Nestled in the Pacific Ocean over 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador lays the archipelago which gave Charles Darwin his revolutionary theory on evolution: the legendary Galápagos Islands. Having evolved in unique ways over thousands of years, its isolated wildlife is known amongst biologists and adventurous travellers as some of the most diverse on the planet. Let’s take a look at some of the wild endemic delights to be found in and around this amazing chain of islands. Giant Tortoise The name Galápagos is derived from an old Spanish word referring to the tortoise’s saddle-like shape, and they have become internationally known as the symbol of the islands since, with an estimated 20,000 living there now across fifteen different sub-species. They can grow over 4ft long and weigh over 40 stone, living on average to 150 years old. There is even a tortoise gifted in the 19th century to the…
All four seasons (sometimes in one day!) can play their part in shaping your experience throughout Latin America, so let’s delve deeper into the rolling peak and shoulder seasons that dominate the sky, land, and sea on your next trip to this stunning big outdoors continent. Argentina High Season: November – February & July The Patagonia region in southern Argentina hits a peak from December to February with the best weather for pursuing outdoor activities. If you’re looking for a Christmas / mid-winter getaway, the beaches from late December through January are popular times along the Argentine coastline as well. For skiers, July is the best time to hit the big resorts of Mendoza and picturesque areas like Bariloche. Shoulder Seasons: September – November & March – May Buenos Aires enjoys ideal temperatures in shoulder seasons, and it’s also a good shout for seeing Patagonia with the beautiful Lake District…
Some of our favourite Latin Routes destinations – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador and Costa Rica – are competing in this year’s winter World Cup, which starts this weekend when the Ecuadorians kick off the footballing festivities on Sunday against Qatar! We take a look at each country’s rich sporting history and some of the fútbol related things you can experience when visiting these football-mad nations. Legacy of Champions Fútbol – or futebol as it’s known in Brazil – represents one of the most popular cultural institutions in Latin America. Whether played in a 100,000-capacity stadium or in the streets of the barrio, it’s a sport that brings together millions of obsessed fans across the continent. This level of enthusiasm has often been transferred to their national team’s World Cup success rate over the eras, with Argentina (2), Uruguay (2), and Brazil (5) lifting the cup nine times in total combined. 20th-century legends such…
…with Senior Marketing Manager, Felipe For the latest installment of Our Routes series dedicated to sharing travel experiences from our experts all over Latin America, Senior Marketing Manager Felipe Francisco shared with us memories from his tremendous Chilean journey. YOUR MAIN DESTINATIONS? Santiago, Punta Arenas and Patagonia. HOW DID YOU GET THERE? Direct flight from London Heathrow to Santiago with BA, followed by domestic flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas with Latam. FIRST TIME OR REPEAT TRIP? Repeat. I backpacked across Chile for 1 month when I was 19 years old. This time around I managed to visit Patagonia, one of my lifelong travel dreams. FAVOURITE LOCATION? Patagonia, Patagonia, Patagonia! It’s hard to put down in words how amazing Patagonia is. It’s by far one of the most dramatic, and beautiful scenery in the world! I particularly enjoyed my stay with Las Torres, who offer beautiful lodging ranging from luxurious hotels to glamping…
The good news for greener holidaying is that Chile, one of the most striking Latin American destinations, can now lay claim to being the renewable energy champion of the continent. This forward-thinking country has made great strides with its energy transition as it seeks to decarbonise the entire country by the middle of the century, in addition to efforts to protect its incredible landscapes and biodiversity. National Park Conservation Douglas Tompkins bought and donated an area roughly the size of Cyprus to Chile and Argentina for conservation, an act which inspired the Chilean president to create five new national parks, placing millions of acres of land under strict environmental protection and adding to a chain of 17 different parks that stretch south through the Chilean wilderness. He dreamed of a place both hikers and wildlife alike could enjoy, and today that dream has come true. The Chilean section of Patagonia…
Rising up majestically into the sky across Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Guyanan borders, the so-called “Floating Island” is so unique that scientists are still trying to understand its intricate ecosystem. Shroud of Cloud Standing 9,220 ft tall at its peak with an average cliffside elevation of 1,300 ft, these cloud-shrouded cliff edges appear to drop sharply into oblivion, giving the whole plateau an otherworldly feel about them. It’s not surprising then that kind of vista makes for a popular choice with intrepid adventurers seeking Indiana Jones-style landscapes. A Rock In The Ocean Also known as ‘tepuis’, strange geological formations like this are among the oldest plateaus in the world. Tepuis like Mount Roraima form differently from traditional mountains which generally forge when two continental plates collide. Here though, sand settled and became rock at the bottom of ancient oceans a colossal 1.5-2 billion years ago – bearing in mind Mount Everest only formed about 60 million…
People from Asia arrived in the Americas at least 15,000 years ago, but by the European arrival in the 15th century, many South American civilisations had either disappeared or would later fall to new empires. There were still many, however, which were vast and thriving, constructing incredible monuments that we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy today. Read on to find out more about these societies’ fascinating histories below. The Caral-Supe Civilisation The Caral Supe are the oldest known advanced civilisation in the American continents discovered to date, dating back to 3000-2500 BC. Nearly twenty separate villages have been identified in north Peru, with a centre in the urban community at Caral. The city of Caral included enormous earthy platform mounds, which for centuries were considered just to be low lying hills, until more modern archeological techniques uncovered their true origins. Nazca Civilisation The people of the Nazca…
Imagine a continent with over 300 national parks to choose from, ranging from rugged rocky peaks to palm tree-lined beach forests! To help narrow such an astounding choice down, we have handpicked ten of the most incredible national parks in South America to help you get started. Argentina Tierra del Fuego National Park This 245-square-mile park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Argentina’s only coastal national park. Just outside the park’s border you’ll discover Puente Quemado (“the burned bridge”) and Macarena Waterfall, plus the Pipo River, which flows into the park and runs alongside the peat bog, giving the Laguna Negra (black lagoon) its colour and name. Inside the park, sits the sixty-five-mile-long Lake Fagnano which offers views of Andes Mountains. Los Glaciares National Park At a whopping 2,800 square miles, this is the largest national park in the country and another one on UNESCO’s list. As the park…
Torres del Paine National Park is an incredible stretch of wilderness in Chile, where our remote ranches offer guests the opportunity to experience rural life in Chile, enjoying horseback riding, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. We recently spoke to Gabriel Mazuelos who works as a tour guide to find out what life is like for him. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what attracted you to work in this part of the world/this role? My name is Gabriel and I am a hiking/horseback riding guide at Torres del Paine National Park. I am a very big outdoor enthusiast, I love being in the mountains, climbing, skiing and almost whatever you can do out there. At first, I didn’t know anything about Torres del Paine, which is what attracted me. I just knew that everybody wanted to go there, so I had to figure out for myself why…
At 4,500 miles long spanning the west coast of South America and bisecting seven countries – Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina – the Andes is the longest chain of mountains in the world and includes many of the highest peaks in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. Formations Formed around 45-50 million years ago, the process that created them had already begun 140 million years ago when the largest dinosaurs that ever lived were roaming these lands. This process has continued to this date and causes earthquakes and volcanic activity in the region, and as a result of the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic Plates beneath the South America Plate, many active volcanoes are located in the Andes Mountain Range. The highest volcano in the world, the Ojos del Salado, is located in the Andes on the Chile-Argentina border. Mount Aconcagua in Argentina is the highest peak at 22,481ft, with…
