Argentine Patagonia, the southern half of Argentina, is a remote, wind swept land of plains, mountains, lakes and glaciers.
The main airport is at El Calafate which is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park.
Nearby is the mighty Perito Moreno glacier where you have the opportunity to get up close to the ice on one of the many walkways or on a boat trip.
El Chalten, a 3 1/2 hour drive from Calafate, is the trail head for treks in to the base of Cerro Torre, Fitzroy or for the more intrepid, on to the South Patagonian ice-cap.
Ushuaia, on the Beagle channel, is the southern most city of Argentina. Ushuaia is fascinating for historical interest, is rich in wildlife and is departure port for many Antarctic cruises
Sip a cooling drink while lazing on warm, golden sands and listen to the crashing waves of the Caribbean.
The famous Parque Nacional de Tayrona, Santa Marta and the neighbouring Palomino are fabulous places from which to enjoy Colombia’s divine mainland coast.
For the more energetic, hike through lush forests replete with colourful birdlife to the enigmatic Cuidad Perdida – the Lost City.
For those with more time, fly to Providencia, truly the white-beached Caribbean dream island of dreams.
Writers, painters and now travellers flock to Cartagena, a wonderful colonial port.
Cartagena’s city wall wraps itself around historic churches, plazas and narrow streets. Fruit sellers, dancers, musicians and more all give the city a vibrancy.
The old ways runs alongside the modern as the very best in 5* hotels and top-end restaurants sit on streets whose taxis are horse-drawn carriages.
Visit castle San Felipe de Barajas for a tour, and the Getsemani neighbourhood for street art and drinks.
Bazurto market is chaotic, enormous, frenetic and often smelly – this is the real underbelly of Cartagena, away from its glistening lights.
Nestled at 2,650m/8,694ft between Andean peaks, Bogotá enjoys a near year-round spring climate. This recurring energy permeates every aspect of life here.
Wander La Candelaria’s winding and colourful streets with its coffee shops, artisanal shops and dynamic nightlife.
Peruse the world’s most important and impressive collections of pre-Colombia gold work at the Muséo de Oro, one among many excellent museums.
Savour wonderful culinary treats and zesty fresh fruit juices on the streets.
This is Bogota, Colombia’s vibrant capital.
Covering almost a third of Colombia’s entire landmass, the Amazon is host to few people but a myriad of animals and plants.
You can wildlife watch on river trips, keeping an eye out for pink river dolphins, caiman, birds and reptiles, including the Anaconda.
Tours offer a real cultural interaction with the indigenous community, with handicraft workshops, myths and legends explained.
You will also get the chance to see local rituals and dances performed, local food prepared for you and more – Colombia’s rainforest offers an excellent tour.
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Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
