We know a few places where the term “End of the World” makes sense. Some for geographical reasons, others for the feeling they evoke. These are places where you feel there is nothing beyond them. Separated from the Andes by vast, flat, semi-arid expanses, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta It rises to an altitude of 5,775 metres just 42 km from the Caribbean Sea, making it the highest coastal mountain range in the world.
A couple of years ago we asked our specialists in South America to design the ideal trip for June. The result was this trip to Peru to learn about the Inca ancestral ceremony known as Inti Raymi, which is celebrated every winter solstice in the heart of Cuzco.
Trip departing on 14 June to discover the «Inti Raymi» which honours Inti, the Sun God.
Join us next Thursday, 16 January, at 19:00!
Put it in your diary: on Thursday 16 January at 19:00, we will meet by video call to discover the Puranga Flow project and our trip to the Brazilian Amazon. Register using the form.
As spring arrives in the southern hemisphere, Patagonia's trekking season begins. Our colleague Yolanda tells us some of his experiences travelling through Patagonia.
6 South American destinations to discover this summer.
South America is a continent of natural wonders, vibrant cultures and fascinating history. At Viajes Tuareg, we have carefully chosen the best routes to discover each destination's highlights. Below are our standout options, designed to give you unforgettable experiences.
A piece of Colombia that goes into the Caribbean; this is how La Guajira appears on the map. Located on the border with Venezuela, it is the northernmost part of South America and also one of the most unspoilt, is the land of the indigenous Wayuu, a region little known even to Colombians.
The trekking at Lost City Teyuna is one of the trips to Colombia most wonderful. An adventure that immerses you in the jungle for 5 days, full of unforgettable challenges.
A 17-day group trip to Peru with a shared core itinerary covering the essentials—Arequipa, Titicaca, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley—that lets you choose how to reach Machu Picchu, by train or along the Inca Trail. Complete the route with the Tambopata jungle, colourful Cerro Vinicunca or the ecological haven of the Ballestas Islands.
Often confused with the Arawak peoples, the indigenous Arhuaco communities inhabit the highlands of the Sierra de Santa Marta, in the valleys of the Chichicua, Piedras and Ariguaní rivers, among others. Their population is estimated at 25,000, and their lands are recognised by the State of Colombia as collectively owned protected area.
The Arhuaco are a people with recognized social and political consciousness, and although they live scattered across the Sierra de Santa Marta, meetings and ceremonies bringing all the communities together take place in the main villages. The most important of these is Nabusímake.
We have adapted one of our favourite classic trips for Christmas: crossing the Andes on roads and mountain tracks between Arequipa and Cuzco. We love it for the destination’s cultural and historical significance, the excellent team of guides and, of course, the unforgettable landscapes.
A 17-day trip to Peru, departing on the 25th and returning on Monday the 10th, just in time to return to work after a well-deserved Christmas holiday.
> Trips to Ecuador of 17 and 20 days
> Culture and nature trip
> Departures 4 SEP > 2 OCT > 6 NOV 2020
> Price from €2,300
What is the best time to travel to Antarctica?
1.- Antarctica: NOVEMBER and early DECEMBER
2.- Antarctica from DECEMBER to mid-FEBRUARY
3.- Antarctica from mid FEBRUARY to MARCH
3.- What is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current?
With the arrival of summer, coastal areas are free of ice which allows the ships to leave. A period of five months between November and March when weather conditions are more favourable and where more than 20 hours of sunlight a day for activities.
In November, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current begins to moderate temperatures throughout the southern hemisphere. The Drake Passage offers windows of weather when it is possible to reach Antarctica without facing 10-metre waves.
Late spring and early summer in the southern hemisphere. The continent is covered in snow, and the pack ice begins to break up. At this time of year, Antarctica is a wonderful white landscape, with abundant icebergs and sea ice.
Sunlight encourages abundant phytoplankton growth, attracting marine mammals to feed near the coast.
It is penguin mating season, and birds are laying their eggs.
Midsummer in the southern hemisphere. During this period, the warmest of the year, The snow melts, revealing rocks and tundra that allows us to go for walks.
Almost round-the-clock daylight delights photography enthusiasts.
Less sea ice means easier access to more distant areas. Seal and sea lion pups can be seen. Penguin chicks hatch, and their parents spend hours feeding them.
End of summer and beginning of autumn in the southern hemisphere. Antarctica is preparing for winter. It's the period when the sea ice reaches its smallest extent, allowing access to the most remote areas. It is also the ideal time for activities on land, with less snow.
