Today I will step out of the mainstream articles which I consider soft adventure trips to a posh adventure trip. Today’s trip is a 16 day South American exploration aboard the Silver Wind (Silver Seas Line). There are some travelers who enjoy adventurous travel as long as they don’t need to ‘rough it’. So today’s trip will be on a very nice cruise line which requires you to dress up for dinner and requires no ‘roughing it’ unless you take a shore excursion of this type. I’m not sure this will interest everyone who normally read the blog but I will take a chance. Next week’s article will be on the Amazon River so I will be getting back to the normal type of trip.
But, you will be exploring the South America coast with wondrous ports and incredible scenery. I guess I would describe this as a trip for the pampered adventurer. There are seven dress up dinner nights on this cruise just to forewarn people who are only interested in casual trips.
You will be start your exploration from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Here is the itinerary:
Pre Cruise – Three Day Trip
Day 1: Buenos Aires, Argentina. A South American city with a very large European Influence. There is great shopping here for leather goods, gems and clothing. Rose of the Inca is a stone which is found only in Argentina. There are several shore options including the Fiesta Gaucha which provides an Argentine Steak and guacho horsemanship. You can also take a tripe to the Tigre Delta to explore this lush area.
Day 2: Montevideo, Uruguay. Half of Uruguay’s population lives here. There are many museums, beautiful beaches, cafes. Keep your eyes open for good buys on Amethyst, Topaz and Agate.
Day 3: Punta del Este, Uruguay. There are many water sports here to go with the beautiful beaches. There are also interesting forests to explore plus restaurants, boutiques, golf course, casinos and art galeries. This is a popular weekend resort area.
Day 4: You will be pampered during your day at sea
Day 5: Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Located at the edge of the Patagonia plains. Great diving and water sports. This is close to the Punta Tombo and Valdes Peninsula wildlife reserves. You can see Magellanic penguins, sea lions, whales and elephant seals here. You can purchase items made by the patagonian indians if you are a shopper.
Day 6: You will be pampered during your day at sea
Day 7: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. You will feel like you are in a British village. The Falkland Islands are home to many types of penguins. Southern Sea Lions and Giant See Elephants are also found here to breed and give birth to their young.
Day 8: Cruising the Strait of Magellan
Day 9 & 10: Punta Arenas, Chile You can explore the town or book an optional excursion to explore the beautiful nature and scenery of the interior or Costa Rica. You can visit the caves where the Magellan Penguins have their nests!
Day 11 & 12: Cruising the awesome and unspoiled Chilean fjords. This is one of the deepest fjords in the world.
Day 13: Laguna San Rafael, Chile: This is an arc shaped coastal lake which was formed by the San Rafael Glacier retreating in the northern Pantagonia region. The lagoon is connected to Moraleda Channel to the north. You can see glacier calving in this lagoon.
Day 14: Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. A chance to explore some of the area’s beautiful fjords. It is not recommended to make private arrangements because there are few English speaking guides. There are hikes and reserves to explore here.
Day 15: Puerto Montt, Chile. There are waterfalls, rapids, Lahuen Nadi Park and even a volcano exploration. Some of these trips may be difficult to arrange with 9 hours of port time but there is plenty to explore.
Day 16: Enjoy a relaxing day at sea as your trip is coming to an end
Day 17: Santiago, Chile Disembark the ship and stay home unless you are taking an optional extension.
Post Cruise – Five Night Trip
Post Cruise – Four Night Trip
So let’s recap what you will see on this trip besides wonderful scenery and unspoiled beaches:
Iguaza Falls (Optional pre cruise trip)
Buenos Aires
Peninsula Valdez Nature Preserve
Falkland Islands
Magellan Penguins
Strait of Magellan
Chilean Fjords
Machu Pichu post cruise
Easter Island post cruise
Even though this trip doesn’t feature rafts or Zodiaks being launched from the ship there is a lot of pampered exploring to do on this trip