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…
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. Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-Op in the Sacred Valley Peru For a feel good activity that really does…
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…
Recently, 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…
I've been drooling over photos of Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks in Patagonia 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. Fortunately for us the first four days on the O Circuit are quiet, at least in comparison. I feel lucky to have visited both parks - but what a lot of…
The Torres del Paine trek - which include the O and W Circuits are nothing short of spectacular. They 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…
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…
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…
I'm heading to Patagonia this week 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 have spent in excess of 30 hours researching, planning and preparing for this trek in Patagonia. Four of us are doing it on our own and good information seems to be really hard to come by. Here's how to prepare for…
I'm super excited to be heading to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's Patagonia region in January. It's a real holiday - though I'm sure a few of my armchair readers might think that trekking for 8 - 10 days in conditions that can include gale force winds, rain and possible snow doesn't sound like much fun. However the mountains in Paine are like no other place on the planet - and they've been…
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