For Canadians planning a trip, the familiar choices tend to win out. Mexico and the Caribbean are easy. Europe has no shortage of flights. South America, despite being closer than many European destinations, has often felt like more of an undertaking.

That is beginning to change.

Air Canada has rebuilt its network south of the equator faster than at any point in over a decade, offering seasonal and year-round routes. Toronto picked up new nonstop service to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Cartagena, Colombia last winter. Toronto and Montreal’s Lima, Peru routes came back after a three-year absence. Montreal’s winter service to Santiago, Chile is expanding again this year, and Quito, Ecuador joins the map from both cities starting December 2026. Bogotá, Colombia routes from both cities also never left, being offered as dependable, year-round nonstops the whole time, no seasonal fine print required.

Canadians travelling from elsewhere in the country will still connect through one of those eastern hubs, but reaching South America has become noticeably more straightforward than it once was.

For the latest information on where and when Air Canada flies in South America, consult their current timetable.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

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Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer are exactly as photogenic as advertised. What doesn't come through in a photo is how the city refuses to keep its distance from the mountains and rainforest around it, or how much of ordinary life just happens on the sand: football at dusk, coconut vendors, entire families still out well after dark.

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

Hot, walkable, stacked with colourful colonial architecture behind the old city walls. Step outside them into Getsemaní and the mood shifts fast: murals, cafés, neighbourhood bars, plazas that stay loud past midnight.

Yes, there are beaches nearby. Yes, you can spend a day on the Rosario Islands. But Cartagena's biggest strength is that it doesn't ask you to choose between a cultural city break and a warm-weather escape. It manages to be both.

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

At 2,600 metres, Bogotá runs cool year-round, closer in feel to the Andes than to the Caribbean coast most Canadians picture when someone says "Colombia." Bring a jacket, and set aside half a day for the Museo del Oro. It also works as a jumping-off point for Medellín or the Coffee Region, if the day trip turns into a longer one.

LIMA, PERU

Mention Peru and most people immediately think of Machu Picchu.

That's understandable. It's one of the world's great archaeological sites, and for many travellers it's the reason they book the trip in the first place.

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But Peru's capital deserves far more than a quick stop. It has become one of Latin America's great food cities, where Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and African influences all meet on the same menu. Some of the world's best restaurants are here, but so are family-run cevicherías, neighbourhood cafés and markets where lunch costs surprisingly little and tastes unforgettable.

SANTIAGO, CHILE

Patagonia and the Atacama Desert get all the attention. Santiago usually gets a night, maybe two, on either end, which is a shame on a clear day, when the Andes sit close enough behind downtown to look almost architectural. Lastarria is the easiest neighbourhood to wander without a plan, and the wine valleys just outside the city make for an easy add-on.

QUITO, ECUADOR

The newest stop on Air Canada's map, and the highest, at nearly 2,900 metres. Give yourself a full day to adjust to the altitude. Explore Ecuador’s capital, a UNESCO-listed centre packed with churches, plazas and beautifully preserved colonial architecture, while volcanic peaks surround the city in nearly every direction.

From Quito it's possible to explore cloud forests and Indigenous markets or continue on to the Galápagos Islands. Flights begin December 2026 from Toronto and Montreal both.