The first time I planned a Patagonian circuit crossing from El Chaltén in Argentina to Torres del Paine in Chile, I'd assumed my Argentine eSIM would carry me through the border. It stopped at the Don Guillermo crossing. I lost the first afternoon in Puerto Natales using a paid Wi-Fi pass at the bus terminal to confirm the next morning's W-Trek shuttle. The next trip I bought a South America regional eSIM at the Buenos Aires layover and crossed every Patagonian border with the same number, the same data, and no kiosk visits.
Why a South America regional plan makes sense for cross-border trips
The classic South American travel itineraries cross multiple borders. A Patagonian circuit touches Argentina and Chile. An Andean grand-tour covers Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. A northern Andes trip combines Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A Brazilian Pantanal-and-coast trip plus Iguazu adds Paraguay or Argentina. Country-by-country plans accumulate friction quickly across these patterns.
99esim's South America plan covers 20 countries on a single eSIM. The plan is focused strictly on the southern continent — Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, plus several smaller jurisdictions. Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean are not in scope. This is meaningful because most competitors bundle Mexico into their "Latin America" regional plans — if Mexico is on your itinerary, the competitor product is often the better fit.
Most travellers using a South America regional plan fit one of three shapes: classic Andean circuit travellers (Peru + Bolivia + Chile + Argentina, often adding Ecuador or Colombia, 14-21 days); Patagonian crossing travellers (Argentina + Chile, focused on the southern cone, 10-14 days); and Brazil-extended travellers combining Brazil with Iguazu's Argentine and Paraguayan sides (7-14 days).
What coverage actually looks like across South America
The major cities have strong 4G/5G. Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Bogotá, Lima, Quito, and Caracas all have 5G in central districts. Medellín, Cartagena, La Paz, Sucre, Asunción, Montevideo, Brasília, and the major regional capitals have continuous 4G.
Inter-city highways stay covered at most settled points. The Pan-American Highway through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru maintains 4G at all major towns. The Argentine Ruta 40 has 4G at most settled stretches; the southern Patagonian sections thin briefly. The Carretera Austral in southern Chile has limited coverage south of Coyhaique.
The Amazon basin is largely offline outside river-towns. Iquitos, Manaus, and the major Amazon ports have 4G; river-cruise sections and remote indigenous-community visits operate on satellite or no connection. Patagonia's remote hiking and driving routes thin or lose signal across long stretches.
The high Andes have 4G at major cities up to roughly 3,500m altitude. Above that — La Rinconada in Peru, certain La Paz-area neighbourhoods, the Salar de Uyuni access roads in Bolivia, the Atacama high-altitude excursions — coverage thins or drops entirely on remote routes.
How the major eSIM providers compare on South America
Pricing models and regional scope vary substantially across providers. South America is one of the regional categories where competitor Latin America plans are often the better option due to scope and price.
99esim South America covers 20 countries strictly on the southern continent at €14.99 / 1 GB / 7 days. Custom-plan flexibility lets you size validity precisely. Mexico is not included.
Airalo Latin America covers 17 countries at $8.50 / 1 GB / 3 days. Includes Mexico and most Central American countries that 99esim's South America plan omits. Cheaper per-GB on the entry tier — typically the price-leader for trips combining South America with Mexico.
Holafly South America covers 18 countries at $20.90 / 3 days unlimited. Includes Mexico and several Central American countries. The unlimited model suits content creators or business travellers who don't want to think about meter.
Nomad Latin America covers 17 countries at $9.00 / 1 GB / 7 days. Includes Mexico. Competitive on per-GB pricing with the standard 7-day validity.
Ubigi Americas covers 24 countries at $16 / 1 GB / 30 days. The broadest scope of any tracked product — covers North America (US, Canada, Mexico) plus all of Central and South America. Useful if your trip combines US-Mexico-South-America segments.
The matrix below spells out the per-axis shape. For a strictly-South-American itinerary that fits within 99esim's 20-country list and where group-eSIM or custom-validity flexibility matters, 99esim is a competitive option. For most short trips and especially trips that include Mexico or Central America, the competitor Latin America plans are typically the better economics.
Install timing: when to set it up
Install the eSIM the night before you fly, or during a Madrid, Miami, Panama, Bogotá, or São Paulo layover. The QR code generates immediately after payment; scan it with your phone's eSIM settings; the profile installs but doesn't activate until it first sees a tower in any covered country. At the gate, switch your home SIM's data off and land at any major South American airport with data already working.
iOS 17.4+ devices can install directly from a provider's app without scanning a QR code, on providers that support it. Android users still scan a QR code, which takes thirty seconds.
Who should pick what
A 7-10 day Patagonian circuit (Buenos Aires + El Calafate + El Chaltén + Torres del Paine) works on a 3 GB plan. Compare 99esim's South America plan against an Argentina+Chile country-plan stack — for tight 2-country circuits, the country plans can win; for 3+ borders, the regional plan is cleaner.
A 14-21 day Andean grand circuit (Peru + Bolivia + Chile + Argentina, sometimes adding Ecuador) benefits from a 5-10 GB plan because hostel and tour-operator coordination plus inter-country bus and flight logistics adds up.
A combined Mexico + Central America + South America trip wants a competitor Latin America plan (Airalo, Nomad, or Holafly) rather than 99esim's South America plan, because Mexico isn't included on 99esim's product.
A Brazil + Iguazu + Argentina trip fits a 5 GB plan; the Iguazu cross-border coordination adds data load.
A heavy streamer or content creator filming Andean trekking or Patagonian wilderness without meter anxiety fits Holafly's South America unlimited model only if the higher day rate is worth it for the trip length.
A short 1-country South American visit fits the country plan rather than the regional product — South American country plans are almost universally cheaper per GB.
A group of three or more travelling together, particularly a trekking party or family Andean circuit, benefits from 99esim's group eSIM, which covers up to four devices on one purchase. None of the tracked competitors offer that product today.
A note on South America regional pricing context
South America sits at a distinctive price point in the global eSIM market. The wholesale rates from local carriers (Movistar, Claro, Tigo) to international eSIM providers tend to be higher than the European or Asian equivalents per GB, partly because the carrier consolidation is less complete and partly because the cross-border roaming arrangements within the continent are less mature than in the EU. The result is that travel-eSIM regional pricing for South America runs meaningfully above European or Asian equivalents — €14.99 / 1 GB / 7 days on 99esim is the regional norm rather than the outlier. Competitor Latin America plans benefit from including Mexico (which has high-volume tourist demand), spreading the wholesale cost across a larger user base. For South-America-only trips, the per-GB cost is what it is across all providers; sizing the plan correctly for the trip length matters more than agonising over the per-GB rate.