Bucket List: Birds of Patagonia by Kathy Jarvis on 24th April, 2020 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 by Kathy Jarvis on 22nd April, 2020 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? by Kathy Jarvis on 10th April, 2020 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 …
South America: The Best Countries To Visit on Holiday by Kat Dougal on 31st January, 2020 When planning your holiday to South America you may ask yourself; which are the best countries to visit in South America? South America is a continent of amazing contrasts. These range from tropical jungle to glaciers, remote high mountain villages to bustling coastal cities, mountain ranges to endless pampa. The continent is blessed with a …
Best South America Tours 2020 by Kathy Jarvis on 20th December, 2019 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! …
Top 5 activities to do in the Pucon area by Kathy Jarvis on 6th December, 2019 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 …
Bahia Bustamante: An off the beaten path wildlife experience in Argentine Patagonia by Kat Dougal on 29th November, 2019 Alan was recently in Patagonia and visited Bahia Bustamante in Argentina. Here he describes the experience of a few days in Bahia Bustamante, comfort, rooms, gastronomy, excursions and wildlife. He writes: “It was evening and the sun has just set when we arrived at Bahia Bustamante, a solitary outpost on the Patagonian coast of …
Patagonia Park by Kathy Jarvis on 15th November, 2019 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 …
Dream honeymoons in South America by Kathy Jarvis on 18th October, 2019 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 …
What to do in and around Los Glaciares National Park by Kathy Jarvis on 6th September, 2019 Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia is found nestling into the Andes in South Western Argentina and bordering with Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. It is an area of stunning beauty with towering mountains, glacial lakes and impressive glaciers. Covering an area of over 7,000 km2 (over 2,800 sq miles) it offers the …
The Best Eco Camps and Lodges in Patagonia by Kat Dougal on 16th August, 2019 We’ve compiled a quick guide to some of the best eco camps in Patagonia, from eco-friendly domes to lodges and refugios, perfect for your Patagonian holiday. With many places filling up quickly, it’s important to get places booked up a long way in advance, especially in the busier season of November to March. At …
Plan the perfect Patagonia honeymoon by Kathy Jarvis on 19th July, 2019 Patagonia – remote, wild and inspiring – a unique destination at the end of South America for the perfect adventurous honeymoon between October and May. In her poem “Patagonia”, Kate Clanchy begins: I said perhaps Patagonia, and pictured a peninsula, wide enough for a couple of ladderback chairs to wobble on at …
Essential Travel Guide to Puerto Madryn in Argentina by Tom Shearman on 19th April, 2019 Our visitor’s guide to Puerto Madryn gives lots of ideas, tips and advice to help plan your holiday to this scenic corner of Patagonia, Argentina. Read first hand advice from our travel expert Tom Shearman who spent 10 days exploring the region. “Puerto Madryn is a fairly large town of around 100,000 souls, first …
How to get to the marble caves of Chile, Patagonia by Kathy Jarvis on 22nd March, 2019 Some people dream of sailing through caves of polished marble in a spectacular setting away from it all……. This dream can become a reality in Chile’s remote northern Patagonia where one can find the “Capilla de Marmol / Marble Chapel” which was declared by the Chilean government a Nature Sanctuary in 1994. The nature …
Patagonia Traveller’s blog: Fitzroy, Paine and Ushuaia by Kathy Jarvis on 15th March, 2019 Larry and Gillian in Patagonia Larry and Gillian are coming to the end of their month of travelling with Andean Trails in Patagonia. We put together a tour designed to take them off-the-beaten-track – read the first instalment in their blog covering Santiago and Aysen and remote border crossings. Once in Argentina, Gillian and Larry …
Adventure holiday highlights in Aysen, Northern Patagonia, Chile by Kathy Jarvis on 1st March, 2019 Larry and Gillian are on a 4 week adventure through Patagonia. Currently they are just half way through and enjoying the small Argentinean frontier town of El Chalten, and walks to the magnificent granite spires of Fitzroy and Cerro Torre. They have sent some fabulous photos and some comments on their highlights so far. …
Self-drive and self-guided trekking holiday in Patagonia by Tom Shearman on 1st February, 2019 Steve Smith and Karla Miller took a 4-week trip with Andean Trails to celebrate Steve’s 50th birthday. The couple started at the mighty Iguazu Falls then flew to Ushuaia to start a series of treks; Montes Martial, and then self-guided in Chalten and Chile’s Paine W in Torres del Paine National Park. After …
Travel guide to Peninsula Valdes National Park, Punta Norte by Tom Shearman on 7th September, 2018 Where can you see almost a millions penguins, hundreds of sea lions, dozens of whales and even orcas, all in one place? Andean Trails’ travel expert Tom describes his trip to Argentina’s wildlife haven – Peninsula Valdes. He writes: “What’s that? Did you see that? Looking like a….Can’t be. Quick, let’s get a …
The Patagonia Highlights Trekking Tour Experience by Kathy Jarvis on 20th July, 2018 The majesty of Southern Patagonia can be experienced along the trekking trails of the Glaciares National Park in Argentina, infront of the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier, under the granite spires of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and driving across enigmatic Tierra del Fuego. This can all be experienced on Andean Trails fully escorted small group Patagonia Highlights trekking …
Patagonia off the Beaten track: Villa O’Higgins to El Chalten by Kathy Jarvis on 30th April, 2018 Driving south on the Carretera Austral you eventually reach the end of this amazingly spectacular road, at the small town of Villa O’Higgins, 550 km from Coyhaqui and 48°28 S (on a par with Washington, Ontario and much of central Europe). The River Baker The scenery driving south is stunning all the way, …
