Love and Valentine's Day in Latin America

Love is in the air. Or, at least, boxed heart chocolates and roses are on the table.

Here in Peru, Valentine’s Day is a big deal. Called Día del Amor y la Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship), Valentine’s Day extends to friends and family, as well as that special someone. Since 2011, February 14 is a national holiday in Peru—giving those in relationships even less of an excuse to forget today is the day.

Not all South American countries celebrate Valentine’s Day the same way. In Brazil, Carnival is the big event in February, and there’s little time left over for a day dedicated to love and store-bought affection. Instead, they celebrate Dia dos Namorados on June 12 in honor of Saint Anthony, the saint of matchmaking. Colombia also has its own day for love and friendship, which falls during the third weekend in September.

Although I wouldn’t call myself a romantic at heart, I am a sucker for a sweet pose and cute couple (by the way, the photo above sits in a Lima park called Parque del Amor). Luckily, many who travel with SA Expeditions send us photos of their trip. From these, here are 5 of my favorite lovey-dovey Machu Picchu pictures:

This photo is adorable. Heath and Terah have traveled with us twice, first to Peru and later to Argentina.

Gina & Elias visited Machu Picchu on Elias’s 40th birthday. What a wonderful birthday present!

In September we were honored to take Charles & Agene to visit Machu Picchu. Braving the altitude, they explored this ancient citadel. Charles, who worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years, later praised our customer service. From one industry member to the other, thanks Charles!

I may be cheating a bit on this one, as it looks like the photo may have been taken along the Inca Trail on the way to Machu Picchu, but this picture of Ric and Marilyn is still definitely Valentine’s Day worthy. Ric took some fabulous photos during their time in Peru, which they compiled together to made a wonderful e-book.

Are we missing your couple photo at Machu Picchu? If so, please send it our way and we'd love to add it to the list. In addition to customized South American tours, we also offer specific itinerary suggestions, such as our Peru honeymoon package. Happy Valentine's Day!