Chile/Argentina - suggestions on where to go before/after Antarctica Cruise

[Basaka]

Hi everyone,

Finally locking in a cruise to Antarctica since COVID scuppered the last one.

Cruise is 22 Nov-02 Dec.

I am in South America from 11 Nov to 08 Dec. Flying in/out of SCL.
I'm thinking of spending about a week in Chile (Santiago) and a week in Argentina (Bueno Aries)? I'm seeing if anyone has any suggestions on what to do based on experience (and not just google) and whether I should stay longer/shorter in each location. Thought about a 3rd country but I don't think I'll have quite enough time for that.
Have not booked any flights within South America yet so pretty flexible on plans around the cruise for now.

Cheers

 

[SYD]

Have you been before? And what are you interested in seeing?

A couple days in SCL is usually enough to get around most of the sights plus from SCL, Valparaiso can be done as a day trip as can be some wineries.

Depending on where you’re sailing from, you could work your way down Chile via the Lakes District (I’m trying to plan that at the moment for later this year also), then further south.

Similarly, a week in BA you can tick off quite a bit. A day trip to Colonia in Uruguay is doable if you’re interested in seeing some colonial history. Mendoza is the heartland for Argentinian wines. Assuming you’re going to Argentina after the cruise?, you could make your way to El Calafate for Perito Moreno glacier and then BA.

 

[kpc]

Iguazu Falls is definitely worth a visit.

Easter Island is a direct non stop flight from Scl

 

[Basaka]

Have you been before? And what are you interested in seeing?

A couple days in SCL is usually enough to get around most of the sights plus from SCL, Valparaiso can be done as a day trip as can be some wineries.

Depending on where you’re sailing from, you could work your way down Chile via the Lakes District (I’m trying to plan that at the moment for later this year also), then further south.

Similarly, a week in BA you can tick off quite a bit. A day trip to Colonia in Uruguay is doable if you’re interested in seeing some colonial history. Mendoza is the heartland for Argentinian wines. Assuming you’re going to Argentina after the cruise?, you could make your way to El Calafate for Perito Moreno glacier and then BA.

First time in South America! Cruise is departing Ushuaia (so the usual).

Will look at the suggested places, some looks quite interesting already!

 

[AuSammy]

We did the lakes crossing a few years back from Puerto Montte that ends up in Bariloche then flew to BA.

In BA can visit Colonia via ferry (wear insect repellent or you will get eaten alive by mozzies). Visit the cemetery with grave of Eva Peron, visit the Paris Quarter where you feel you could be in a suburb of Paris, La Boca or “colourful town”, visit a Tango palace. Plenty to keep you busy for 2-4days.

Iguazu falls are amazing. If you go there stay on the Brazilan side inside the national park at Hotel das Cataratas. There is an amazing bird park nearby to spend a few hours in.

 

[RooFlyer]

This was my grand tour of South America (not-Brazil) which may give you some ideas:

Thread 'Hola! Around South America on LAN'

Apr 15, 2015

Following in the footsteps of, and inspired by a number of AFFers (hi JohnM, dr.ron/mrsdr.ron, kpc and others ) I'm going round (western) South America for a month, mostly on LAN, but a bit of Avianca and even TAME.

The schedule is:

HBA-SYD VA Y
SYD-AKL-SCL LAN J
Overnight Santiago Novotel
SCL-GYE-UIO LAN PE
4 nights Quito Mercure, seeing the city and touring the volcanos to the south (although the weather forecast is lousy)
UIO to Coca TAME Y
3 nights at Sacha Lodge, a rainforest lodge in the eastern Ecuadorian rainforest
Coca to Quito TAME Y
UIO-GYE-GPS (Baltra, Galapagos...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 291
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

This driving trip and a cruise south of Puerto Montt - the Lake District of Chile and Argentina there I'd especially recommend.

Thread 'Patagonian cruise, circum-Andean drive and a Pacific island hop back'

Feb 12, 2017

If trip reports had a sub title, this one would be "When trip reports Collide"

Today I start on a trip to South America which involves two different AFF meet-ups.

