upcoming solo travel to south america
EDIT: thanks all for your feedback so far - i'm realising i've vastly overestimated my ability to see everything i want to see in the timeframe! i do have the option to stay for longer than 4 months, it was just a rough guide, but v helpful to know that the distances will be much longer than i'm used to. will have a rethink per your advice.
hi everyone! i (30f) am currently planning a trip around south america, hoping to arrive in january and spend 3 or 4 months. i have a vague idea of route but i would love some advice from locals or people who have travelled there before, as well as opinions on things that can't be missed. i'd also like to see mexico and some of central america. i have solo travelled before but through japan. i'm planning to stay mostly in hostels but happy to splash out on a cool, unique hotel for a few nights.
here's my vague plan (roughly one month for each line?):
spend the first month in brazil, ending in rio during carnival (second week of feb)
travel through paraguay, uruguay, and argentina to reach the very southern tip
travel up through chile, bolivia, peru, ecuador and colombia
visit nicaragua and guatemala and end with a few weeks going around mexico.
some things which i have as a must-see are the bolivian salt flats, some of the national parks in patagonia, machu picchu, easter island. i'm massively into food so want to try as many new things as possible, and would like to try a few hikes.
i'm sure there is SO much i've missed but any feedback on the above would be very appreciated! thanks