14 days - Journey Latin America
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14 days 10:33 01-09-2021
We are the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to Latin As our name suggests, we are single-minded
America and have been creating award-winning about Latin America. This is what sets us apart
holidays to every corner of the region for over four from other travel companies – and what allows us
decades; we pride ourselves on being the most to offer you not just a holiday but the opportunity to
knowledgeable people there are when it comes to experience something extraordinary on inspiring
travel to Central and South America and journeys throughout Mexico, Central and South
passionate about it too. America.
A passion for the region runs Fully bonded and licensed Our insider knowledge helps
through all we do you go beyond the guidebooks
ATOL-protected
All our Consultants have lived or We hand-pick hotels with
travelled extensively in Latin On your side when it matters character and the most
America rewarding excursions
Book with confidence, knowing
Up-to-the-minute knowledge every penny is secure Let us show you the Latin
underpinned by 40 years' America we know and love
experience
10:33 01-09-2021
10:33 01-09-2021
Most travellers to the Falklands visit for only a day or two as part of a cruise. Our holiday includes a whole week
discovering the highlights of the islands. We’ll take you to Port Stanley, the capital, which looks like a small
English town fifty years ago. The remains of ships abandoned 100 years ago are still to be seen in the coves,
testament to an era when the islands were a safe haven when all ships passed this way before the Panama
Canal opened. You’ll also travel to rural outposts by road and light aircraft.
The Falkland Islands lie off the coast of Argentina in the South Atlantic. However, very few people know about
the wilderness beauty of this remote island archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. The islands have an
unpolluted environment with vast open spaces and white sand beaches. A huge variety of wildlife has adopted
the Falkland Islands as their home: the bird and animal population (sheep, and penguins) outnumber the
human inhabitants by 10-1. At least 5 species of penguin are found on the Falkland Islands and elephant seals,
sea-lions and seals, an abundance of birds and minke and killer whales can be spotted here. The islanders
remain British in outlook and descent, adhering to British laws and buying British goods.
The holiday also features a few days in Chilean Patagonia the vicinity of Torres del Paine National Park,
exploring this true wilderness where just a few rough roads cut through a frost-bitten landscape of glaciers,
luminous lagoons, icy pinnacles and wind-strafed steppe.
Your hotel in Santiago is in the pleasant residential and
commercial quarter of Providencia. Santiago is set in a
broad valley between ranges of the Andes, with majestic
snow-capped peaks, and a smaller coastal range with a
distinctly Mediterranean feel. Santiago is a huge metropolis,
a mix of the old and the contemporary, with quarters of tree-
lined avenues and affluent tranquillity and others full of
commercial bustle.
Take a guided day trip to the Pacific port of Valparaiso and
the beach resort Viña del Mar. Valparaiso was a
commercially important port until the Panama Canal
opened.
It has long retained a certain tumbledown charm and plenty
of character, making it one of Chile's most interesting and
photogenic cities: however nowadays it is having a bit of a
renaissance, its peeling façades receiving a colourful
facelift. Steps, winding lanes and a series of funicular
railways connect the upper and lower city.
From Valparaiso, it's a short drive north along the coastal
road to Viña del Mar, the main seaside resort serving
Santiago with a very different feel from its larger neighbour.
Once a glamorous town attracting celebrities, its charm is
now rather parochial but the casinos, resort hotels and the
beaches are very popular at weekends.
10:33 01-09-2021Today, you’ll fly from Santiago to Mount Pleasant, the
islands’ airport on East Falkland.
Still most commonly visited as a day’s excursion from
Antarctic cruises, the islands are growing in popularity in
their own right. A week’s visit allows you to observe a good
sample of sub-Antarctic wildlife - enough to satisfy those
who do not have the time to cruise to Antarctica. You’ll stay
in farmhouses or small owner-operated lodges and travel
by light aircraft and 4WD vehicle.
It’s a drive of less than an hour to the old settlement of
Darwin, named after naturalist Charles Darwin who visited
the islands in the 1830s. The place relates a narrative of
the Falkland Islands’ history. There is plenty to see from the
1982 conflict, and there are also vestiges of the gauchos'
occupation in the 1800s. While staying at Darwin House, a
converted farmhouse built in typical Falkland’s style, you
can spot birds from its waterfront location: night heron,
blackish oystercatchers, ruddy-headed and upland geese
visit the environs of the property.
Darwin was once the largest settlement after Port Stanley
but it now has a permanent population of just 7 and serves
as a sheep-farming location as is nearby Goose Green,
famous for its role in the 1982 conflict. If available, the
owner of the guest house will escort you on an informative
tour of the battlefields and memorial sites.
