Archive for the 'South America' Category

The continent below the equator loomed large for many of us aboard a two-week sailing on Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium in 2006. En route from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, by way of legendary Cape Horn and the Straits of Magellan, I heard choruses of praise for a place that caught many of us by surprise.  Read more... (645 words, 3 images, estimated 2:35 mins reading time)

Travel writers highlight their favorite South America Shore Excursions

Penguins steal the show in the Falkland Islands

On a two-week “Round Cape Horn” cruise, I, and a group of travel writers, visited eight ports, including the port of departure, Buenos Aires, and the disembarkation port, Valparaiso.  Read more... (1867 words, 8 images, estimated 7:28 mins reading time)

Caribbean Fatigue? Set Sail To South America.

In 2006, I cruised around the horn of South America. Weeks before my South America cruise, I tried to form mental pictures of the places our ship would visit: Buenos Aires, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands, Ushuaia and Valparaiso.

My resources were sorely lacking. I could not recall having studied South America in high school, and my only exposure to Latin America had been jaunts to Mexico, Guatemala and a handful of other Central American countries.  Read more... (396 words, 1 image, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)

Seven new land adventures are among dozens of extended mid-voyage excursions Silversea Cruises is offering in 2011. Unlike a partial-day shore tour, these single- or multiple-day inland adventures offer travelers a more intimate, in-depth and personal encounter with the local people, history, wildlife and natural attractions that lie just beyond the ports of call.  Read more... (1048 words, estimated 4:12 mins reading time)

Who's responsible for obtaining visas and proper paperwork for your cruise?

We all like to think that if we, as Swedes, Americans, Italians or Germans, book a cruise, the travel agent or the cruise line we book with will let us know everything we need in order to get on the ship and into the destinations where we’re sailing.  Read more... (399 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

[Holland America's Veendam rounds Cape Horn on a series of cruises between now and March 2010 with overnights on select sailings in Buenos Aires.]

Though Buenos Aires is a large city, you can take in the major attractions in a couple of days. During my short stay, I dined extravagantly on world-renowned Argentine beef, took in a tango show, hopped on a city tour and walked the city streets. If you have more time, you can also get out to an estancia (ranch), but if you decide to spend all of your time in the city, you will likely have opportunities to visit estancias on shore excursions during your cruise.  Read more... (764 words, 4 images, estimated 3:03 mins reading time)

After two days of more than sufficient wine samplings, I returned to Chile’s capital to check in at the Grand Hyatt Santiago, with rooms that look out on the Andes.

Near the hotel is Cerro San Cristóbal and the adjoining Parque Metropolitano, Chile’s largest urban park. I walked to the park and hopped on a cable car to the top of San Cristobal Hill for sweeping city views. On a crisp spring or winter morning, the sight must be even more stunning, with the majestic, snowcapped Andes towering over the basin where Santiago sits.  Read more... (332 words, 1 image, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

You could spend a few days pre- or post-cruise on excursions to the Andes, Easter Island (a five-hour flight from Santiago) or even visiting Machu Picchu in Peru. But my experience with Chile back home has been with Chilean wines, and so I decided to see Chile — a country that has been making wine since the 1500s — vineyard by vineyard.

Leaving Vina del Mar, my first stop was the William Cole Winery (www.williamcolevineyards.cl). Situated in Casablanca Valley, not more than 30 minutes from Vina del Mar, the winery is principally noted for its whites, namely Sauvignon Blanc, as the strong influence of the Pacific Ocean makes for a better climate for white grapes than for red ones.

For red wines, my driver (yes, you need a driver if you’re sampling wines) pointed the van to Colchagua Valley, Chile’s equivalent of Napa Valley (www.colchaguavalley.cl).

The two-hour drive from Santiago took us past immense fields of grapes and fruit-producing trees, family-owned ranches and bodegas, or wineries. Our destination was Santa Cruz, a small, unremarkable town that is in the heart of wine country.  Read more... (368 words, 2 images, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Holland America’s Veendam rounds Cape Horn on a series of cruises between now and March 2010. The following reports highlights Valparaiso, the embarkation/disembarkation port.]

Occupying a narrow swath of South America’s west coast, Chile extends nearly 2,700 miles from its southernmost point at Cape Horn to its northern border with Peru. The majestic Andes and the Pacific Ocean flank the country’s western and eastern borders, with slender Chile squeezed in between — averaging only 110 miles wide so that no matter where you are, you’re rarely more than a 90-minute drive from the Andes or the ocean.

Your cruise on Veendam will show you a fair bit of the southern Chilean coastline, including the country’s beautiful fjords and glaciers, as you make your way to or from Valparaiso, Chile’s principle port for cruise passengers.

But to truly get a feel for Chile, you’ll want to spend some time with your boots on the ground, particularly in Central Chile, home to the capital Santiago and a Mediterranean-like climate that lends itself to beautiful beaches and fine wines.  Read more... (810 words, 2 images, estimated 3:14 mins reading time)

[Holland America's Veendam rounds Cape Horn on a series of cruises between now and March 2010.]

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso, Chile, or in the reverse direction, “Round Cape Horn” cruises are South America’s most popular itineraries. You’ll typically spend two weeks on board ship, and overnight in some ports.

For example, Veendam overnights in Buenos Aires (on select sailings), giving you sufficient time to take in the Argentine capital (you can even get to Iquacu Falls on the Argentine-Brazil border while docked in Buenos Aires).

For a full taste of Santiago (about 90 minutes from the port of Valparaiso), you’ll want to build in extra time before or after your cruise. You may want to plan on three nights to see the sights around Santiago — particularly if you plan to visit the area’s wine country.  Read more... (317 words, 1 image, estimated 1:16 mins reading time)