In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, TPG has highlighted probably the most points-friendly cities in Latin America.
From the tropical paradise of Rio de Janeiro and the mountains of Medellin, Colombia, to the fabled eating places of Lima, Peru, and Mexico Metropolis, we’ll present you how you can discover a few of Latin America’s most dazzling cities — all whereas leveraging your factors.
La Paz, Bolivia
Bolivia, a landlocked nation of mountains, excessive deserts and crystalline lakes, is usually described as “The Coronary heart of South America.” The epithet is due not solely to Bolivia’s geographic location within the middle of South America but additionally as a result of Bolivia has the best share of Indigenous individuals within the Americas. La Paz — the place neighborhoods, streets and sky trams climb the steep slopes of the Andes — seems nearly as an natural outgrowth of the mountains themselves.
Thousands and thousands of twinkling lights from La Paz’s mountainside communities render the skyline hypnotically stunning at night time when the Andean air is crisp and clear. Moreover its historic structure, terrific museums and dynamic nightlife, La Paz is the perfect launching pad for exploring pure wonders just like the salt desert of Salar de Uyuni and Lake Titicaca.
Getting there
From the East Coast, New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) and Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) are the perfect cities for catching flights to La Paz’s El Alto Worldwide Airport (LPB).
United MileagePlus awards begin at 49,500 miles one-way in economic system from the East Coast to La Paz for those who’d somewhat use factors to cowl your journey.
Air Canada Aeroplan affords decrease award charges at 30,000 factors.
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The place to remain in La Paz
Whereas there are not any factors motels in La Paz, you should utilize Capital One miles to ebook an unbiased resort. Ebook instantly or with a web based journey company and cost it to your Capital One card. Then, you’ll be able to redeem miles at a hard and fast charge of 1 cent per mile towards any journey buy.
Contemplate opening the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, which affords 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 within the first three months from account opening. That is $750 towards resort stays, however you’ll be able to simply maximize your factors by leveraging switch companions.
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San Jose, Costa Rica
The world needs to be superlatively grateful to Costa Rica for this monumental determination, because the nation affords a few of the richest biodiversity and most gorgeous ecology on Earth. There are cloud forests excessive in volcanic mountains, coastal mangrove forests teeming with marine life and numerous species discovered nowhere else on the planet.
San Jose has lengthy been a preferred vacation spot with U.S. vacationers. Many check with Costa Rica as “Latin America for rookies” as a result of excessive ranges of English proficiency, using the greenback and the nation’s modernized infrastructure. San Jose, situated in central Costa Rica, is price exploring for just a few days — particularly for the espresso lovers amongst us. Nevertheless, town’s best attribute is its proximity to Costa Rica’s very good nationwide parks, corresponding to Manuel Antonio and Irazu Volcano.
Getting there
Delta Air Traces affords each day nonstop service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) to Juan Santamaría Worldwide Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica.
In January 2024, you’ll find round-trip tickets for this route beginning at $711.
Alternatively, one-way award flights in January begin at 33,000 SkyMiles.
The place to remain in San Jose
The Costa Rica Marriott Lodge Hacienda Belen is a stately tropical resort outdoors San Jose. Customary rooms price between $146 and $300 or 25,600 and 59,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time.
With its whitewashed facade, swaying palm timber and grand columns, the Gran Lodge Costa Rica, Curio Assortment by Hilton seems straight out of an Ernest Hemingway novel. An evening in an ordinary room in early 2024 begins at 48,000 Hilton Honors factors.
The latter is affiliated with the Amex High-quality Resorts + Resorts program. Holders of The Platinum Card® from American Categorical are entitled to advantages like space-available room upgrades; they will even obtain as much as $100 of credit score to spend on the resort’s spa, retailers or eating places. In case you ebook a room out of pocket (round $175 per night time for a primary room), you’ll want to use an Amex Platinum card, as you get 5 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go lodging booked by way of Amex Journey.
