South America Archives - Hike Bike Travel

Unique Peru Experiences to Try Once in Your Life

Have you dreamed of traveling to Peru, a South American country famous for its diverse landscapes, and one-of-a-kind experiences? Peru packs a punch for a country that is just five times the size of the United Kingdom. It's a nature lover's dream destination with over 1,800 bird species, 500 mammal species and an astounding 3,700 butterfly species. It's home to ancient archeological sites, including world renown Machu Picchu, Choquequiaro and the Nazca Lines to name…

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Visiting Machu Picchu: 5 Things You Must Do

Visiting Machu Picchu is high on the list of travelers from around the world. Not only was it awarded UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1983 but Machu Picchu made the list of Wonders of the Modern World in 2007. What that means today is that visiting Machu Picchu is never going to be a solitary experience. In fact (too many) travelers see it as a rite of passage leading to visitor numbers exceeding 5,000…

Indigenous women hard at work at the Caccaccollo Women's Weaving Co-op

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Sacred Valley Peru – 4 Things You Must Do

The fertile Sacred Valley in Peru is easy to visit as a day trip from Cusco. There's plenty to do from rafting to ruins - as it was formerly part of the Incan empire, but our group of fourteen hikers is here primarily to see what the face of sustainable tourism in the valley looks like. The Sacred Valley in Peru deserved more time that we gave it - as there is quite a bit…

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Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu

Have you ever heard of the Choquequirao trek in Peru? I had not until I spent some time looking through active vacations on the G Adventures website. I don't know how this superb 8 day trek slipped by me. I'm familiar with the other three treks that deposit you at Machu Picchu - the Inca Trail, the Salkantay trek and the Lares trek. But the Choquequirao trek is the only one I'd recommend, now that…

The delta waterways can get busy especially on a summer weekend

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Day Trip from Buenos Aires to Entre Rios

Leigh and I along with two great friends, Judy and Scot, backpacked in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park for eight days and then proceeded to the Patagonia Eco-Domes near El Chalten in Argentina to do some hiking in Los Glaciares National Park. We were well advised that Patagonia would be windy, rainy, sunny, cold and cool, might snow and did I mention windy. Our post-Patagonia plan was to fly to Buenos Aires and then…

Hiking just steps away from the Grey Glacier

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Photos of Patagonia to Inspire a Hiking Trip

I've been drooling over photos of Patagonia, particularly Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks for a couple of decades - long before they became hot spots. Both parks are busy now, especially the W Circuit in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. I hope these 30 photos of Patagonia - all in Torres del Paine National Park inspire a trip on your part. Fortunately for us the first four days on the O…

What a backdrop for a hike on the way to both Las Torres and Chileno Campgrounds

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Torres del Paine Trek – What You Need to Know

The Torres del Paine trek - which includes the O and W Circuits is nothing short of spectacular. These aren't easy multi-day hikes, especially with full backpacks but they sure are bucket list worthy. You are in for a treat if you head to this part of Patagonia to trek. It's time consuming researching the Torres del Paine trek - be it the O Circuit or the W circuit. I always had questions I could never…

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Things to do in Punta Arenas in 24 Hours

Chances are high if you're planning a visit to Patagonia that you'll fly from Santiago into Punta Arenas, Chile - a seaside city known as the "end of the world." It certainly has that sense about it. It's both bigger, windier and more colourful than I imagined it to be with an overriding sense of loneliness about it, largely because I hardly saw a soul, except on the boardwalk late in the afternoon. Despite its…

Hiking beside the lake to get the best view of the Fitz Roy Towers

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Fitz Roy Trek – One of the Best Hikes in Patagonia

The Fitz Roy trek in Los Glaciares National Park is one of the best hikes in Patagonia. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is located in the Austral Andes of Argentina. The gateway town is El Chalten, about a three hour scenic bus ride from El Calafate - where there is a decent-sized airport. Los Glaciares National Park is best known for its day hikes rather than multi-day backpacking trips, though there…

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Trek in Patagonia – How to Prepare & Pack

I went with my husband and friends to trek in Patagonia - with the goal to hike both the "O" Circuit in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park and to do a few day hikes in Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. I spent in excess of 30 hours researching, planning and preparing for this trek in Patagonia. From experience, here's what to pack and how to prepare for a trek in Patagonia. This post…