An Eco-Tourism Guide to Travelling in Peru by Kathy Jarvis on 29th May, 2020 Eco-tourism in Peru is key to ensuring that this popular Andean holiday destination will benefit from the large number of travellers it attracts each year, especially at its iconic sites of Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, Lake Titicaca and beyond. Here’s our advice on how to support sustainable tourism in Peru. An Eco-Tourism …
The best things to do in Mindo, Ecuador by Kathy Jarvis on 22nd May, 2020 Mindo, just 80 km from Quito is a small, friendly and fun town, popular with tourists and packed with fabulous things to do. It is easy to get to Mindo as it is just 80km from Quito and it’s beautifully located in the wildlife rich cloud forest on the western slopes of Ecuador’s Andes. Mindo …
Galapagos Conservation Trust and Andean Trails by Kathy Jarvis on 15th May, 2020 The Galapagos Islands are a paradise to holiday in. But they are also a paradise in need of protection and conservation. At Andean Trails, while making your Galapagos holiday come true, we are also supporting the fantastic work of the Galapagos Conservation Trust. Read on to find out more… Galapagos Conservation Trust and …
Quilotoa or Cotopaxi? Trekking Guide to Ecuador’s Best Walks by Kathy Jarvis on 11th May, 2020 Kathy Jarvis, Andean Trails director, gives her expert opinion and thoughts on hiking in the Cotopaxi and Quilotoa areas of Ecuador. She writes: I am a great fan of walking, whether half days, full day walks or multi-day treks, so whenever I am heading to the Andes I do a bit of research and …
Best Hiking Trails in the Galapagos Islands by Kathy Jarvis on 2nd May, 2020 Our guide to the best guided and self-guided hiking trails in the Galapagos Islands. Hiking trails are found throughout the Galápagos Islands, and whether you choose to visit the islands on a cruise or opt for a land-based tour, you will certainly have opportunities for walking. Many excursions include gentle wanderings along rocky …
Bucket List: Birds of Patagonia by Kathy Jarvis on 24th April, 2020 Patagonia is a magical territory that covers the southern tip of South America. A land of plains, fjords, mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes; an extraordinary place and home to the amazing birds of Patagonia. There are nearly 300 bird species to be found in Patagonia, so it is the ideal place for birding. These …
Guide to the Best Glacier Hikes in Patagonia by Kathy Jarvis on 22nd April, 2020 Visiting Patagonia and hiking on the glaciers go hand in hand. Read on for our suggestions of some of the best glacier hikes in Patagonia. Patagonia offers a wonderful array of glaciers: some you hike to, some you trek on top of and other, more remote, glaciers you can only reached by boat. …
Why Should I Visit The Chilean Fjords? by Alan Lyall on 10th April, 2020 The magnificent Chilean fjords stretch down the south west coast of South America. They start in the Reloncavi Sound near Puerto Montt and finish at the end of the continent in Cape Horn. As the crow flies, this is a distance of well over 1,500 km. This length would be equivalent to a …
Covid 19 by Kathy Jarvis on 2nd April, 2020 COVID 19 Page updated on 26 May 2020 (by Kathy Jarvis, director) We would like to extend a huge thanks all our UK staff and our numerous partners throughout South America for their help in reorganising tours that our customers have booked. Our partners in South America are putting a lot of time and …
Best cloud forest lodges in Ecuador by Kat Dougal on 20th March, 2020 Ecuador’s Cloudforest is a magnet for those in search of wildlife, bird watching and the elusive Spectacled Bear. Sustainable eco-lodges in the cloud forest are a fantastic base to explore the flora and fauna and are so easily reached from Quito, being only a 2 hour car journey away. Here’s Andean Trails’ low down …
Things to do in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador by Kathy Jarvis on 6th March, 2020 Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. The scenery, vegetation and wildlife of the area are exceptional and there are plenty of opportunities to get out of town and explore the area fully. Puerto Lopez itself, although not pretty, can offer excellent …
Guide to the Best Amazon Rainforest Lodges in Ecuador by Kat Dougal on 28th February, 2020 Ecuador’s best rainforest lodges are known for their great location in the country’s Amazon basin, their standard of comfort and the wildlife that surrounds them. When we say “best” at Andean Trails, we try to look beyond comfort and like to focus also on the community projects each eco-lodge supports, the wildlife we find …
San Pedro de Atacama: Best tours and things to do in the desert by Alan Lyall on 14th February, 2020 What are the best tours to do in San Pedro de Atacama? Here we give you our suggestions of the best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro de Atacama San Pedro de Atacama is a small Andean town in the Altiplano of Chile’s Atacama Desert. It is an …
Galapagos Cruises in 2020: Guide to the Best Boats by Kat Dougal on 7th February, 2020 Want to know the best Galapagos cruises for 2020? Read our guide to itineraries, wildlife and trip length with our Galapagos travel expert, and navigate your way to the best boat tour for you. How to choose a Galapagos cruise in 2020 At first, the choice of Galapagos boats can feel bewildering. Yacht, …
South America: The Best Countries To Visit on Holiday by Alan Lyall on 31st January, 2020 When planning your holiday to South America you may ask yourself; which are the best countries to visit in South America? South America is a continent of amazing contrasts. These range from tropical jungle to glaciers, remote high mountain villages to bustling coastal cities, mountain ranges to endless pampa. The continent is blessed with a …
Not the Inca Trail: The best treks near Cusco and Machu Picchu by Kathy Jarvis on 14th January, 2020 The best treks near Cusco and Machu Picchu This week Kathy, co-author of the Bradt Peru trekking guides, takes us through what to do when the Inca Trail is sold out……. Inca trail permits sold out With the Inca Trail rigorously controlled through a permit system (500 a day) and constant high demand for this world famous …
Best South America Tours 2020 by Alan Lyall on 20th December, 2019 As 2019 draws to a close, we in the Andean Trails office are looking forward to a New Year filled with exciting and wonderful South America tours and adventures for our clients and of course ourselves! Kat is also returning in mid January after taking maternity leave. We have much to look forward to! …
Graffiti & Street Art Buenos Aires by Alan Lyall on 13th December, 2019 Street art is not what Buenos Aires is usually known for. The vibrant capital of Argentina is best known for its elegant parks, bustling boulevards, impressive historical buildings and buzzing day and night life. Lesser known, but no less impressive, is the abundance of graffiti raised to street art in several iconic districts of …
Top 5 activities to do in the Pucon area by Alan Lyall on 6th December, 2019 Pucon in Chile is a charming town lying on Lake Villarrica in the north of Chile’s Lake District. It nestles into the eastern shore of Lake Villarrica and is looked over by the Villarrica Volcano, a majestic snow-capped conical mountain. Pucon is a place full of activities for all ages and tastes. The area is …
Bahia Bustamante: An off the beaten path wildlife experience in Argentine Patagonia by Alan Lyall on 29th November, 2019 Alan was recently in Patagonia and visited Bahia Bustamante in Argentina. Here he describes the experience of a few days in Bahia Bustamante, comfort, rooms, gastronomy, excursions and wildlife. He writes: “It was evening and the sun has just set when we arrived at Bahia Bustamante, a solitary outpost on the Patagonian coast of …