For many who favor the camaraderie and informal environment of a hostel, San Jose doesn’t disappoint. Costa Rica Backpackers (which expenses $15 per night time for a mattress in a dorm-style room) is a traditional Costa Rican hostel with a energetic pool and patio that retains the social gathering going most nights of the week.
Medellin, Colombia
The “Metropolis of Everlasting Spring” has undergone a renaissance over the previous couple of many years. As soon as thought of probably the most harmful metropolis on Earth as a result of cartels’ reign of terror, the Medellin of the twenty first century is secure to go to. It lately gained the City Land Institute’s prestigious award because the World’s Most Progressive Metropolis.
With its stunning cafes, glorious public Wi-Fi and low-cost price of dwelling, Medellin has turn out to be one of many hottest cities on this planet for digital nomads. The pure magnificence round Medellin — within the balmy equatorial Andes — is nothing wanting mesmerizing, and the Paisa tradition is welcoming and joyful.
Furthermore, the small metropolis punches above its weight for artwork, music and structure. The world-renowned sculptor and painter Fernando Botero was from Medellin, and there is a superb museum in downtown Medellin housing Botero’s work.
Getting there
JetBlue flies from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport (FLL) to Medellin’s José María Córdova Worldwide Airport (MDE). The route operates 5 days every week however will enhance to each day service over the past week of October.
Spherical-trip flights begin at $427, however it’s also possible to use JetBlue TrueBlue factors to cowl your prices. You may redeem JetBlue factors towards award flights at roughly 1.4 cents apiece, so the costlier a flight is, the extra factors it would price.
Different carriers that fly from the U.S. to Medellin embody American Airways, Avianca and Spirit Airways.
The place to remain in Medellin
The Medellin Marriott Lodge begins at simply 21,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time. The resort is inside placing distance of Medellin’s finest bars and nightclubs within the colourful Zona Rosa neighborhood. In case you pay with money, an evening on the Medellin Marriott will run you between $200 and $350.
The Hampton by Hilton Medellin is a thriftier possibility with rooms between $88 and $168 per night time, but it surely’s nonetheless comfy and situated inside a brief distance of the Zona Rosa neighborhood. If in case you have a stack of Hilton factors after making use of for the Hilton Honors American Categorical Surpass® Card, an evening on the Hampton by Hilton Medellin will price you 20,000 factors.
For much more reasonably priced lodging, select one of many metropolis’s glorious, quirky hostels within the Zona Rosa, such because the Casa Kiwi Hostel (from $35 per night time) or the Rango Hostel (from $38 per night time). Honest warning earlier than your keep: You may be within the thick of probably the most raucous neighborhood in a metropolis that is aware of how you can social gathering.
Mexico Metropolis
You could possibly spend a number of lifetimes exploring Mexico Metropolis, the most important metropolis within the Americas.
CDMX, as town is often abbreviated, affords a bit of of all the pieces. There are Michelin-starred eating places; spectacular museums housing the masterpieces of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and unknown Aztec masters; and nightlife that simply holds its personal in opposition to any metropolis on this planet.
Most guests to CDMX favor Roma Norte, a neighborhood of youthful power, slender streets and hole-in-the-wall bars. La Condesa — the leafy abode of Mexico Metropolis’s well-to-do and residential to most of the metropolis’s finest eateries — can also be a preferred spot. One of many best perks of visiting Mexico Metropolis is the flexibility to eat in temples of effective eating — locations like Quintonil and Pujol — and pay solely a fraction of the value of comparable eating places in New York Metropolis, San Francisco or Europe.
Getting there
A round-trip flight from New York on to Mexico Metropolis Worldwide Airport (MEX) is six hours and prices greater than $550 on Aeromexico in January 2024. Nevertheless, round-trip flights from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to MEX can generally go for as little as $212 on low-cost service Viva Aerobus.
If in case you have American AAdvantage miles to burn, you’ll be able to redeem as few as 10,000 miles to ebook a one-way economic system ticket from the U.S. to Mexico Metropolis. Enterprise class begins at 20,000 miles.