10:33 01-09-2021Fly by the Falkland Islands Government Air Service’s 8-
seater Britten Norman Islander to Pebble Island on the tip
of West Falkland (30 mins). On a clear day, the relatively
low- altitude flight provides you with exceptional views of
the Falkland’s coastlines and inland scenery.
Pebble Island is one of the larger outlying islands, with a
varied landscape of large ponds, moorland, long sandy
beaches and rocky cliffs. The western side of the island is
mountainous and the eastern side flat with wetlands and
tussock grass. The only settlement is located on a narrow
isthmus close to Elephant Beach, the longest sand beach
on the Falklands at just over 7km.
Pebble Island is renowned for its wildlife: it is home to large
gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguin colonies. It is
one of the premier bird-watching destinations in the
Falklands: thanks to the wetlands, it is a major wildfowl
breeding site; not only are there 42 Falklands species, but
also many visiting birds from South America and beyond.
Species include king cormorants, giant petrels and black-
necked swans.
Pebble was used by Argentina as an airbase during the
1982 war and was made famous after a successful SAS
raid to destroy aircraft. There is no material evidence of this
today but there are 2 Argentine crash sites which can be
visited and a memorial to HMS Coventry sunk by the
Argentines with 11 fatalities.
It’s a very picturesque island with a beautiful 7km stretch of
white sand (Elephant Beach), perfect for hiking. The island
is named after the translucent colourful pebbles found on
some of the beaches and used to make jewellery.
10:33 01-09-2021Fly to Sea-Lion Island, one of the smallest in the Falklands
archipelago, a top destination owing to the sheer mind-
boggling abundance of easily observed wildlife. The
endangered striated caracara, Antarctic skuas, southern
giant petrels, and a host of passerines can be spotted.
Not to be missed are the southern sea lions at East
Loafers, and the elephant seals which bask on the white
sandy beach at the appropriately named Elephant Corner.
The latter are close enough to be seen from the Sea Lion
Island Lodge bar! Keep an eye open as there is the odd
killer whale to be spotted off shore as well.
The island was formerly a sheep-farm but farming activities
are no longer practised. Being small and flat it is easily
explored on foot. The settlement consists of your friendly
lodge (the only purpose-built Lodge in the Falklands, close
to the airstrip) plus a few other old farm buildings which now
accommodate staff from the lodge and research scientists.
There are two landing strips (1 earth and 1 grass).
There is a memorial to HMS Sheffield which was sunk by
Argentine forces in 1982 as well as graves of one of the 3
civilians killed during the Conflict.
Fly to Port Stanley and proceed to your hotel overlooking
the harbour.
Port Stanley is the capital of the Falklands and the only
settlement on the island of a substantial size, with over
2,000 inhabitants. There are several places of interest
easily explored on foot including the 1982 Liberation
Memorial, Falkland Islands Museum and Lady Elizabeth
shipwreck in Stanley Harbour.
Alternatively, wander around and admire the unique Anglo-
Falklands architecture which dominates the centre and
harbour front, Victorian-style brick or stone houses with
brightly painted woodwork and corrugated iron roofs
(known affectionately locally as 'wriggly tin'). This is the
best place to shop or buy gifts.
10:33 01-09-2021The 3hr drive by 4WD to Volunteer Point (mostly off-road)
can be bumpy, but the scenery is very interesting.
You pass minefields, through 'stone runs' (geological
features resembling giant dry river beds descending from
near the mountain peaks), small farm settlements
(including Port Louis, the first settlement on the islands),
round beautiful Barclay Sound and alongside some of the
many ponds which are a typical feature of the Falkland’s
landscape.
Volunteer Point has a white sandy beach and is home to
large colonies of king, Magellanic and gentoo penguins.
There is a host of other wildlife to be seen along the beach
and on the lagoons.
Fly to Punta Arenas, southern Chile. Continue (3hrs) by
lonely road to Puerto Natales, a small town with a
memorable setting, right on the shores of photogenic Last
Hope Sound. The road takes you across inhospitable
plains, battered by perpetual winds.
Puerto Natales looks out over icy sea and snow-capped
peaks. The grids of one-storey wooden houses and small
shops still have a frontier-town feel.
Your luxurious and innovative hotel, the Singular, retains
parts of the original abandoned structure of an early 20th
century refrigeration plant, built in what is now called Post
Victorian Industrial style. The lofty ceilings, bits of restored
machinery and little museum keep alive the memory of
when the sheep was King.
Choice of excursions from the hotel.
A choice of excursions is included such as glacier cruises,
guided trekking, kayaking, biking and bird watching.
A highlight will surely be a visit to Torres del Paine National
Park, dominated by a granite massif of smooth rock towers
and icy pinnacles. Milky blue and gem-sharp emerald
lakes, sinuous rivers, glaciers and wind-scoured steppes
have created a remarkable and unique environment. The
area is a natural habitat of over 150 species of birds
(flamingos, condors, eagles and ostriches) and 25 species
of mammal (including guanacos, armadillos, silver foxes
and pumas).
