Northern Argentina
Cacti, Condors and culture of the Andes

Thursday 3 - Thursday 17 November 2011 (15 days)
Monday 22 October - Monday 5 November 2012 (15 days)

From the cloud forests and dry semi-deserts of the Andean foothills, to the awesome peaks and high plateaux of the High Andes, we go in search of Argentina's amazing wildlife, with, for the first time on one of our tours, a focus on its spectacular and fascinating cacti, at a time when many are in flower. Join us for the trip of a lifetime in some of the best wilderness areas in South America!





Scenically, this is one of the most varied trips we run, travelling to some of Argentina's most spectacular landscapes and its richest wildlife habitats, ranging from woodlands in the lowlands to cloud forests at greater altitudes, and from vast extensions of shrub deserts to high Andean meadows with snowcapped peaks in the distance.

Our itinerary also takes us to some superb archaeological sites where we can absorb the history, arts, crafts and music of the area. Even though the main focus of the trip is seeing unique cacti in their native setting, there is much more to experience as we will be travelling at a relaxed pace which will allow the group to take advantage of these other attractions.

Accommodation will be in mostly 3-star hotels and lodges. All rooms are en suite.

Altitude: We have deliberately kept this tour to only moderately high altitudes. The maximum height for accommodation is at Purmamarca, at an altitude of approx. 2,500m, with two days spent in the high Andes at a maximum of 3,500m.

Pace: We will not be walking very far on this tour (2-3 miles on a walk at most), and walks, especially at high altitude, will be at an easy pace.







Prices:
2011: £ 4,495
2012: £ 4,795

Single supps.:
2011: £ 375
2012: £ 395

Deposit: £ 400 per person

The price includes scheduled return flights London/Buenos Aires, airport taxes, internal flights as outlined above, ground transportation as outlined above, accommodation on a full-board basis, admissions, local taxes, and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to the local guide and drivers, and other personal expenses.

Principal Leader: Luis Segura

Numbers: Max. 14 clients

Argentina map

Outline Itinerary
Day 1We take a scheduled evening flight from London to Buenos Aires, arriving the next day.
Days 2-4We arrive in Buenos Aires in the morning, After lunch in a city restaurant we connect with our first internal flight to La Rioja from where we travel south to the Valle Fertil, where we are based at San Augustin for three nights. Three nights San Augustin
Days 5-6In the morning we visit an area of Ichigualasto Park, with more spectacular rock formations, which has been compared to Bryce Canyon in the USA. On one day we'll go up into the rugged Sierra de Manchao, where cacti abound amongst the rocks. Two nights Catamarca
Days 7-8We travel north again to the Ruinas de Quilmas, passing through Los Menhires park, with ancient patterns carved into the rocks. Two nights Amaicha del Valles
Days 9-10We travel north again towards Salta, where we spend two nights. On one day we travel up to Los Cardones National Park, named after its columnar cacti Trichocereus pasacana, a giant that can live for three hundred years or more. We'll reach our highest altitude here, at 3,500m. Two nights Salta
Day 11We travel north to Reyes, set in the subtropical Yungas cloud forest. Overnight Reyes
Days 12-13We continue north along the the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a 155 km. long, deep valley stretching north to south along the spectacular Rio Grande.

We stay at the attractive village of Purmamarca, in a stunning setting, with 17th-century houses set around a small square, complete with hummingbirds on the flowering shrubs that can include the superb Giant Hummingbird. Two nights Purmamraca
Day 14We drive to Salta for a flight to Buenos Aires and connect with our return flight to London, arriving on Day 15

Click here for a full, printable itinerary



What you say:

'It really was one of the very best trips I have ever done. The scenery was so dramatic - quite unlike anywhere I have been before. Luis looked after us so well...' R.A., Edinburgh