First, the flights:



Virgin Australia domestic, then LATAM Sydney to Santiago via Auckland, then back with stops in Easter Island and Tahiti and then Air New Zealand onwards to Melbourne via Auckland again. Business except the domestic legs. I'm doing most of the trip with a couple of friends. If anyone is in the SYD Qantas Flounge Monday morning, I'd so much appreciate some-one guesting in one of my...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 167
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

My own Antarctic cruise and what I did before

Thread 'Chile and Antarctica cruise'

Dec 12, 2023

I haven't begun this TR until I'm sitting here in the Qantas F Lounge at Sydney, waiting for my flight to Santiago, mainly because there have been so many issues to date, I wondered if I'd ever make it this far.

But what is planned:

Flights are all revenue, except the VA one first.
HBA-SYD, VA J
SYD-SCL , QF J
SCL-MVD, LATAM Y (bumped to the next day due to late SYD-SCL, was originally booked PE )
MVD-SCL LATAM PE
SCL-PWU Charter flight, effectively Eurobusiness
Cruise
PWU-SCL charter, 'Eurobusiness'
SCL-SYD, QF J
SYD-HBA, VA J



Cruise is SilverSeas, 19 days...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 336
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

Mendoza in Argentina is a 'must' if you like your wines

Thread 'Chilling out in southern Chile'

May 23, 2016

Well, the title is mostly a lie, sorry. Not a good start. It was a work trip, but I couldn't resist the snazzy trip title. There wasn't a lot of chilling out at all, but rather a number of long drives, 4WDing over some atrocious tracks and some mild mountain-side climbing, checking out mineral areas. For those who have seen my figure, the latter may seem unlikely! But it was in a very scenic part of southern Chile so I thought I'd share what I can.

Guaranteed to be off the tourist trails!

I rarely go back to an area where I've visited ... too much of the world unseen! But...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 38
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

 

[RooFlyer]

Iguazu falls are amazing. If you go there stay on the Brazilan side inside the national park at Hotel das Cataratas. There is an amazing bird park nearby to spend a few hours in.

And from there you can get a day tour across to the Argentinian side and walk above the falls.

 

[SYD]

This was my grand tour of South America (not-Brazil) which may give you some ideas:

Thread 'Hola! Around South America on LAN'

Apr 15, 2015

Following in the footsteps of, and inspired by a number of AFFers (hi JohnM, dr.ron/mrsdr.ron, kpc and others ) I'm going round (western) South America for a month, mostly on LAN, but a bit of Avianca and even TAME.

The schedule is:

HBA-SYD VA Y
SYD-AKL-SCL LAN J
Overnight Santiago Novotel
SCL-GYE-UIO LAN PE
4 nights Quito Mercure, seeing the city and touring the volcanos to the south (although the weather forecast is lousy)
UIO to Coca TAME Y
3 nights at Sacha Lodge, a rainforest lodge in the eastern Ecuadorian rainforest
Coca to Quito TAME Y
UIO-GYE-GPS (Baltra, Galapagos...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 291
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

This driving trip and a cruise south of Puerto Montt - the Lake District of Chile and Argentina there I'd especially recommend.

Thread 'Patagonian cruise, circum-Andean drive and a Pacific island hop back'

Feb 12, 2017

If trip reports had a sub title, this one would be "When trip reports Collide"

Today I start on a trip to South America which involves two different AFF meet-ups.

First, the flights:



Virgin Australia domestic, then LATAM Sydney to Santiago via Auckland, then back with stops in Easter Island and Tahiti and then Air New Zealand onwards to Melbourne via Auckland again. Business except the domestic legs. I'm doing most of the trip with a couple of friends. If anyone is in the SYD Qantas Flounge Monday morning, I'd so much appreciate some-one guesting in one of my...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 167
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

My own Antarctic cruise and what I did before

Thread 'Chile and Antarctica cruise'

Dec 12, 2023

I haven't begun this TR until I'm sitting here in the Qantas F Lounge at Sydney, waiting for my flight to Santiago, mainly because there have been so many issues to date, I wondered if I'd ever make it this far.

