chilE, ARGENTINA & PATAGONIA

OVERVIEW

Celebrate the history and cosmopolitanism of Chile and Argentina against the sublime natural backdrop of Patagonia, on this new 20-day tour through South America.

Our journey commences in Santiago, a thriving New World city with a unique modern perspective following centuries of Spanish colonisation. From the historic Plaza de Armas to the centennial history of wine in the Maipo Valley, our introduction to Chile is complemented by the time we spend in Valparaíso, the home of Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda and now a Pacific Coast hub for contemporary arts and crafts.

Flying from Chile into Argentina, we discover Art Deco-inflected Mendoza, the centre of Malbec production nestled at the foothills of the Andes. Continuing to Buenos Aires, we explore street art in the city’s distinctive barrios as well as the labyrinthine Recoleta Cemetery, where celebrated Argentinians such as Eva Perón lie at rest. Our program introduces us to cultural icons, from the Teatro Colón to the neighbourhood of Jorge Luis Borges and the spontaneous brio of street tango. An excursion offers an encounter with gaucho culture on a working ranch.

As a flight takes us to El Calafate, South America’s most sublime landscapes are on display. On the edge of the Southern Patagonian ice field, El Calafate is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and to the otherworldly beauty of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Crossing back into Chile, we survey the breathtaking landscapes of Torres del Paine by boat and on guided walks, before returning to Santiago for the conclusion of our journey.

Travel is by coach and select flights, and in Patagonia there are short excursions by boat to soak up the outstanding natural beauty. Your appreciation throughout is enhanced by the expertise of tour leader Chris Moss, a journalist, former resident of Argentina and tour leader with Martin Randall Travel.

TOUR LEADER

Chris Moss in a journalist and cultural historian from Lancashire, England. A former educator, he was based in Argentina for a decade, where he worked at the Buenos Aires Herald. In the UK, he has held staff positions at the Daily Telegraph and was travel and books editor at London’s Time Out. He has written for the Washington Post and South China Morning Post and his travel journalism is syndicated to the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Over three decades, Chris has visited every country in South and Central America and written about everything from Cuban contemporary art to Che Guevara’s gap year to the erotic overtones of Argentina’s carnivorous cuisine. Chris has edited more than a dozen guidebooks and written books about Patagonia, London and the Wales Coast Path, receiving awards from the Latin American Travel Association, British Travel Press and Visit Britain. He leads tours for Martin Randall Travel.

Highlights

• Understand the post-colonial cosmopolitanism of European-style squares and unique barrios in Santiago and Buenos Aires

• Admire the creativity that has transformed Valparaíso into a vibrant Chilean cultural hub, filled with street art and murals

• Discover the bold flavours of Malbec, with a tasting and lunch at one of Mendoza’s historic family-run bodegas

• Experience the exceptional horsemanship and traditional lifestyle of the gaucho ranching culture on a visit to an Argentinian estancia

• Marvel at South America’s sublime natural beauty: lakes, glaciers and mountains, from El Calafate to Torres del Paine