Things to Do in South America in February
February weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
February Weather in South America
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
30°F (-1°C)
High Temp
21°F (-6°C)
Low Temp
0.0 inches (0 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ High UV at altitude: sunburn risk doubles every 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above sea level. Bogotá sits at 2,640 m. Reapply sunscreen every two hours. No excuses.
⚠ Afternoon thunderstorms in the Andes can strand hikers after 2 p.m. Descend ridges by noon. Clouds build fast. Lightning loves high ground.
Is February Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Carnaval season means street parties in Salvador, Rio, and Montevideo with blocos that spill onto Avenida Atlântica until sunrise. Drums echo off façades. Strangers become dance partners. The night refuses to end.
- + Patagonia's summer window - Torres del Paine's W Trek is snow-free, daylight lasts 15 hours, and guanacos graze right next to the trail. Wind still howls. Views still kill. Bring earplugs.
- + Iguazú Falls at peak flow: 1,500 cubic meters per second crashing over 275 drops, the spray so thick you'll taste metal on your tongue. Rainbows appear everywhere. Cameras surrender. You scream anyway.
- + Andean highlands are dry and clear - Machu Picchu mornings hit 18°C (64°F) with almost zero cloud cover before 9 a.m. Sunlight ignites the stones. Shadows shrink. Tripods sprout like weeds.
- + Atlantic coast beaches from Búzios to Punta del Este are bathtub-warm (24°C/75°F) and still half-empty until Brazilian school holidays kick in mid-month. Sand is wide open. Waiters remember your name. Prices stay sane.
Considerations
- − Amazon basin is in full flood - Manaus docks are underwater, riverboats run late, and mosquito density triples after dusk. Decks feel like rafts. Engines cough. Repellent becomes cologne.
- − Altitude sunburn is brutal. At 3,400 m (11,150 ft) in Cusco UV feels like a hair-dryer on your face even when the thermometer reads 15°C (59°F). Shade is currency. Hats are survival. Sunblock every hour.
- − Domestic flight prices jump 30-40% the instant Carnaval dates are confirmed. Book before Christmas or pay the gringo surcharge. Seats vanish overnight. Calendars matter. Procrastination costs cash.
Best Activities in February
Top things to do during your visit
Carnaval Bloco Street Parties
February is the only month you can follow a roving drum line through Salvador's Pelourinho at 3 a.m. without anyone questioning it. The trios elétricos - sound trucks wired with 20 kW speakers - roll downhill toward the bay, and the crowd dresses in matching abadá shirts that smell of sweat, beer, and the coconut sunscreen everyone steals from the hostel lobby. Rain usually holds off until 4 a.m., so dance now, shower later. Energy is law.
Booking Tip: Secure abadá shirts online as soon as the city posts bloco schedules - usually late October - and pick them up at the shirt-company kiosk on Rua Chile to avoid counterfeits. Lines move fast. Fakes feel cheap. Authentic fabric breathes.
Patagonia Summer Trekking
Torres del Paine's W Trek is a five-day granite-and-glacier corridor that you want to tackle in February: no ice on the passes, 14 hours of daylight, and the wind is merely annoying rather than life-threatening. Guanacos stand silhouette on ridge lines at sunset, and the refugios still have cold beer because supply trucks can get through before the March rush. Pack light. Celebrate often.
Booking Tip: Reserve refugio bunks 90 days out. Park entrance is cash-only at the Laguna Amarga gate so hit the Puerto Natales ATM before boarding the bus. Cards are useless. Coins weigh nothing. Plan ahead.
Iguazú Falls Full-Moon Boat Safaris
February water volume means the devil's throat roars - spray rises 30 m (98 ft) and soaks the catwalk metal until it squeaks under flip-flops. Jet-boat pilots gun straight into the horseshoe until the engine note disappears under the waterfall's white noise; you'll swallow so much mist it tastes like wet coins. Screaming is allowed. Cameras drown.
Booking Tip: Morning slots (8-10 a.m.) dodge both tour buses and the daily thunderstorm that rolls in around 2 p.m.; bring a dry-bag for your phone because the provided lockers are tiny. Skies stay blue. Boards stay dry. Timing wins.
Rio de Janeiro Samba School Rehearsals
The big parades happen in Sambódromo. But February nights you can catch Mangueira or Salgueiro rehearsing in their quadra warehouses - surround-sound samba at 120 bpm, caipirinhas ladled from ice buckets, and dancers in sequins testing routines under sodium lights that buzz louder than the cuíca drums. Entry is free. Ears ring anyway. Stay late.
