The Discovery Journey to

Patagonia

 

Discover the raw and rugged beauty of Patagonia, Argentina. Enjoy cultured Buenos Aires before exploring Patagonia, a vast land that has been shaped by wind and glacial movements. Highlights include seeing colonies of elephant seals, migrating whales and guanacos at Valdes Peninsula, Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo, and magnificent glaciers of glimmering ice at Los Glaciares National Park.  Optional extensions are available to Iguazu Falls, and Torres del Paine in Chile.

Day 1 - Miami/En Route

Board your overnight flight in Miami en route to Buenos Aires. (Meals Aloft)

Days 2/3 -  Buenos Aires

Upon arrival, you are escorted to your luxury, well-located hotel. One of the great capitals of the world, Buenos Aires has charm and vitality in abundance, and its teeming life lingers on until all hours of the night.  Tonight, start with dinner at a local steak restaurant and then a tango show. The next day visit some of its most popular attractions, including the Rio De La Plata, an ecological reserve, Plaza de Mayo and some of Buenos Aires' most colorful barrios. MARRIOTT PLAZA HOTEL. (B Aloft, D;B)

Days 4/5 - Valdes Peninsula

Fly to Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, and drive to the Valdes Peninsula. Your rustic home for the next two nights, Faro Punta Delgada, is a lighthouse converted into a motel. Trekking is the most common activity at Punta Delgada and staying here gives you access to the beach below and the magnificent wildlife found on it:  elephant seals – hundreds, and at times, thousands line the beach and can be seen up close.  Spend a full day touring the Valdes Peninsula to see elephant seals and Magellanic penguins at Caleta Valdes. Sea lions await your arrival at Punta Norte.  Guanacos graze against the brilliant blue background of the sea, Patagonian maras may be running around, and you might also catch a glimpse of Darwin’s Rhea – the largest bird in South America and cousin to the Emu and Ostrich. FARO PUNTA DELGADA. (B,L,D Daily)

 

Days 6/7 - Puerto Pyramides/Puerto Madryn/Rawson/Punta Tombo/Trelew

Board a boat at Puerto Pyramides to view the amazing southern right whales during a morning cruise (season and weather permitting.) Then, return to Puerto Madryn which is nestled in a protected bay on the Gulf Nuevo. After lunch, visit the Ecocenter, dedicated to environmental education and research, for a guided tour by a scientist. Continue to Trelew, the Welsh “town of Lew,” situated by the River Chubut. The next day, head off to Rawson for a cruise in search of the dusky, Commerson’s, and bottlenose dolphins. Then it’s off to Punta Tombo to see the largest single colony of Magellanic penguins on the continent. Nothing can prepare you for this spectacle, as in excess of 750,000 of these flightless birds make their home in this area.  Everywhere you look, there are nesting penguins.  Every inch of bush is taken, as is the beach.  They’re so unintimidated by you, they just might decide to begin pecking at your shoes. HOTEL LIBERTADOR. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 8/9/10 -  El Calafate/Lago Argentino/Los Glaciares National Park/Perito Moreno

Fly to El Calafate on the southern shore of Lago Argentino. In the steppe you can find Lesser Rheas, guanacos, red foxes and gray foxes. Birdlife is abundant and includes species such as Sierra-finches, Seedsnipes and Andean Condors. This remote region of Argentina is referred to as "Los Glaciares" as much of it is covered by a vast ice sheet over 200 miles long and up to 40 miles wide. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1981, its main features are towering mountains, beautiful lakes, and the massive edges of the glaciers descending from the Andes into icy arms on the lake’s western shores. Lago Argentino is the southernmost of the Park's four huge lakes produced by Pleistocene glaciation. Surrounded by beautiful ancient forests and dazzling glaciers, it covers 937 square miles.  The next day, journey to the Upsala Glacier – the largest in the area – by catamaran, to see its imposing ice sheets which nourish the Lake in narrow channels and fjords. Navigating the glacier is exciting as icebergs bob, grind, and even turn occasional flips. The icy blues shine with an eerie, cerulean glow. Disembark at Estancia Cristina and enjoy a fantastic adventure on a 4WD Unimog to observe the bay and the area surrounding the Estancia.  Cross the fossils valley to see oysters and other fossils dating back millions of years proving how long life in the sea has existed.  A magnificent “asado” (barbecue) lunch will be served before returning home in the late afternoon. Your last ice-filled morning takes you to the permanently advancing Perito Moreno Glacier, the most breathtaking of all. Your afternoon is at leisure.  Trek into the woods, take a siesta, or enjoy an optional glacier trek (at add’l cost). These glaciers are rivers of ice formed by the accumulation of snow on the mountains.  Imagine: walking on ice (snow) that fell thousands of years ago. Your home base is located at the foot of the imposing mountain range of the Andes in El Calafate, at a marvelous luxury hotel.  HOTEL KOSTEN AIKE. (B,L Daily)

 

Days 11/12 - Buenos Aires/Miami

Fly back to beautiful Buenos Aires where a few dayrooms are available at the MARRIOTT PLAZA. There’s time to sightsee or shop before you are escorted to the airport for your overnight flight to Miami.  (B, Meals Aloft)

Optional Extensions to Iguazu Falls & Chile

Begin your adventure with a Pre-Extension to view Iguazu Falls, the dramatic natural wonder that straddles Argentina and Brazil, dazzling the eye with its spectacular views. Explore Iguazu River by foot and boat, on both sides of the border. Extend your South American adventure with a Post Extension to Chile. Enjoy excellent birding, wildlife viewing, and breathtaking scenery in Torres Del Paine National Park, view the Straights of Magellan at the frontier town of Punta Arenas, marvel at the colorful culture of Chile’s capital city – Santiago, and toast this amazing land at one of its many world-renowned coastal wineries.

Your Journey Includes:

• Superior and best available accommodations throughout.
• Services of local naturalist guides.
• All meals as specified.
• All park entry fees.
• Gratuities for baggage handling, hotel tips and taxes.
• Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.

2008 Dates	Price Main Trip Land Only	Single Supplement Price/Main	Optional Extensions	Price Extension	Single Supplem. Price/Ext
Jan 10-21	$5,695	$1,295	Iguazu Falls	$1,495	$495
			Chile	$2,995	$895
Oct 10-21	$5,695	$1,295	Iguazu Falls	$1,695	$595
			Chile	$2,995	$895
Oct31- Nov 11	$5,695	$1,295	Iguazu Falls	$1,695	$595
			Chile	$2,995	$895
Dec26- Jan 6	$5,895	$1,295	Iguazu Falls	$1,495	$495
			Chile	$2,995	$895

*Prices do not reflect applicable taxes.

Call Today to begin planning your journey of a lifetime
(800) 627-1244