an enormous river mouth. Since then, it has grown to a city of over 6 million people, with a further 5 million in the greater metropolitan area.

Migrants find that the city has more than its fair share of social problems. Attempts have been made to curtail crime, but visitors should remain alert to petty thieves.

From a record low in 2002, the Brazilian Real has doubled in value against the US Dollar and rallied against other world currencies, so the country is not as cheap as it used to be. However, Brazil is still affordable and gaining in popularity – 2007 saw a 15% increase in visitors, mainly headed for Rio. With Brazil set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2014, that trend is likely to continue.

In Rio’s summer (December to February), temperatures regularly reach 40ºC (104ºF) or more. When the heat is on, tourists should follow the Brazilian example and hit the beach rather than rush around. These months are also peak season – not only are international flights more expensive, but domestic travel and hotels are charged at a premium and get booked up quickly.

The sheer scale of São Paulo can be daunting for the first time visitor. Home to 11 million people, the urban sprawl is criss-crossed by six-lane highways and concrete flyovers, with few natural landmarks to guide the visitor.

The city's countless skyscrapers are home to the banks, insurance firms, industrial giants and media empires that make this Brazil's most prosperous city.

São Paulo has an energy all of its own, very different from laid-back Rio with its beach culture. Paulistanos are known as hard workers, but they make up for it at the end of the day.

Cuisine from around the world is given a distinctive Brazilian twist in restaurants to suit every budget and taste. The vibrant cultural scene is bolstered by ever-changing exhibitions and a host of annual festivals; while the city's bars and clubs can rival any that Rio has to offer.

There are more helicopters here than in Manhattan and the wealthy elite fly back and forth from their mansions to city centre helipads, avoiding the traffic and poverty below. Inequality is a big problem, and in recent decades violence and petty crime has spread inwards from the slums that surround the city.

Avoid wearing fine jewellery on the street and keep expensive cameras out of sight. With sensible precautions like these, São Paulo is a city that can be enjoyed day and night. And with a climate that is mild throughout the year, there is never a bad time to visit.