Booking Tip: Taxi to the samba court after 11 p.m.; rehearsals are free but security will wave foreigners to a roped side section - stay until the battery (drum corps) enters for the full seismic effect. Floor vibrates. Heart syncs. Night ignites.
Colombian Coffee Triangle Harvest Tours
February is the tail end of the main harvest in Quindío: pickers in canvas guayaberas snap cherries into wicker canastas, the air smells like honey-process beans drying on African beds, and fincas serve you tinto so fresh it still has silverskin floating on top. Temperature hovers at 22°C (72°F) so you can hike between caturra rows without melting. Sip slowly. Breathe.
Booking Tip: Stay two nights minimum - fermentation tanks only run in the afternoon, and you need daylight to see the red-yellow gradient that signals ripeness. Mornings smell sweet. Afternoons bubble. Nights taste like fruit.
Galápagos Snorkel Circuits
Water temps hit 25°C (77°F) in February, warm enough to ditch the 5 mm wetsuit but cool enough that playful sea lion pups still buzz around your mask at Gardner Bay. Marine iguanas stack themselves on lava like slate-gray pancakes, and waved albatrosses haven't arrived yet so you get Española without the crowds. Jump in. Look down. Smile.
Booking Tip: Choose eight-day boat loops that start/finish in San Cristóbal - airfare is cheaper than Baltra and you dodge the tour-bus swarm at Puerto Ayora. Boats fill slowly. Guides relax. Wildlife stays.
Where to Stay in South America in February
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for February travellers.
February Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
February 13-18, 2026
Rio de Janeiro Carnaval
The world's most televised party: 70,000 spectators in the Sambódromo watch 12 samba schools parade until sunrise, each float wired with LEDs and dancers wearing headpieces taller than city buses. Street blocos start at 7 a.m. in Copacabana and don't stop for five days. Bring earplugs and a refillable water bottle because the tap water at the beach kiosks is free and ice-cold. Pace yourself. Samba never stops.
Early February
Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria
Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, turns into a brass-band marathon: 200 dance troupes in devil masks and multi-layered skirts parade for twelve hours straight at 3,800 m (12,470 ft). The altitude makes each trumpet note feel like it's coming from inside your own skull. Locals chew coca leaves and hand them to dizzy tourists - accept, it's protocol. Breathe slow. Chew gently. Keep dancing.
Late January through February
Montevideo Carnaval
Uruguay's murga satire troupes perform on makeshift stages in Barrio Sur. Singers in pancake makeup roast politicians at 140 beats per minute while the audience pounds the floor in rhythm. Shows start 10 p.m. and run past 2 a.m.; unlike Rio, you can walk up and buy a ticket at the door for the price of a beer. Laugh loud. Stay late. Politics burns.
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View South America Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Book domestic flights on LATAM's Spanish-language site - prices are often 15% lower than the English portal, and you can toggle language at checkout. Click español. Save cash. Smile.
In Bogotá, download the TransMiMo app before landing. February evening rush starts at 5 p.m. sharp. The cable car over Usme gives views no taxi will match. Ride it at dusk for free city lights.
Argentine blue-chip swap rate: bring crisp $100 USD to any cueva on Florida Street. You'll get pesos at twice the official rate. February demand is low. Queues are short; you're inside in five minutes.
Salvador's blocos publish exact GPS coordinates on Instagram stories the night before. Follow @blocossalvador. Chase the best drum lines instead of standing in one spot for hours. Dance on the move.
Patagonia refugios sell boxed wine by the liter. Pack a foldable Platypus bladder. You'll be the most popular hiker at sunset. Share and make friends fast.
Avoid These Mistakes
Trying to see both Rio's Sambódromo and Salvador's trios in the same week is madness. Flights sell out. You'll spend Carnaval in airport queues instead of dancing. Pick one city and stay.
Booking the 5-day Inca Trail for February without checking the rainy-season closure wastes a plan. Trail shuts for maintenance the entire month. Take the 2-day Short Inca or train to Aguas Calientes instead.
Assuming Patagonia is cold just because it's far south will burn you. Summer sun hits harder at 50°S latitude. Pack a wide-brim hat even for glacier hikes. Reflection off ice is brutal.
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