Travelogues of Latin America

Travelogues of Latin America are published accounts describing Latin America and the Caribbean by foreign travelers from early Iberian conquest to the early 20th century. The Spanish and Portuguese monarchs' efforts to restrict non-Iberian's access to Latin America during the colonial era mean that most of the works published before 1800 were by authorized Spanish or Portuguese chroniclers, or European Catholic missionaries. However, the popularity of Prussian naturalist Alexander von Humboldt's twenty-one volume account of his travels in Latin America marked a turning point. Starting in the 1820s, most independent Latin American governments welcomed increased exchanges with European visitors, increasing the number of German, British, French, and U.S. travelogues published. Many foreigners were interested in economic opportunities available in Latin America. At least 394 travelogues describing Mexico were published between 1810 and 1910. For Brazil, European and U.S. visitors published at least 158 travelogues between 1800 and 1899.

While scholars including Marjorie Agosín, June E. Hahner, and Miguel A. Cabañas have noted that these works replicate many of the biases of their authors, they are an important sources in the study of Latin American history.

Travelogues by Country or Region

Argentina

• Beaumont, J.A.B.. Travels in Buenos Ayres, and the Adjacent Provinces of Rio de la Plata: with Observations Intended for the Use of Persons who Contemplate Emigrating to that Country. London: J. Ridgway, 1828.
• Denis, Pierre. The Argentine Republic, Its Development and Progress. London: T. F. Unwin, Ltd.: 1922.
• King, J. Anthony. Twenty-four Years in the Argentine Republic. New York: D. Appleton & company, 1846.
• MacCann, Two Thousand Miles' Ride through the Argentine Provinces. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1853.
• Page, Thomas Jefferson. La Plata, the Argentine Confederation and Paraguay: being a Narrative of the Exploration of the Tributaries of the River La Plata and Adjacent Countries during the Years 1853, '54, '55, and '56, under the Orders of the United States Government. New York: Harper, 1859.

• Parish, Woodbine Sir. Buenos Ayres, and the Provinces of the Rio de La Plata. London: J. Murray, 1839.
• Vidal, Emeric Essex. Picturesque Illustrations of Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, Consisting of Twenty-four Views. London: R. Ackermann, 1820.

Bolivia

• De Bonelli, L. Hugh. Travels in Bolivia. London: Hurst and Blackett, 1854.
• Conway, William Martin, Sir, 1856–1937. The Bolivian Andes: A Record of Climbing & Exploration in the Cordillera Real in the Years 1898 and 1900. New York: Harper & Brothers,1901.

Brazil

• Bates, Henry Walter, 1825–1892. The Naturalist on the River Amazons: A Record of Adventures, Habits of Animals, Sketches of Brazilian and Indian Life and Aspects of Nature Under the Equator. London: J. Murray: 1863.
• Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890. Explorations of the Highlands of the Brazil; with a Full Account of the Gold and Diamond Mines. Also, Canoeing down 1500 miles of the Great River São Francisco, from Sabará to the Sea. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1869.
• Callcott, Maria, Lady, 1785-1842. Journal of a Voyage to Brazil, and Residence There, During Part of the Years 1821, 1822, 1823. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Greenm 1824.
• Koster, Henry, 1793-ca. 1820. Travels in Brazil. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1816.
• Smith, Herbert H., 1851–1919. Brazil, the Amazons, & the Coast. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1879.
• Spix, Johann Baptist von, 1781-1826. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. Undertaken by command of His Majesty the King of Bavaria. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green,1824.
• Stewart, C. S. (Charles Samuel), 1795–1870. Brazil & La Plata: Personal Record of a Cruise. New York: G.P. Putnam & co., 1856.

Central America

• Byam, George. Wild Life in the Interior of Central America. London: J. W. Parker, 1849.
  • Written by George Byam–an officer in the 43^rd Regiment of the British Army–in 1849, “Wild Life in the Interior of Central America” provides information on the species, geography, and minerals Byam encountered traveling from Realejo, Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea.  Throughout his account, Byam details the differences between his own perceptions of volcanoes, trophy-hunting, and wildlife with that of the native inhabitants of the region.

Chile

• Callcott, Maria, Lady, 1785-1842. Journal of a Residence in Chile, during the year 1822: and a Voyage from Chile to Brazil in 1823. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1824.
  • Maria Graham was a travel writer, illustrator, children’s book author, and intellectual.  She is known for her many travel books, including her Journal of Residence in Chile, which records the events of her years living in Chile as well as her travels to Brazil during 1823.
• Child, Theodore, 1846-1892. The Spanish-American Republics. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1891.

Colombia

• Millican, Albert. Travels and Adventures of an Orchid hunter. An Account of Canoe and Camp Life in Colombia, while Collecting Orchids in the Northern Andes. London: Cassell & Company, Limited, 1891.

Costa Rica

• Calvert, Amelia Smith, b. 1876 and Phillip Powell Calvert. A Year of Costa Rican Natural History. New York: The Macmillan company: 1917.

Cuba

• Baker, Frank Collins, 1867-1942. A Naturalist in Mexico: Being a Visit to Cuba, Northern Yucatan and Mexico. Chicago: D. Oliphant, 1895.
• Ballou, Maturin Murray. History of Cuba: or, Notes of a Traveller in the Tropics. Being a Political, Historical, and Statistical Account of the Island, from its First Discovery to the Present Time. Boston: Phillips, Sampson, 1854.
• Howe, Julia Ward. A Trip to Cuba. Boston: Ticknor, 1860.
• Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859. The Island of Cuba. New York: Derby & Jackson, 1856.
  • Alexander von Humboldt, a German Enlightenment-era scientist, wrote The Island of Cuba to survey the climate, people, and economy of Cuba from a scientific and liberal lens. In the work, he devotes a chapter to the system of slavery in Cuba, and he asserts an abolitionist stance, vocalizing his worries that, if action is not taken, Cuba will have a slave revolt akin to Haiti.
• Rawson, James. Cuba. New York: Lane & Tippett, 1847.

