Starting in November 2012
Following an isolated and exceptionally beautiful river valley in Northern Patagonia, this fabulous horse trek takes you across the mystical Southern Andes from Chile to Argentina in the footsteps of...
Lying some 150 kilometres south of the Chilean capital, Santiago, the Colchagua Valley is one of the world’s finest wine producing regions. Sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific, its superb climate, rich soils and ideal growing conditions provide the perfect conditions for producing some of the most exceptional vintages in the New World. Predominant amongst these are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and the region offers a great opportunity to combine Mediterranean climates and lovely landscapes with a tour of some of the best wineries in the Americas.
This small remnant of volcanic rock just 15 miles across, adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 2,500 miles from the coast of Chile was once one of the most isolated places on Earth. Originally named "Te Pito O Te Henua" (Navel of The World), it is now also called Rapa Nui. Today Easter Island has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it has a unique Polynesian ethnic culture manifested in its art, archaeology and traditions and a wonderful raw, unspoilt beauty of windswept coastlines, gentle, treeless hills and a verdant interior.
This seemingly inhospitable area was first inhabited by the Atacameño people, who discovered the small oases scattered around and developed the area for farming. The small town of San Pedro de Atacama takes you back in time, with its beautiful adobe whitewashed buildings with interior patios. The skies remain clear throughout the day and proffer a plethora of stars at night.
Capital of the Lake District and founded by German colonists in the mid-19th century, Puerto Montt features middle-European architecture, with shingles, high-pitched roofs and ornate balconies. The redwood cathedral on the city's plaza is the city's oldest building, dating from 1856. The Lake District is a land of extreme beauty, a seemingly endless succession of lush alpine valleys surrounded by low Andean hills, snow-covered volcanoes and dotted with lakes.
A quiet, pleasant town; Puerto Natales is the stop off point for those going into the Torres de Paine National Park or on a glacier cruise. One can take a pleasant stroll along the seafront and enjoy the freshly caught fish. Puerto Natales also provides a good opportunity to stock up with provisions for the walks/treks in the park.
Chile's southernmost city, Punta Arenas is a port set upon the rolling hills above the barren, windswept steppe on the Straits of Magellan. This is a strange part of the world, the open spaces are immense and even the sky looks much bigger. Punta Arenas is known for its monuments to the settlers and ranchers who pioneered the region and the story goes that if you rub or kiss (depending who one talks to) the foot of one of the Indians in the Plaza de Armas, you shall someday return to the city.
Puerto Varas was founded by German colonists who settled on the shores of Llanquihue Lake in the mid-19th century. It became the centre of lake navigation and the port of departure for commerce between Llanquihue Lake and Puerto Montt. The town is a good base for making trips around the Lake and the surrounding area.
The conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago de Chile in 1541. Leaving Cuzco he travelled down the continent and once he gazed upon the valley at the point where the Mapocho and Maipo Rivers descend from the Andes on their journey to the Pacific Ocean. Valdivia marked the centre of colonial Santiago with the Plaza de Armas and his house was located where the central Post Office now stands. Today, this clean, tree-lined square is a haven for old men, young and old playing chess together, shoe shiners, artists and lovers.
Deemed a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978, the park embraces an area of extreme beauty that renders most visitors speechless. Thick magellanic forests, barren pampa, turquoise lakes with huge glaciers and beautifully sculpted icebergs surround you; and soaring out of the earth, stand the majestic, granite Torres del Paine. Unforgettable hikes can be made around the park, each offering fabulous views of this remote land, which is home to guanacos, foxes, woodpeckers, austral parakeets and condors, amongst many other species of wildlife.
One of the country’s most important ports and home to Chile’s National Congress, Valparaiso is also one of the country’s most important centres for Chilean culture. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is built on a series of steep hills that look out across the Pacific Ocean and it can boast a truly unique system of funicular elevators that have been declared national monuments by the World Monuments Fund. Nicknamed the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’, the city is filled with labyrinthine alleyways and cobbled streets that hide a rich multitude of monuments, churches and architectural gems.
The small town of Pucon is set on the south eastern shore of Lago Villarica and nearby stands the beautiful snow-capped Villarica Volcano.
A two hour drive from Santiago, Zapallar is a coastal resort that offers a chance to escape the more developed attractions of Valparaiso. An old fishing village, it lies sandwiched between wooded mountains and the golden sands of the Pacific coast and presents a pleasant combination of picturesque streets, amazing seafood restaurants and some impressive sea-facing mansions to enjoy.
Birthplace of the Nobel winning Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, the Elqui Valley has the unique distinction of being a mecca for winegrowers and astronomers alike. Lying at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, it is home to a number of the country’s finest wines (as well as the country’s highest vineyard), the observatories at Mamalluca and Cerro Tololo and some of the clearest skies in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also responsible for the production of, reputedly, the best pisco (Chilean distilled spirit) in the country.
Founded in 1544 and the country’s second oldest city, La Serena is known as the ‘City of Churches’. Located on the banks of the Rio Elqui the city benefited during the presidency of Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, when a programme of urban renewal introduced a colonial revival amongst the city’s architecture. The restoration of some of its older churches and the preservation of its historic buildings has resulted in a city filled with National Monuments and ‘neo-colonial’ architecture. The city is also blessed with a number of white beaches and a very pleasant year round climate.
Situated in the heart of the Colchagua Valley, Santa Cruz has, in recent years, become a centre for rural tourism. Once an important handicraft centre, today it lies at the forefront of the development of the region’s wine growing industry and is ideally placed for touring a number of the surrounding vineyards and wineries. With its ideal climate and colonial heritage, the town offers a number of interesting attractions, including the Colchagua Museum and its annual wine, food and folk festivals.
The Aisen Region of Chile, also spelt Aysen, is Chile's most sparsely populated region in Chile with just 100,000 inhabitants, half of these are concentrated in the city of Coyhaique. The landscape is marked by several glaciations forming a series of lakes, channels and fjords. The region still has ice fields including the Southern and Northern Patagonian Ice Fields; the world's largest after those in Antarctica and Greenland.
The hilly geography of the Aisen region turns it into one of the most beautiful places in Chile, enchanting with unique natural sights, where the effects of tectonic movements, volcanism and glaciations can be appreciated in the form of islands, channels, fjords, ice fields, snowdrifts, and mountain ranges.
The Aisen region also offers magnificent lakes, like Palena, Rosselot, Risopatrón, Yulton, Elizalde, General Carrera, Cochrane, and O´Higgins. Among its rivers are Palena, Cisnes, Mañihuales, and Aysén, as well as the famous Baker River, the largest river in terms of water volume in Chile, which has excellent fishing opportunities and numerous rapids apt for rafting and kayaking that are currently being threatened by the projects for construction of various hydroelectric dams.
The region is extremely rich in tourist attractions of singular beauty; a short list of which includes: San Rafael Lagoon National Park and Queulat National Park, the National Monument Las Manos (The Hands) of Cerro Castillo, the impressive Marble Caves Nature Sanctuary, the Northern Ice Field, the National Reserves Río Castillo and Río Simpson, and the scenic Carretera Austral (Southern Highway).
Visa Information
UK Passport holders do not require a visa to visit Chile.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
If you are travelling on a non UK passport please contact your relevant consulate/embassy for the latest visa information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Service Limited. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Wild Frontiers Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Travel & General Insurance Company plc, details of which can be found at the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk.
To contact them please visit their website at www.travel-general.com or call 0845 408 0583.
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Chile though you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. We recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend:
• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• You inform us of any pre-existing medical conditions or medication.
To be on the safe side you can also check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
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