“South America rewards curiosity. The deeper you go, the more it reveals.”
Pedro Barraza
&Beyond Managing Director, South America
Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Top Travel Specialist
At a glance
CURIOUS. ADVENTUROUS. TRUSTED.
Equally at home in Patagonia and the Galapagos
Nearly three decades of experience across South America
Recognised by Condé Nast Traveler: Top Travel Specialist
Still discovers something new on every adventure
Designs journeys that combine rare access with deep authenticity
HELLO, I’M PEDRO
I’ve spent nearly three decades exploring South America, and it still surprises me. As a Condé Nast Traveler 2026 Top Travel Specialist, that’s saying something.
From the windswept plains of Patagonia to the wildlife-rich waters of the Galapagos and the vast biodiversity of the Amazon, this is a continent that rewards curiosity. The deeper you go, the more it reveals.
As Managing Director of &Beyond South America, based in Santiago, I oversee our operations across Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Antarctica, helping create journeys that connect travellers to the landscapes, cultures and wildlife that make this region so extraordinary.
My career began when I was 18, guiding travellers through my home country of Chile. What started as a love of nature and a fascination with the wider world became a lifelong passion for designing experiences that shift perspective and stay with people long after they return home.
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Before joining &Beyond in 2015, I spent many years building and leading travel operations throughout South America. When I joined, I began building our South American business from my garage. Today, alongside my incredible team, we continue to expand our presence across the continent, from our extraordinary lodges and yachts to pioneering new itineraries and soon, our first private reserve in Patagonia.
What I enjoy most is seeing South America through the eyes of our guests. Their stories remind me that travel is made of small, unforgettable moments, sharing mate (a traditional South American caffeine-rich herbal tea) with a Patagonian horseman, swimming alongside sea lions in the Galapagos or standing in complete silence before a glacier.
For me, true luxury is not only about comfort. It is about experiencing the soul of a place in a way that feels deeply personal and genuinely transformative.
Pedro Barraza is Managing Director of &Beyond South America. Based in Santiago, Chile, he holds a degree in Business Administration and leads the company’s operations across Chile, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador, creating journeys that reveal the extraordinary diversity of the continent.
A lifetime of curiosity. A continent of discovery.
Even after decades of exploration, South America continues to surprise me and inspire the journeys I create.
1. What first inspired your interest in the travel industry?
I grew up in southern Chile, surrounded by mountains, lakes and rivers, and from an early age I felt deeply connected to nature. As a teenager, I met travellers visiting the region and became fascinated by the wider world.
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Learning English, translating songs and books, and dreaming of faraway places only fuelled that curiosity. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a tour guide, and I was fortunate enough to realise that dream at 18, guiding travellers during the summer holidays. What began as a love of nature and discovery has become a lifelong passion.
2. Which South American destination continues to surprise you the most?
That is an almost impossible question to answer, because South America never stops revealing something new. I have been exploring Patagonia for more than 25 years, yet it still takes my breath away.
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While scouting for our future lodge, I discovered the hike to Cerro Cazadores, where a sweeping panorama stretches across both the Chilean and Argentine pampas. Moments like that remind me that even familiar places can still astonish you. The same is true of the Galapagos Islands. I have visited more than 20 times, and each journey reveals something I have never seen before. I have always believed South America rewards curiosity. The deeper I go, the more it reveals.
3. What has been the most memorable moment in your career?
After more than 30 years in travel, it’s impossible to choose just one moment. What stays with me is the extraordinary range of experiences this career has allowed me to live. I still remember my first guest insisting on giving me a tip,
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not for the service itself, but because of how the experience made him feel. It taught me how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting emotional impact. Since then, I have walked inside the pyramids of Egypt, flown by of helicopter over the Great Barrier Reef, explored South Georgia and Antarctica, and helped find the perfect location for &Beyond’s first lodge in, Patagonia. I have played football with children in the Amazon, eaten chontacuros (the large, edible larvae of the black palm weevil beetle) in the Ecuadorian rainforest, sipped whiskey with a 10,000-year-old ice cube from a remote Patagonian glacier and stood in places few people on Earth will ever see. But the most meaningful memories are the ones I have shared with my family and the people I love. Travel has given me extraordinary moments. Sharing them is what makes this career unforgettable.
4. How has working across South America shaped your understanding of culture and landscape?
Working across South America has shaped me deeply, but my perspective has also been formed by travelling far beyond the continent. Travel has shown me how thin the line can be between progress and chaos, and how powerfully our environment shapes the way we see the world.
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When you move through places as different as the Amazon, the Galapagos, the African bush and major global cities, you realise that people grow up with very different relationships to nature, opportunity and community. Some live close to wildlife and ancestral knowledge. Others have access to education, healthcare and modern comforts, but can lose touch with the essence of life. Seeing these contrasts first-hand makes you more humble, more curious and far less inclined to judge. Engaging with different cultures breaks down barriers and expands your sense of humanity. It reminds me that my “normal” is just one lens among many. The more I explore, the more I understand that our shared home is fragile, interconnected and worth protecting. Travel does not just broaden my view. It deepens my responsibility to the world and to the people who inhabit it.