But what is planned:

Flights are all revenue, except the VA one first.
HBA-SYD, VA J
SYD-SCL , QF J
SCL-MVD, LATAM Y (bumped to the next day due to late SYD-SCL, was originally booked PE )
MVD-SCL LATAM PE
SCL-PWU Charter flight, effectively Eurobusiness
Cruise
PWU-SCL charter, 'Eurobusiness'
SCL-SYD, QF J
SYD-HBA, VA J



Cruise is SilverSeas, 19 days...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 336
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

Mendoza in Argentina is a 'must' if you like your wines

Thread 'Chilling out in southern Chile'

May 23, 2016

Well, the title is mostly a lie, sorry. Not a good start. It was a work trip, but I couldn't resist the snazzy trip title. There wasn't a lot of chilling out at all, but rather a number of long drives, 4WDing over some atrocious tracks and some mild mountain-side climbing, checking out mineral areas. For those who have seen my figure, the latter may seem unlikely! But it was in a very scenic part of southern Chile so I thought I'd share what I can.

Guaranteed to be off the tourist trails!

I rarely go back to an area where I've visited ... too much of the world unseen! But...

• RooFlyer
• Replies: 38
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

The challenge for the OP is only 1wk either side of a cruise and probably the need for one last o/n in SCL before the flight home.

Having been to Sth Am over 1/2 doz times and still have new things to do, I’d probably suggest something like this:

Santiago - a couple of days. Maybe squeeze in a trip to Valparaiso.

Fly to Puerto Montt for lakes district - will only have a few days.

Hopefully possible to fly direct to Ushuaia? For cruise.

Post cruise, fly to El Calafate, then on to BA for a couple days before heading back to SCL.

Could be very tight, but slip in a cheeky trip to Mendoza. From there you can fly direct to SCL on LATAM.

and there’s the issue. Short of spending a lot of time in planes, there’s way too much to do in 2 wks let alone 4 or even 6 wks.

If OP has seen enough snow and ice in Antartica, then maybe skip Perito Moreno (stunning) and sub Iguassu (also stunning and yes, stay within the park but that’s two nights for a whole day in the park).

 

[luxury-lizard]

Also consider the Atacama Dessert - 2 hour flight from SCL but amazing.

 

[Basaka]

I do think I want to try and keep it to 1 flight to a destination outside the capital cities or I'd be spending a lot of time on the plane!
From the looks of it I will definitely want to do another trip at some point (without the cruise) to see more places.

I will take a look at everything that's been suggested and look at flight options to see which ones make the most sense to fit in at least for this trip.

 

[Fifa]

We flew to CDC, hired a car and stayed in
La Pedro Atacama for 3 days before our Antarctica cruise 18 months ago. Highly recommended

 

[kpc]

Allow an extra day in Ushuaia to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park...we thought it was quite beautiful and scenic.

 

[kpc]

From the looks of it I will definitely want to do another trip at some point (without the cruise) to see more places.

I have been to Sth America 6x and have been to every country there except Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana. I absolutely love it!

From Easter Island to the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro, LaPaz, Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia, Lake Titicaca, Medellin in Colombia, Patagonia, Iguazu Falls, South America has it all!

I need to go back to go to the Amazon river, Pantanal to see the jaguars and the 3 countries mentioned above. Venezuela has the highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls at over a km high!

 

[SYD]

I need to go back to go to the Amazon river

A heads-up that the “meeting of the waters” is one of those hideously overhyped things to see. Brown poo coloured water mingling with darker poo coloured water. Tick

But seeing the Amazon itself and the shear scale is amazing. We went in late September 2001 - we had an entire Eco Lodge to ourselves… They say the Peru side is exceptional.

 

[AuSammy]

the Peru side is exceptional

2012 we stayed in an eco lodge in the Peruvian Amazon jungle on the edge of an alligator (caiman) infested lake. The only way in was boat then porters then canoe. Everything was “portered” in and out. Fascinating 4 days, a real highlight. The wild life at dawn and dusk was amazing.

 

[RooFlyer]

2012 we stayed in an eco lodge in the Peruvian Amazon jungle on the edge of an alligator (caiman) infested lake. The only way in was boat then porters then canoe. Everything was “portered” in and out. Fascinating 4 days, a real highlight. The wild life at dawn and dusk was amazing.

Did much the same thing - Sacha Lodge - in 2015