Dominican Republic

• Day, Susan de Forest. "Chapter XI: Santo Domingo" The Cruise of the Scythian in the West Indies. New YorkL F. T. Neely, 1899.

Guatemala

• Brine, Lindesay, 1834-1906. "Chapter X: La Antigua Guatemala" in Travels amongst American Indians: Their Ancient Earthworks and Temples: Including a Journey in Guatemala, Mexico and Yucatán, and a Visit to the Ruins of Patinamit, Utatlan, Palenque and Uxmal. London: S. Low, Marston & Company, 1894.
• Montgomery, George Washington. Narrative of a Journey to Guatemala, in Central America, in 1838. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1839.
  • George Washington Montgomery was an American diplomat who worked as a US consul in Tampico and Puerto Rico. In this account, he details his trip to Guatemala and various stops along the way.

Haiti

• Candler, John. Brief Notices of Hayti: with its Condition, Resources, and Prospects. London: T. Ward & Co., 1842.
• Mackenzie, Charles. Notes on Haiti, made during a Residence in that Republic. London: H. Colburn and R. Bentley. 1830.

Mexico

• Arnold, Channing. The American Egypt: a Record of Travel in Yucatan. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1909.
• Baker, Frank Collins, 1867-1942. A Naturalist in Mexico: Being a Visit to Cuba, Northern Yucatan and Mexico. Chicago: D. Oliphant, 1895.
• Bates, J. H. (James Hale), 1826-1901. Notes of a Tour in Mexico and California. New York: Burr Printing House, 1887.
• Beaufoy, Mark, 1764-1827. Mexican Illustrations, Founded upon Facts; Indicative of the Present Condition of Society, Manners, Religion, and Morals, among the Spanish and Native Inhabitants of Mexico. London: Carpenter and Son, 1828.
• Blichfeldt, Emil Harry, 1874-. A Mexican Journey. New York: The Chautauqua Press, 1919.
• Calderón de la Barca, Madame (Frances Erskine Inglis), 1804?-1882. Life in Mexico, during a Residence of Two Years in that Country. London: Chapman and Hall, 1843.
• Carpenter, William W.. Travels and Adventures in Mexico: in the Course of Journeys of upward of 2500 miles, performed on Foot; Giving an Account of the Manners and Customs of the People, and the Agricultural and Mineral Resources of that Country. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851.
• Carson, William English, 1870-. Mexico, the Wonderland of the South. New York: The Macmillan company, 1909.
• Conkling, Howard. Mexico and the Mexicans or, Notes of Travel in the Winter and Spring of 1883. New York: Taintor Brothers, Merrill and Co., 1883.
• Latrobe, Chas. Joseph. The Rambler in Mexico. New York: Harper Brothers, 1836.

Patagonia

• Beerbohm, Julius, 1854–1906. Wandering in Patagonia, or Life among the Ostrich Hunters. New York: Henry Holt and co., 1879.
• Bishop, Nathaniel H., 1837–1902. The Pampas and Andes: A Thousand Miles' Walk Across South America. Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1870.
• Dixie, Florence, Lady, 1857–1905. Across Patagonia. New York: R. Worthington, 1881.
  • Lady Florence Dixie, Scottish writer, feminist, and activist, records the highs and the lows of her travels through Argentina and Chile in “Across Patagonia.” On horseback, she and her companions encounter, and express their opinions on, Indigenous people, landscapes, animals (many of which she describes hunting), and natural obstacles to their journey.

Paraguay

• Clark, Edwin. Visit to South America. London: Dean and Son, 1878.

Peru

• Bingham, Hiram, 1875-1956. Inca Land: Explorations in the Highlands of Peru. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1922.
• Brand, Charles, Lieutenant. Journal of a Voyage to Peru: a Passage across the Cordillera of the Andes in the Winter of 1827, performed on Foot in the Snow, and a Journey across the Pampas. London: H. Colburn, 1828.

Uruguay

• Clark, Edwin. Visit to South America. London: Dean and Son, 1878.

Venezuela

• Daunt, Achilles. Frank Radcliffe: a Story of Travel and Adventure in the Forests of Venezuela. New York: T. Nelson, 1884.

See also

• Brown University's Latin American Travelogues Digital Collection
• List of Travel Books
• Travelogues of Palestine

Secondary literature

• Agosín, Marjorie and Julie H. Levison, eds. Magical Sites: Women Travelers in 19th Century Latin America. Buffalo, NY: White Pine Press, 1999.
• Blanton, Casey. Travel Writing: The Self and the World. New York: Twayne, 1997.
• Cabañas, Miguel A. The Cultural 'Other' in Nineteenth-Century Travel Narratives: How the United States and Latin America Described Each Other. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.
• Hahner, June E. Women through Women's Eyes: Latin American Women in Nineteenth-Century Travel Accounts. New York: Roman & Littlefield, 1998.
• Hayward, Jennifer, “Latin America,” in The Routledge Companion to Travel Writing, ed. Carl Thompson. New York: Routledge, 2020, pp. 361–71
• Welch, Thomas L. Travel accounts and descriptions of Latin America and the Caribbean, 1800-1920 : a selected bibliography. Myriam Figueras, Columbus Memorial Library. Washington, D.C.: Columbus Memorial Library, Organization of American States, 1982.