10:33 01-09-2021Transfer back to Punta Arenas airport (3hrs) and fly to
Santiago (4hrs), overnight.
10:33 01-09-2021Services of our team of Santiago: Valparaiso and Insurance
experts in our London office Viña del Mar
Tips and gratuities
Services of Journey Latin Excursions to observe
America local wildlife and visit sites of Meals other than specified
representatives and guides historical interest in the
Falklands Islands Optional excursions
All land and domestic air
transport Patagonia: Guided
excursions from your hotel
Accommodation as specified
Meals as specified
Excursions as specified, with
entrance fees
5 flights (longest 7hrs); 2 road journeys in Patagonia, short road journeys in the Falklands Islands.
You stay in a well located mid range hotel in Santiago, cosy family-run guest houses in the Falkland Islands and
a first class hotel with excellent facilities just outside Puerto Natales, Patagonia.
Breakfast daily, dinner day 3, 10; full board days 3-8, 11, 12.
We carefully select our local partners, some of whom we have worked with for over 25 years. Their English-
speaking guides understand the expectations of our clients very well, and are consistently singled out for praise
by the latter on their return.
14 days, 13 nights: Santiago 2; Falkland Islands: Darwin 1, Pebble Island 2, Sea-Lion Island 2, Port Stanley 2;
Patagonia 3; Santiago 1.
The unit of currency in Chile is the peso. In the Falklands it is the Falkland Islands pound. The pound sterling is
accepted throughout the islands.
It is very difficult to give a guideline for essential expenses but a budget of around US$40 per day should cover
the cost of meals not included in the holiday itinerary, drinks and the odd souvenir. Eat at the best restaurants
and you will pay considerably more.
10:33 01-09-2021In South America, tips are welcomed and local guides often rely on their tip as a significant proportion of their
income.
Most service industry workers will expect a tip of some kind and so it is useful to have spare change for hotel
porters, taxi drivers and the like. It is common to leave 10 - 12% in restaurants.
Travel insurance is essential.
Details of our recommended policy can be found at Travel Insurance page.
With the exception of flights from Port Stanley to South America, if you have purchased your flights through
Journey Latin America the international departure tax is usually included in the ticket. A departure tax of £25 is
payable in cash by all passengers on flights departing Port Stanley to South America.
This is a fully comprehensive holiday with travel or excursions on most days but none are especially arduous.
This holiday is suitable for all able-bodied, reasonably fit visitors. In other cases, e.g. if you have a disability or
other special requirements, please call us.
In the Santiago area expect a Mediterranean type climate though it can snow in winter (June-August). In
October, November, March and April temperatures range between 15°C and 25°C and there’s a good deal of
sunshine. January and February are hot, around 30°C or higher.
The Falkland Islands have a chilly climate characterised by strong winds, particularly in the spring (Sep-Oct).
Rain falls on approximately 180 days per year, but totals are small. Expect daytime highs of around 10°C in
Sep-Oct and Mar-Apr, whilst the islands are at their warmest in Jan, the mid-point of the southern summer,
when daytime temperatures hover in the range of 15-20°C. . A little-known fact is that the islands are bathed in
the same number of sunshine hours as southern England. Visitors benefit from long hours of daylight October to
March.
The weather in Chilean Patagonia is notoriously unpredictable throughout the year. During the southern
hemisphere summer (October to March), be prepared for everything from a blizzard to a heat wave. Strong
winds and rain are possible at any time but especially in spring and autumn and it can get very cold with snow in
winter, but seldom much below freezing.
For day-to-day wear you should go prepared to encounter all seasons. Warm clothing, a sun hat and a hat to
protect against cold and wind are essential. A wind proof fleece jacket and a Gore-Tex (or similar) outer shell
make a good combination. Trousers, skirt or shorts made from light, quick-drying synthetic materials work well.
Strong, comfortable footwear is essential. You might take swimwear for the hotel pools or Jacuzzi at the
Patagonia hotel.
Please get in touch with the office before departure if you have any doubts. Good equipment is very important
and hard to come by in South America.
Preventative vaccinations are recommended against the following: typhoid; polio; tetanus; hepatitis A. You
should consult your GP for specific requirements.
You can also find helpful information on the Masta Travel Health website.
10:33 01-09-2021Holders of a full British passport do not require a visa, although passports must be valid for at least 6 months
after the trip begins. Anyone with a different nationality should enquire with us or check with the relevant
consulate.
If flying to the US, or via the US you will need to fill in your online ESTA application.
10:33 01-09-202114 days
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