My girlfriend and I went on a 6month trip around Latin America (excluding Brazil). Started in the far South in the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and, broadly, made our way up the west coast to the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico. Best large scale trip I’ve done, and wanted to share the overall itinerary and tips here to hopefully help those who are considering something similar
A few high level points:
- Other than the flights there and the first hotel, there were only three things we booked in advance: the Inca Trail (which we knew we needed to for permits); plus for Patagonia a trip through Torres del Paine National Park and a ferry through the fjords (as we were going at peak season and only a couple of weeks after we landed). Everything else, we booked when in Latin America and, in our opinion, that is the best way to do it – gives you the freedom to relax in the places you find that you love and be super flexible to do what you want to do
- Total costs – my girlfriend and I went in our 30s, with no kids and on sabbaticals from work. We’re not poor, but certainly not mega wealthy. We didn’t stay in super expensive hotels (other than for the occasional splurge), flew economy and used a bit of common sense for timings of certain expensive items, but never held back on doing the things we wanted to do. Some examples of big ticket items: US$5k for a week diving in the remote Wolf & Darwin Islands in the Galapagos; US$1.2k for 4 days in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia; US$800 for a helicopter trip to see the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan jungle; US$700 for the Inca Trail. Total cost of the whole trip was US$34k each. This included all flights, transport, hotels, activities, food, drink, guides, screwing things up, credit card fees – the lot. Expensive, but so are most Experiences of a Lifetime
- It’s not about trying to “do everything” – in a place as large as Latin America, you couldn’t even if you tried – so don’t think of things as a big tick box exercise. Brazil, for example, we knew we couldn’t do justice whilst also trying to enjoy all the other amazing places we’d heard of, so left it for next time
- In the similar vain, make sure you give yourself big chunks of time to chill out. Not only to recharge the batteries, but also because most places are enjoyed when you spend time to soak up the feel for the place. There were some places . . . like Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Bocas del Toro in Panama . . . where I could have spent weeks there just because the general vibe of the place was so wonderful
- Safety – we weren’t robbed, but many people do either having a bag stolen or, unpleasantly, get robbed face to face. Other than a couple of cities, we generally felt super safe the places we went and tried to just apply common sense to reduce our risks
- Learn a bit of Spanish before you go – the app DuoLingo was great for getting us to a basic level that made a lot of difference. But also don’t be afraid to pull out google for simultaneous conversation translations to really be able to have a conversation with someone – some long trips became some of our highlights just from being able to properly talk with the driver / locals. I particularly remember a long taxi ride in Colombia where we went back and forward for 2 hours with the driver on everything from his home town to politics to football to his favourite movies to his family problems- never could have done that without Spanish or google. In a similar vein, and using the right level of common sense, don’t turn down an invite for drinks / dinner / house visit with locals. There are some truly unforgettable natural and cultural spots to see, but similarly an evening with a local family will be something likely to be just as unforgettable
- Whenever checking out a place or must-do-site, its easy to get templed / churched / ancient site / beached out. Always do a very basic bit of research to see if there is a more out of the ordinary way to experience it – by bike / drinking tour / kayaking / helicopter / whatever. Thats what we tried to do, and I hope it reflected in some of the cool stuff listed below
There are a bunch of fun things to do when saying for one or two nights in San Pedro de Atacama. In particular, you’ll want to visit the otherworldly Lunar Valley to see those gorgeous changes from reds and yellows to purples and pinks as the sun sets. I’d also highly recommend taking advantage one evening of the best star gazing in the world by visiting one of the observatories
(You also must must must Take a 4WD tour from San Pedro de Atacama to the Bolivian Salt Flats so check out this entry for more details)
But it was San Pedro de Atacama itself that was the highlight for me. It will just feel so different from anywhere you’ve been before that you’ll be kept happily entertained just wandering through the rock hard clay streets with their single floor adobe buildings and seeing the otherworldly red surroundings of volcanoes in the distance, all while appreciating the subtle adaptations the place has to make to survive in what is the driest place in the world (outside of the Poles). If you have the time, its a great place to chill out, sample some of the surprisingly good restaurants and also to learn a bit about the pre-Spanish culture
