I agree with the assessment that Santiago is a bit dull. BA is very European in feel. You will certainly have a good time with plenty to do there.

But there's something fun about Rio.....

If you like to swing a little I would say Caracas.

I love BA, Quito, and Rio. I wasn't a huge fan of Lima (been there 2 times) - it's huge, dirty, and loud. There are a bunch of lovely cities in Argentina - you could go to Mendoza and tour vineyards.

I loved Rio in February. Lots of easy side trips to small beach towns, etc.

Cartagena Colombia. It is hot, but the food is good, the boutique hotels are plenty and the colonial city is gorgeous.

BA has everything. Lima is -- to me -- "of the moment" in travel magazines that craft stories out of a few pictures and restaurants. I like Santiago but more of a place with nice quality of life to perhaps live as opposed to a romantic city to visit.

BA is an awesome city - HUGE but as PP said, lots of fun, different neighborhoods and sightseeing, tango shows, fantastic restaurants (although steak in nearly everything - even came at the bottom a veggie noodle bowl I got after a week of nothing but steak -- but phenomenal steak!!), tango shows/lessons, we did a "walking tour" (on our own, internet suggestion) of all the cafes where authors wrote (if you like Latin Am literature at all) which was really fun to see a range of fun different cafes/bars/restaurants. Cool B&Bs. Crime is an issue - keep your wallet out of reach of pick pockets! Could do side trip to wineries - if you have extra time could go down to the glaciers/patagonia! Santiago was pretty dull in my opinion, I liked it but not too many sites & architecture pretty boring & the legacy of Pinochet is pretty sad/interesting but the culture still really talk about it. But really liked the Bellavista area near the Neruda house - and a set of restaurants there & my husband still dreams of the various fish 'ala plancha' dishes - but generally don't think Chile has a major cuisine culture - people kept recommending going for sushi. Loved Valpraiso - day trip from Santiago tho, much more interesting.

Been to Lima and Santiago. Lima sucks, not worth more than a few hours. Santiago is not bad (safe, fairly clean and modern) but it's a boring town and really not much to do. I hear good things about BAand also Cartagena. Have you considered avoiding big cities and maybe going to places like Bariloche in Argentina or other similar places off the beaten path? With some research might be better than some boring big city

you could also consider Bogota...great food and tons to do.

Lima has some nice restaurants but there is not much to it. Cusco is amazing but I wouldn't go there is without some plan to see Machu Picchu. All flights go through Lima before Cusco and you could spend a day there before Cusco (an hour flight).

Buenos Aires is an amazing city and there is lots to see. Lots of street fairs. Each section of town is differen from the other. You could take a day trip to Uruguay - to Colonia or to Tigre.

Haven't been to Santiago.

In Peru I'd go to Cusco over Lima, although the food won't be as good.

Love BA but the crime is worse the last few years -- you have to be very careful where you walk, you didn't used to have to. Get specific guidance from a trusted source once there. I liked Santiago. Not us much as BA but nice. Take a side trip to Valparaiso and see Pablo Neruda's home.

What are you looking for? BA is a big metropolitan city, I personally like it, but won't be my first choice. RIo is beautiful and the beaches are amazing, nice cultural life also. I would consider La Paz if you like to see a more indigenous city. Lima has improved dramatically, but the most beautiful places in Peru are outside the capital, as the PP said. The restaurants are nice and Peru is now very well known for its cuisine.

Santiago - probably not. Not that interesting. Buenos Aires - not been to, but seems to be everything you'd want. Lima - worked there 15+ years ago, and it's was the worst pit hole of a place I've ever traveled to, and I've been to 40+ countries. I hear it's changed and now has 3 of the best restaurants in the world. Can't imagine it myself, but I don't have good memories. The rest of the country was beautiful though, but nothing is what I'd consider a day trip from there . I think BA.

We are taking a 1-week vacation in January without the kids and are considering Santiago, Buenos Aires and Lima. No budget. We love food, boutique hotels and are looking for some general R&R with a day or side trip from where we end up. We typically like to spend our days split into lounging and exploring. Which city would you choose and why?