5. What do you enjoy most about sharing the region with international travellers?
What I enjoy most is seeing South America through the eyes of our guests. Even if I have visited a place dozens of times, their messages and excitement bring those landscapes back to life in a completely new way. When a guest drinks mate with a baqueano (local guide) after riding across the Patagonian pampas,
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I remember the wind and vastness of the south. When someone swims with dolphins, penguins and sea lions in the Galapagos, I can almost feel the warm water and see the sunset again. When travellers fish for pirañas in the Amazon, I am transported back to the humour, resilience and culture of the communities who call the jungle home. And when a couple arrives for a tango lesson in a vintage 1920s car, I am reminded of the elegance and soul of Buenos Aires. These stories reconnect me with the magic of the region. They remind me that travel is made of small, irreplaceable moments, the kind that stay with you long after the journey ends.
FAVOURITE JOURNEYS
Adventures that stay with you.
WHAT TO DO
Experiences worth slowing down for.
Begin your adventure
Craft a journey through South America that opens your eyes, stirs your curiosity and stays with you long after you return.
Where insight meets adventure.
I believe South America is one of the world’s most compelling destinations, not only for what you see, but for how it changes the way you see the world.
1. What makes South America such a compelling destination for luxury travel?
For me, South America offers something truly rare today: raw nature, deep culture and genuine human connection in a single journey. Few places allow you to stand before glaciers in Patagonia, explore the biodiversity of the Amazon, sail through the Galapagos and immerse yourself in the cultural richness of cities such as Santiago, Buenos Aires and Lima.
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What makes the continent so exceptional is that luxury does not replace authenticity. It enhances it. You can stay in a beautifully designed lodge, sail aboard a private yacht or enjoy a thoughtfully curated cultural experience while still feeling the true soul of a place. That combination is remarkably rare, and it is something we are passionate about creating at &Beyond
2. How can travel experiences deepen a visitor’s understanding of culture and place?
I believe travel becomes truly meaningful when it goes beyond sightseeing and becomes participation. When you share mate with a baqueano, learn a local tradition, enjoy a pisco sour and ceviche in Lima or witness wildlife in its natural habitat, you begin to understand not only the place, but the people shaped by it. South America is especially powerful in this way.
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From the Andes and the Amazon to Patagonia, the Atacama and the Pacific, the landscape shapes how communities live, work and relate to one another. In my experience, the most meaningful moments are often the simplest: a conversation with a guide, a shared meal, a cultural ritual or a moment of silence in nature. These are the moments that shift perspective and create lasting connection.
3. What operational challenges are unique to travel in South America?
South America is extraordinary, but operating here requires resilience, creativity and deep local knowledge. The distances are vast, many regions are remote and weather conditions can change quickly. Coordinating flights, boats, 4×4 transfers and local teams across multiple countries demands precision. Regulations can vary widely, and political or environmental conditions sometimes shift with little warning.
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Success depends on trusted partnerships, reliable contingency plans and teams who understand the terrain intimately. And when disruptions do occur, the way you respond is often what guests remember most. When everything comes together seamlessly, you unlock access to places very few people will ever see and create loyal guests for life.
4. How do you balance authenticity with the expectations of high-end travellers?
For me, authenticity and luxury are not opposites. When thoughtfully combined, they reinforce one another. Today’s travellers want comfort, but they also want meaning.
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They want to experience the true essence of a place without sacrificing safety, service or attention to detail. The key lies in how you curate the experience. You preserve the soul of the journey, the local guide, traditional food, cultural rituals and natural surroundings, while elevating how it is delivered through seamless logistics, thoughtful design, personalised service and exclusive access. Our role is to protect the integrity of the place while ensuring every guest feels completely cared for. When that balance is right, the journey becomes unforgettable.
5. What opportunities exist for regenerative tourism across the continent?
I believe South America has extraordinary potential for regenerative tourism because its greatest treasures are its landscapes, cultures and communities.
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Across Patagonia, the Andes, the Amazon and the Galapagos, I have seen inspiring initiatives that restore ecosystems, support conservation and empower local communities. Our team is proud to work alongside organisations such as Rewilding Chile and other partners who are helping shape a more positive future. For me, regenerative tourism is not simply a trend. It’s a necessity. The more we protect these places and cultures, the more resilient the travel industry becomes. Travellers increasingly want to know that their journeys contribute to something meaningful, and South America offers an exceptional opportunity to travel in a way that gives back more than it takes.
“I believe luxury travel is about far more than comfort. It’s about experiencing a true sense of place and returning home with a different perspective.”
WHERE TO STAY
Places made for lingering.
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