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
This below 9 day itinerary is a good combination of some of the best things about mainland Ecuador – the old town of Quito; stepping back in time to a Lord of the Rings-style adventure around the Quliatoa Loop; a major challenge in summiting Cotopaxi; and getting to meet a range of local people along the way
Obviously, for many people Ecuador is all about the Galapagos Islands (see Island hoping through the main Galapagos Islands and Scuba diving at Wolf and Darwin Islands in the Galapagos for tips on these wonderful experiences). But it also has some world-class experiences to be found on the mainland
If you’re in Ecuador and keen for a challenge that doesn’t need a huge amount of preparation, climbing Cotopaxi is a great option. 1,000m / 3,280ft of elevation to climb up the volcano and glacier; 10 hours mainly in the dark with head torches, crampons, ropes and ice axes; -15˚C / 5˚F; and dealing with the altitude challenges of a volcano that reaches 5897m / 19,347ft. Yep, that’ll do it
Some train for months for this, but if you’re fit, already partially acclimatised and determined, you can do this. You’ll be rewarded (hopefully!) with world-class view across the valleys as far as Quito, an otherworldly experience through the glaciers and crater and, of course, a deserved feeling of accomplishment
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
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!
It’s kind of a must see if in this part of the world. Yes you get hit a bit in the face with the mass tourism of it all, but the sheer scale of the glacier as it carves chunks into Lake Argentina really is spectacular
Visiting it from El Calafate is super simple, and the town itself has a nice vibe from all those making their way through this stunning part of the world
If you look through a typical European highlights itinerary it will invariably be dominated by the cities. For instance, the Lonely Planet’s top itinerary for Europe is 12 cities and nothing else, and of its 24 overall European highlights, only 6 are not cities (the Norwegian Fjords, the Matterhorn, Greece’s Santorini, Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, Transylvania, North Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid . . . if you’re interested). It’s understandable – Europe is a centre for culture and stunning capital cities, but it also has some world class experiences to be found outside of the cities and this itinerary gives you a flavour of those with a focus on its mountain and wine regions
With this itinerary you will enjoy:
- Mountains – the most spectacular views of Europe’s premier mountain regions with Switzerland’s “big three” of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau from Interlaken, and the Pyrenes’ Cirques de Gavarnie
- Wine regions – 4 of the best wine regions France has to offer with Bordeaux, Provence, Alsace and Champagne
- Lakes – 2 of the world’s truly stunning lakes with the simply magnificent Lake Como and the Swiss Lakes surrounding Interlaken
- Coastline – the epitome of luxury and style with the most famous stretch of coastline in Europe with the Cote d’Azur, its trio of corniches and Monaco
- Hilltop villages and rural regions – the prettiest in Europe with the hilltop villages and elegant treelined streets of Provence and the timbered fairytale villages of the Black Forrest
- Roman Ruins – some of the best preserved Roman Ruins with the Pont du Garde and the Arles Amphitheatre
- Driving – and of course, some of the best driving scenery in all of Europe as you pass from one mountain range to another and along some of the prettiest countryside on the continent
Interlaken is the gateway to the legendary Jungfrau region with its 3 immortal peaks of Switzerland’s “big three” – the Eiger (Ogre), Monch (Monk) and Jungfrau (Virgin) – and has, quite simply, some of the most stunning mountain views to be found anywhere in the world. There are many viewing spots and cable cars to chose from to get these views, but my top tip is to take the Mannlichen Cable Car from Grindelwald. It’s Europe’s longest cable car, so you have extended views on your 6.3km / 4mile, 19min journey to the top, and when up there, even in busy season, you’ll have loads of room because of the wide plateau at the top to make the short 10min walk to the crown of the hill for the amazing views of the “big three”. From here you also have a range of world-class hiking options
I focused on the hiking, which was wonderful, but there are three things I wish I’d also done:
- Taken the train up to the Junfraujoch station at 3454m. Looks sensational and definitely will next time!
- Got involved with some of the adrenaline sports in what is one of the world’s adventure-sports meccas
- Europe’s longest toboggan run at Faulhorn
As an extra slightly more unusual recommendation, if you’re driving through this stunning part of the world and heading south or east, see if you can work your route through the Murmeltierpark Grimselpass. You’ll be rewarded with daunting views over the Grimselsee reservoir and dam which dominate the surrounding area
As part of the trip up the stunning west coast of New Zealand, one of the must-do activities is to see one of the fastest moving accessible glaciers in the world, and, even better, to climb through it
5 tips:
- Climbing – climbing through the glacier with the crampons on and the ice axe at the ready was what made this such a great experience, so be sure to give yourself the day to include this. The only issue is the price. A few years ago you were able to simply rock up to the glacier and climb through it, whereas unfortunately now you often need to take a helicopter further up the glacier and explore from there. On the plus side, you’ll get some amazing views of the glacier from the helicopter
- Climbing can get a bit hairy! – when climbing, be prepared for it to be a little scary at times. We thought it would just be a walk but, depending on your guide, you may be climbing up sheer slopes and starring down into the ice abyss below – you’ve been warned!
- Fans Joseph or Fox? – both are similar, but their nearby towns make it a choice between bigger with wider facilities but a bit busier (Frans Jospeh) and smaller with few facilities but quieter (Fox). When I visited, I went for Frans Jospeh and it was a great experience. It also has Glacier Hot Pools which would be great to enjoy after the climbing
- Hiking – if you don’t want to climb, one activity that you simple must do is a hike to get a feel for the scale of the glaciers. The Glacier Valley walk for Frans Jospeh is fantastic as its gives you a nice walk past the small lakes and view out across the glacier. 6km / 3.7miles return and will take around 1.5hours
- Two things we wish we’d done – we left thinking that we would have loved to have taken a scenic flight to see the glaciers from the sky (you can cover this now with the helicopter trip) and also kayaked in the more tranquil nearby Lake Mapourika, with the “Classic Trip” taking 3 hours in the early morning
