The Best of Chile

Day notes

Upon your arrival at Santiago International Airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by an &Beyond representative, who will assist you in connecting to your domestic flight to Atacama. You will be contacted at the arrivals hall at Calama airport by your local representative and led to your waiting vehicle for the 90.minute drive to your hotel. At an altitude of 7,900 feet in the very heart of the Atacama, Calama is your gateway to the geological and archaeological wonders of the central desert.

Welcome to Atacama Desert!

This is the world’s driest landscape, cut off from storm systems by high-pressure air currents and by Chile’s twin mountain ranges. No precipitation has been recorded in some areas of this vast desert since the days of Spanish colonization, four hundred years ago.

The exceptional Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa blends effortlessly into the surrounds of the Catarpe Valley in the Salt Mountain Range, just outside of San Pedro de Atacama.  Influenced by local village architecture, the architects who built this magnificent retreat are some of the finest in Chile and pulled out all the stops to create a tranquil haven amidst the terracotta-coloured surrounds of the desert. You will have an assortment of accommodation options to choose from, each with a spectacular view, private terrace and lovely ensuite bathroom.

The hotel boasts various outdoor and indoor spaces that lend themselves perfectly towards offering utter relaxation. Guests can enjoy a living room with a roaring fireplace, an outdoor sitting area dotted with small fire pits, six outdoor pools and a Jacuzzi that overlooks the valley. Mouth-watering Chilean-inspired menus are the order of the day, created with only the freshest produce, sourced from local farmers, and accompanied by the finest Chilean wines. Adventures include walking or cycling excursions to nearby geysers, hot springs, volcano trails, desert canyons and ancient Inca ruins with petroglyphs.

Before the dinner and in time you will meet with your hosts for plan your next day’s activities

Day notes

At Alto Atacama, they offer guests to choose from 2 half day or one full day tour each day. Below a non-exhaustive list taken from the wide range of activities that are offered.

Excursions by vehicle

• Likanantai Culture Tour: After a short walk from the hotel to Pukara de Quitor, the hotel will drive you to the historic old town of San Pedro. There, we will stroll around the picturesque town, visit the church and the highly respected museum. We then drive to the archaeological ruins of Tulor – a 2800-year-old settlement – visiting a variety of ancient villages along the way.

Trekking 

• Jauna Trek: It is a full day hike in the highlands. Jauna is located about 65 km north of San Pedro de Atacama. Starting at an altitude of 4200 meters above sea level, you will go through its wetlands to observe its unique flora and fauna

Cycling

• Devil's Throat: This excursion begins on mountain bike from the Ayllu (settlement) of Quitor. From there the path winds through the spectacular gorges of the Cordillera de la Sal in the Catarpe Valley. The tour continues to the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), named in connection with ancient myths of the local people. Finally, you will bike to visit San Isidro and its perfectly situated church as an ideal end to the ride.

Day notes

After your breakfast you will be transferred to Calama Airport for your domestic flight to Santiago. Upon your arrival in Santiago, you will be met by your &Beyond representative who will transfer you to your hotel, located in the El Golf Neighbourhood, The Ritz Carlton Hotel

Day notes

Santiago de Chile is fast becoming the place to be. A platform for multi-national companies and an entrepreneurial spirit make it the ideal business hub in South America. Its tranquillity, stability, green areas, and cleanliness are all factors that surprise the visitor. The New York Times named it South America’s top destination just a few years ago, and a more recent article in Saveur magazine labelled it the continent’s new hot culinary capital. The quality of life, cultural and culinary offerings make it a highly desirable city.

