Record destinations

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world: Known as ‘the end of the world’, this Argentine city is the furthest south in the world, although the small Chilean town of Puerto Williams, with around 2,000 inhabitants, is even further south.

Longyearbyen, the northernmost town: Longyearbyen forms part of the Svalbard archipelago, under Norwegian sovereignty. Strange as it may seem, it is forbidden to leave the village without carrying a rifle to protect oneself from the polar bears.

Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world: Located on the Andean Altiplano, between Peru and Bolivia, it is the second-largest lake in South America, with a surface area in excess of 8,000 square kilometres, and lies at an altitude of 3,800 metres.

Salto del Ángel, the tallest waterfall: With a drop of 979 metres, this is the tallest waterfall in the world. It is in the Canaima National Park in Venezuela.

La Mitad del Mundo, in Ecuador: The geographical equator passes through Ecuador, amongst other places; here a line marks the latitude 0º0’0” and one can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and another in the southern hemisphere at the same time.

Siberia, the coldest place on the planet: With temperatures as low as minus 72º, this region of Russia is the coldest in the world, with cities like Yakutsk and villages like Oymyakon, where the thermometers reach the lowest levels.

Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth: Located in California (USA), in this desert the temperatures can rise above 50ºC during the day, although they can fall abruptly to below 0ºC at night. It occupies a basin set 85 metres below sea level, and is the lowest point in North America.