The place to remain in Mexico Metropolis
Given Mexico Metropolis’s significance as a commerce hub in Latin America, it ought to come as no shock that town boasts loads of enviable motels.
Rooms on the JW Marriott Lodge Mexico Metropolis Polanco within the hip and foodie-friendly Polanco neighborhood — near each the revelry of Roma Norte and the posh of La Condesa — go for between $398 and $558 or 41,000 and 73,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time in January 2024. The W Mexico Metropolis and The St. Regis Mexico Metropolis are additionally strong choices.
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The Hyatt Regency Mexico Metropolis, additionally in Polanco, affords rooms for a mean of round $220 per night time or, as a Class 3 resort, 9,000 to fifteen,000 World of Hyatt factors. The resort is subsequent to Parque Chapultepec, town’s model of Central Park the place many top-notch museums reside.
Signing up for a World of Hyatt Credit score Card and spending $3,000 within the first three months of card membership will earn you 30,000 bonus Hyatt factors — presumably sufficient for a free lengthy weekend. Plus, you’ll be able to earn 2 factors per greenback spent within the first six months from account opening on purchases that usually earn 1 bonus level on as much as $15,000 spent (as much as 30,000 extra bonus factors).
If you wish to splurge, take a look at the 4 Seasons Lodge Mexico Metropolis, one in every of Latin America’s most luxurious motels. If in case you have The Platinum Card® from American Categorical, utilizing it at this 4 Seasons outpost will mean you can reserve a desk on the resort’s famend restaurant Il Becco, which serves trendy Italian, and one other prime on-site eatery Zanaya, the place dishes impressed by the seafood-forward delicacies of Yucatán are on the menu. Since it is a High-quality Resorts + Resorts property, reserving the 4 Seasons with this card may also offer you advantages corresponding to prolonged checkout occasions and room upgrades.
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Lima, Peru
Whether or not you are a historical past buff within the Inca Empire, a gourmand eager to pattern probably the most scrumptious ceviche on this planet or an adrenaline junkie trying to tour the wild recesses of the Amazon, Peru needs to be on the prime of your checklist of dream locations. Lima, with its Incan artwork and historical past museums, fabulous eating and close by seashores, guarantees to maintain guests captivated for days.
Furthermore, the Peruvian capital is the perfect launching level for exploring the Andes, Machu Picchu, the Amazon and Peru’s Pacific coast.
Getting there
United has a repeatedly scheduled nonstop flight between Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and Lima’s Jorge Chávez Worldwide Airport (LIM) that begins at round $700 in January. One-way award tickets begin at 26,400 United miles or 55,000 miles in Polaris enterprise class.
Moreover, you’ll be able to fly from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to LIM with LATAM. You may ebook an economic system seat on this flight by way of Alaska Airways for 30,000 miles or by way of Qantas for 30,200 miles. You may switch American Categorical Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Whereas the routing might be draining, American Airways affords flights on this route from simply 15,000 in economic system and 25,000 miles in enterprise class.
The place to remain in Lima
The Class 2 Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima sits on sea cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean within the San Isidro neighborhood. On this space, you’ll be able to stroll previous Incan ruins and boutique eating places. Rooms price between $160 and $228 or 6,500 to eight,500 World of Hyatt factors per night time.
If you wish to pamper your self in Lima, look no additional than Miraflores Park, A Belmond Lodge. Belmond’s luxurious glass-and-steel tower overlooks the ocean and sits inside strolling distance of all of the enjoyable of Miraflores. Because it’s affiliated with Amex’s High-quality Resorts + Resorts program, Platinum Card holders are entitled to perks corresponding to late checkout, room upgrades and each day breakfast for 2.
Backside line
Touring to Central and South America in fall is good since temperatures in most of the area’s cities are delicate and pleasant. You may additionally be capable to honor Hispanic Heritage Month by experiencing the wealthy Hispanic and Indigenous influences in these locations.