The uptown areas of the city are famed for their avant-garde architecture and laid-back pace of life, but it is the centre of the city that is the real ‘heart’ of the city. This administrative centre is home to the Government Palace (La Moneda), the splendid Plaza de Armas square, its cathedral, and countless other historical landmarks, while pedestrian boulevards lead to numerous museums and leafy plazas. Neighbourhoods such as Providencia, Bellavista, Las Condes and Vitacura combine commercial and culinary highlights, state-of-the-art architecture, and night life. The tallest building in South America – designed by Cesar Pelli – looms over the city, visible from practically everywhere, and even offers a viewing platform that is a must on a clear day. Santiago’s parks are well worth a visit. The Parque Metropolitano, better known as Cerro San Cristóbal, is another omnipresent feature of the city, and visitors can walk or cycle up its leafy roads, or perhaps choose to take the rickety funicular to the top. The Parque Bicentenario, inaugurated for Chile’s bicentennial in 2010, and the beautiful Parque Forestal, and of course Cerro Santa Lucía, where the city was founded in 1541, are other green attractions.

This exploration of the city aims to provide a panoramic view of the city from different vantage points, calling briefly at historical, commercial, and residential icons of the city along the way. It serves as the perfect introduction to the city.

Return to the hotel at the end of the tour.

Day notes

After breakfast you will be transferred to Santiago Airport for your flight to Punta Arenas.  You will be contacted at the arrivals hall at Punta Arenas airport and led to your waiting vehicle for 5 hours approximately drive to your lodge located in Torres del Paine area

Welcome to Southern Patagonia!

You will head to the awe-inspiring beauty of Patagonia. Over 500 years after the arrival of the first European seafarers in Patagonia, the words to describe it are the same: exotic, faraway, vast, infinitely beautiful, wild, and indomitable. Situated in the heart of the National Park, the Torres del Paine Mountains are one of the main attractions of the region and an icon of Chilean Patagonia. The immensity of the ice floes, the majesty of the mountains and the expanse of the lakes are a constant source of wonderment. The Torres del Paine National Park’s habitat blends together a wide array of ecosystems, making it a treasure for Chilean wildlife. 

Day notes

Explora Patagonia offers a wide range of activities. We recommend you discuss the excursions on offer with your local guide to see what suits your preferences, fitness and mood the most. Below you have some activities available.

• TREKKINGS 

Mirador Pehoé 

Difficulty: Easy - Type: Half day -  Duration: 2 hrs -  Distance: 4 km / 2,4 miles -    Highlights: Local flora, Lake Pehoé, panoramic views

Description: You will leave the hotel by foot, walking along the Pehoé Lake, observing the various orchids and ñirre trees that comprise the local flora. You will ascend to a triangular rock from where you will be able to see the intense blue of Lake Pehoé and the Paine ridge. If the day is clear you will be able to enjoy a unique view from above, quite different from that of the hotel. Finally, you will descend, observing the turquoise tones of the Paine River from afar.  Recommended for families. 

Laguna Azul 

Level: Easy - Type: Half day -  Duration: 45 min -  Distance: 1.1 km / 0.7 miles -  Highlights: Local tree species, panoramic views of the Blue Lagoon and Paine Towers.

Description: After walking along the beaches of the Blue Lagoon, the passengers will slowly ascend on a path lined with lenga and ñirre trees. You will hike across plains and finally arrive at a lookout with panoramic views of the Blue Lagoon and the Paine Towers. Then, you will return on the same path towards the van, which will be waiting to take you back to the hotel. Recommended for families. 

Mirador Cóndor

Level: Moderate -  Type: Half day -  Duration: 2 hrs 30 min -  Distance: 4 km / 2,2 miles -   Highlights: 360° views of the park, panoramic lookouts, native forests

Description: Leave the hotel by foot, walking along Lake Pehoé and the camping area. From afar you will be able to see a mushroom shaped hill, at the top of it you will see you destination: Mirador Cóndor. Along the way you will pass through lenga and ñirre forests while gaininig altitude, feeling the force of the wind that makes this expedition all the more challenging. Once you reach the Mirador Cóndor, we will have a 360° view of the park, observing, among other things, Lake Pehoé, the Paine Massif, Lake Sarmiento and Explora Patagonia. On the way back you will go down a steep rocky slope until you reach the van that will take you back to Explora.

