Author: Kathy Jarvis
Quilotoa or Cotopaxi? Trekking Guide to Ecuador’s Best Walks
Kathy Jarvis, Andean Trails director, gives her expert opinion and thoughts on hiking in the Cotopaxi and Quilotoa areas of Ecuador. She writes: I am a great fan of walking, whether half days, full day walks or multi-day treks, so whenever I am heading to the Andes I do a bit of research and …
Best Hiking Trails in the Galapagos Islands
Our guide to the best guided and self-guided hiking trails in the Galapagos Islands. Hiking trails are found throughout the Galápagos Islands, and whether you choose to visit the islands on a cruise or opt for a land-based tour, you will certainly have opportunities for walking. Many excursions include gentle wanderings along rocky …
Bucket List: Birds of Patagonia
Patagonia is a magical territory that covers the southern tip of South America. A land of plains, fjords, mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes; an extraordinary place and home to the amazing birds of Patagonia. There are nearly 300 bird species to be found in Patagonia, so it is the ideal place for birding. These …
Guide to the Best Glacier Hikes in Patagonia
Visiting Patagonia and hiking on the glaciers go hand in hand. Read on for our suggestions of some of the best glacier hikes in Patagonia. Patagonia offers a wonderful array of glaciers: some you hike to, some you trek on top of and other, more remote, glaciers you can only reached by boat. …
Why Should I Visit The Chilean Fjords?
The magnificent Chilean fjords stretch down the south west coast of South America. They start in the Reloncavi Sound near Puerto Montt and finish at the end of the continent in Cape Horn. As the crow flies, this is a distance of well over 1,500 km. This length would be equivalent to a …
Covid 19
COVID 19 Page updated on 26 May 2020 (by Kathy Jarvis, director) We would like to extend a huge thanks all our UK staff and our numerous partners throughout South America for their help in reorganising tours that our customers have booked. Our partners in South America are putting a lot of time and …
Things to do in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador
Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. The scenery, vegetation and wildlife of the area are exceptional and there are plenty of opportunities to get out of town and explore the area fully. Puerto Lopez itself, although not pretty, can offer excellent …
San Pedro de Atacama: Best tours and things to do in the desert
What are the best tours to do in San Pedro de Atacama? Here we give you our suggestions of the best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro de Atacama San Pedro de Atacama is a small Andean town in the Altiplano of Chile’s Atacama Desert. It is an …
Not the Inca Trail: The best treks near Cusco and Machu Picchu
The best treks near Cusco and Machu Picchu This week Kathy, co-author of the Bradt Peru trekking guides, takes us through what to do when the Inca Trail is sold out……. Inca trail permits sold out With the Inca Trail rigorously controlled through a permit system (500 a day) and constant high demand for this world famous …
Best South America Tours 2020
As 2019 draws to a close, we in the Andean Trails office are looking forward to a New Year filled with exciting and wonderful South America tours and adventures for our clients and of course ourselves! Kat is also returning in mid January after taking maternity leave. We have much to look forward to! …
Graffiti & Street Art Buenos Aires
Street art is not what Buenos Aires is usually known for. The vibrant capital of Argentina is best known for its elegant parks, bustling boulevards, impressive historical buildings and buzzing day and night life. Lesser known, but no less impressive, is the abundance of graffiti raised to street art in several iconic districts of …
Top 5 activities to do in the Pucon area
Pucon in Chile is a charming town lying on Lake Villarrica in the north of Chile’s Lake District. It nestles into the eastern shore of Lake Villarrica and is looked over by the Villarrica Volcano, a majestic snow-capped conical mountain. Pucon is a place full of activities for all ages and tastes. The area is …
Santiago self-guided panoramic city tour
The centre of Santiago is dominated by San Cristobal hill in the Metropolitan Park. The park covers an area of over 700 hectares and is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. San Critsobal hill is the highest point and is crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary which is lit at night …
Patagonia Park
The Patagonia National Park in the Chilean region of Aysen was formed in 2018 and is the combination of the Lago Jeinimeni National Reserve, Lago Cochrane/Tamango Reserve and the Parque Patagonia also known as Patagonia Park in the Chacabuco Valley. The latter was created by Conservacion Patagonica, a nonprofit incorporated in California whose mission …
Buenos Aires Tasting Menu
Alan was recently in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, where an important question was what to eat in Buenos Aires. This is the story of his personal experience of an evening of a tasting menu experience. He writes: Tasting menu – a lot of small “funny” dishes designed to confuse and challenge …
Guide to the best beaches in Colombia
Colombia is famous for some of the best beaches in South America, with fine sands, great weather and beautiful backdrops. Read our beach guide – from the well known and famous to the remote – and make sure you choose the best beach for your holiday in Colombia. Note: For all beaches …
Dream honeymoons in South America
Honeymoons are a wonderful cause for a celebration and should provide memorable experiences. South America offers opportunities for all types of honeymoon, something to suit every couple. Here are some picture postcard memories which could be created on your honeymoon. Wildlife cruise and adventure: M/Y Grace, Galapagos Islands Picture this: You are sitting …
Nazca: How Best to Visit and See The Nazca Lines
Travel Guide to visiting the Nazca Lines in Peru. The Nazca lines are high on the list of places to see for many visitors to Peru. They are World Heritage listed and are one of history’s great mysteries. No one really knows why the lines were constructed nor exactly how. It is thought that the …
Colombia: Weather and best time to visit
The best time to visit Colombia will depend on the regions you wish to visit and what you are going to be doing. Generally speaking it rains less between December and March. Due to its proximity to the equator Colombia’s climate is warm pretty much all-year round. This makes it the ideal holiday choice at …
Chile, self-drive holiday suggested routes
Chile’s long thin geography gives it an amazing variety of landscapes and topography which can be explored in full on a self drive holiday. The country boasts awe inspiring desert landscapes, majestic mountain scenery, craggy rocky coasts, lush forests, pristine lakes and much more. We have put together our favourite self-drive tours, which we …