Santiago is, for sure, worth spending a day in if you are passing through. In particular, I would highly recommend walking through the trees and swimming pools up on top of the Parque Metropolitano right in the centre of the city for unbeatable views and avoiding some of the tourist scrums elsewhere; the General Cemetery (Cementerio General) which is its own vast town within Santiago’s centre of the city; and there are some great restaurants to experience. But, and maybe a bit controversial, I don’t see Santiago as a highlight of Chile and wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it
There is so little development in this part of the world that one of the only ways to see the stunning Patagonian Fjords is through the industrial-style Navimag Ferry that makes its 3 night / 4 day route between Puerto Natales and Puerto Montt from October to March
I personally enjoyed the experience of the journey in such an isolated part of the world, watching the albatross and whales popping along to say hello, and being in amongst the interesting people you get chatting to onboard, so I’m glad I did it
But there are a few things to be aware of: 1. It is heavily weather dependant (we were not very lucky); 2. The ferry is not a cruise ship so is far from luxury (think less Royal Caribbean and more Dover-Calais); 3. You are stuck on the ferry for minimum 3 full days with no stops, no wifi and no alcohol; 4. You must give yourself at least 24 hours leeway in timings as it seems to always run late and bear in mind the ferry usually only leaves once a week; 5. The Carretera Austral looks to be a very good alternative
I look back at this and do laugh to myself quite a lot. My girlfriend was super keen to see the penguins and we had some spare time in Patagonia before one of our big hikes, so decided to head from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas and arrange one of the day trips to see the King Penguins in Porvenir. Yes the penguins are cute, yes the Fernando Cordero Rusque Museum in Porvenir is worth a quick look, and yes getting a couple of ferries can give a chance to look at the landscape from the water. Unfortunately though, my recommendation would be don’t do it mainly because:
- You’ll be spending the full day travelling from Punta Arenas to Porvenir for roughly an hour looking at the penguins
- The penguins, cute as they are, are roughly 80m (250 feet) away so you have to look at them through the telescopes provided / just squint a lot
- Both the penguin colony at Useless Bay, the museum and the ferry stops can feel quite crowded, which is a bit of a sharp change after having vast areas to yourself in the areas around
- The scenery is quite nice, but nothing compared to the sights to the north in Patagonia around Torres del Paine (see 3 very civilised days in Torres del Paine National Park for some inspiration), nor to the south around Ushuaia in the remainder of the Tierra del Fuego (see A trip to the end of the earth, 4 days in the Tierra del Fuego for further tips)
- Even with the penguins, you could get far closer and see more, albeit smaller, penguins in the Beagle Channel next to Ushuaia
- Punta Arenas felt far more industrial and quite frankly less to do that the more quaint Puerto Natales or the more bustling Ushuaia
- [The trip from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas and back takes up the best part of a day either side of the day trip to see the penguins. But, that is our own silly fault for planning that]
Not a fan!
So you have a week and you want to see the highlights? Likely flying in from somewhere 12+ hours away and have from one weekend to the next for vacation? My suggestion would be to focus on Torres del Paine National Park and the Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate
You could make your way down to Punta Arenas, but I just think that the scenery around El Calafate area beats it in every respect. You don’t really have time for the Navimag ferry through the Fjords. Parque Nacional los Alerces is too far away. And don’t waste your time going to see the King Penguins at Porvenir
The only place that you should consider squeezing in is the hiking around El Chalten, but we didn’t get a chance to check it out and it would be tight
By giving yourself 4 nights in Torres del Paine / Puerto Natales, a day to see the Perito Moreno Glacier and a day and a half or so of driving (including crossing the Argentina – Chile border), you’ll leave tired but not exhausted, and with a feeling of awe for Patagonia
To experience Torres del Paine, you have the classic choice of the famous “W” trek over 5 days, the even more ambitious “O” trek of 10 days, or for a bit more civilised (. . . easier!) tour. We were a bit pressed for time, and maybe just a little lazy, so chose the tour and glad we did because we had just the most fantastic time
Your 3 days should include a hike up to the famous Base of the Towers, a night staying in the wonderful Hotel Lago Grey, a day checking out the Grey Glacier from the small ferry, staying at the Hosteria Pehoe (a hotel which, although quite low quality, must be in the running for world’s most stunning hotel setting), and a day for general wandering through the park with a guide. The price also includes a night either side staying at the domes in Puerto Natales which are fun
The hiking was balanced out by relaxing in the hotels with their outstanding views. Far more civilised than staying in tents!