The whales return to feed and it is the best time to observe them; seals and elephant seals rest on land, and penguins moult.
The Circumpolar Current forms part of the great ocean circulation driven by changes in water temperature. The coldest water flows along the ocean floor towards the equator, while warm surface waters from tropical latitudes flow upwards to replace the colder water that sinks.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows from west to east, counterbalancing the opposite direction of all subtropical currents in an area called the Antarctic Convergence,
an area of approximately 40 km where the waters sink northwards towards the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Year after year we review our itineraries and listen to suggestions from travellers and local partners to find out what we can improve on our trips. We know it can be hard to find time to share your views, so we created the traveller feedback prize draw with a chance to win 200 euros for giving us your impressions of the trip.
We have received thousands of reviews since we started this project in 2012. Some have been decisive factors in changes to our routes and most help us improve details that would otherwise escape our attention.
Sometimes, your suggestions and opinions make us look up from our desks, look up at the sky, stretch out your arms and smile with satisfaction ;). Many things can go wrong on a trip: bad weather, delays, vehicle breakdowns and even clashing personalities within the group can stop it being that “perfect trip” you fondly recall with friends.
Paloma S. sends us her opinions and comments about trip to Peru organised by Viajes Tuareg this summer and we want to share them with you because these are the reviews that give us a real sense of satisfaction and encourage us to keep improving our routes.
Trip review
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you have traveled with us, in our satisfaction questionnaire you can leave your feedback about the trip.
For lovers of unspoilt nature, we have organized this trip to Brazil in October travelling up the Amazon River from Manaus to the Anavilhanas Archipelago, deep in the jungle.
On board a regional boat equipped for trips and expeditions in the Amazon, we will travel up its tributaries to meet indigenous communities, see pink dolphins and take canoe trips through the flooded forest.
Ships have all possible comforts for expeditions of this type and we are accompanied by a crew and, at times, local guides who will introduce us to life in the Amazon river communities. They usually have two decks, and cabins with toilets can be booked depending on the size of the group. Built from wood, they are simple and comfortable.
The Amazon River is Manaus’s main transport artery.
The Amazon is immense and unstoppable. Leaving its main channel behind, we find the jungle we were hoping for among the tributaries and waterways.
Upriver, we stop at several Indigenous communities. Travellers can observe the difference between those where NGOs are present
During the trip, we anchor the boat in quiet stretches of the Apuau River, which will serve as our “base camp” for several days.
At night, those who wish can leave the safety of the boat and camp in the jungle: an explosion of sounds, smells, darkness and caimans… a real face-to-face encounter with nature.
Alongside Christmas sweets, family gatherings and feasts, this time of year is known for compilations and lists of resolutions that this year Yes, we will. We have prepared our list for 2018. Do you already have yours?
I am sure many of you have an item on your list that says: “This is the year I finally Make that trip. that I have always wanted». This is usually a dream of somewhere far away, on the other side of the world.
When you go into the Anavilhanas National Park, we pass countless tiny islands and mangroves, where white-sand beaches emerge during the dry season. At this point, the Rio Negro reaches 27 km across and looks almost like an open sea. Nearly 400 islands are scattered along 90 km, forming the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. The flow is immense, and take note: the river is around 300 metres deep!
They say there are two ways to get to know a country, or perhaps the world: travel through it or read about it. Or both. Peru has wonderful places such as Cuzco, Abancay, the beaches of the north or Arequipa.
The Word «Solstice’ comes from the Latin solstitium, meaning sun and statum, or stationary sun. It occurs at a time of year when the sun is over one of the tropics, making the day or night the longest of the year.
It usually occurs around 21 June. For those in the northern hemisphere, it is the summer solstice, bringing the longest day and shortest night. In the southern hemisphere, it is the winter solstice and means the opposite: the shortest day and longest night. Both have one thing in common: the rituals, celebrations and traditions centred on the sun as a symbol of rebirth and hope.
“If you want to see the rainbow you have to face the storm”
Cusco’s best-kept secret is Cerro Colorado, an impressive mountain site at 5000 metres above sea level. The mountain owes its colours to a geological process in which different strata formed multicoloured layers: ochres, reds, whites and blues are intermingled to create a magical effect. It forms a magnificent backdrop to one of the world’s most sought-after hiking routes, renowned for its beauty.