Mirador Ferrier 

Level: Expert - Type: Half day -  Duration: 3 hrs  -  Distance: 6 km / 3,5 miles -  Highlights: Forests, panoramic views of the Southern Ice Fields and Lake Grey

Description: Leave the hotel by van and head to the Grey Station, where you will immediately begin a very demanding ascent. You will gradually be able to see Lake Grey and the enormous ice barrier of the 'Southern Ice Fields' until you enter a very dense forest. After crossing the forest you will reach the final point of the exploration, usually quite windy, but with outstanding views of the Grey and Pehoé lakes. You will return from the station to Explora by van.

Glaciar Grey - Guardas

Level: Expert -  Type: Full day -  Duration: 6 hrs  -  Distance: 18.5 km / 11.5 miles  -  Highlights: Grey Glacier, native forests, icebergs

Description: On this exploration, You will follow the same path as the Grey Glacier exploration. From the Grey Glacier shelter, ascend towards the Park Ranger camp lookout, from where you will be able to truly grasp the glacier’s size. Later you will return along the same path to the shelter, from where you will board a boat that will take you up close to the glacier walls. As in the previous expedition, you will cross a lenga forest and the Pingo River hanging bridge to take a van back to the hotel.

(This excursion is subject to climate conditions, as the boat rides may be cancelled due to strong winds.)

• HORSEBACK RIDING

All horseback rides begin at the Explora stables, located 15 minutes from the hotel by van. 
Some of the riding explorations described in the following pages have been designed for travellers with minimal riding experience who feel comfortable controlling a horse in open spaces (level: easy). Others require more experience, such as the ability to walk, trot and canter along a trail for at least 3 hours (level: moderate). Advanced rides are for those who are comfortable for more than 3 hours on horseback and are able to control a horse in all gaits and situations.

Laguna Negra

Level: Easy - Type: Half day -  Duration: 1 hr 30 min -  Distance: 4 km / 2,5 miles -  Highlights: Lagoons, bird watching

Description: You will leave the stables and ride across rivers, forests and pampas as you ascend toward the Black Lagoon lookout. During the ride, you will come across several lagoons, ideal for spotting bird species such as southern lapwings, and upland geese. Recommended for families. 

Puente Grey

Level: Advanced -  Type: Half day -  Duration: 2 hr 15 min -  Distance: 9.7 km / 6 miles -  Highlights: Riverbank ride, panoramic views

Description: Begin the ride from the Explora stables and head toward the Grey River. The path is mostly flat and windy as it is quite exposed. You will arrive at the banks of the Grey River, ride along it, and finally return along the plain toward the stables.

Serrano

Level: Advanced - Type: Half day -  Duration: 2 hrs -  Distance: 13 km / 8 miles -  Highlights: Serrano River, native forests, panoramic views

Description: You will leave from the stables, riding across the plain and along the Serrano River. As the ride continues, you will cross some roads and ascend to a lookout from where you will be able to see a small town on the outskirts of the Park and the vastness of the plain around us. On the way back, you will cross a small Antarctic forest before returning to the Explora stables.

Donoso

Level: Advanced - Type: Full day - Duration: 5 hrs - Distance: 25 km / 15.5 miles - Highlights: Serrano Plain, Grey River, Donosito Lookout, forests, unch

Description: You will ride from the stables over the Serrano Plain and cross the Grey River. You will ascend a densely vegetated hill, crossing creeks, lagoons and plains. Depending on the rider’s expertise, you’ll be able to canter and trot. You will continue riding across wetlands until you arrive at the Donosito Lookout, from where you will see the Serrano River, the Grey River, the plain and the Paine Massif behind. Then, you will go up a narrow, pronounced path, crossing beech forests until reaching the Los Choros Lagoon where you will canter along the shore. After lunch in a nearby forest, you can continue your ride back to the stables.

Day notes

After breakfast, you will be driven to Punta Arenas Airport for your domestic flight to the Puerto Montt Airport. Upon arrival in Puerto Montt, you will be met by a representative from &Beyond Vira Vira and transferred to the lodge in Pucón.

Day notes

Today, our wonderful journey comes to an end and, after your breakfast, you will be driven to Temuco Airport for your flight to Santiago. In Santiago, we wave a warm farewell as you board your international flight onwards.