Flex your mental or physical muscles – or better yet, both – in Latin America, writes Katie McGonagle
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Hiking boots or gallery guidebooks – what a person packs first says a lot about what they want from their holiday.
Whether they’re seeking intrepid adventures or cultural enlightenment, Latin America has enough to stretch both mind and body – provided visitors know where to go.
Travel Weekly highlights hotspots to satisfy both kinds of customer, with ideas to please those who fall between the extremes.
Argentina
Body: Walking boots are a must in southern Argentina, where hiking options range from beautiful Bariloche to the ice-blue expanse of Perito Moreno Glacier and coastal Tierra del Fuego National Park. Journey Latin America includes these and more on Highlights of Argentina, with a penguin-spotting cruise down the Beagle Channel to boot.
That’s also featured on Wildlife Worldwide itinerary Wild Patagonia, an 18-day tour venturing to Ushuaia before crossing the border to Chile for trekking, horse-riding and wildlife-watching in Torres del Paine National Park (£4,395 including flights).
Soul: Between colourful La Boca and cobblestoned San Telmo, wandering the streets of bohemian Buenos Aires is an education in itself – especially when you spot a street-corner tango or stop to dine on Argentinean steak and malbec. Cox & Kings offers a half-day city tour or dinner and tango shows at Rojo Tango or Esquina Carlos Gardel in its tailor-made collection.
If there’s time, add a vineyard tour in Mendoza (more malbec!), or visit an estancia to see a working ranch in action; Attraction World has a Gaucho Ranch Day ex-Buenos Aires, from £89.
Peru
Body: Almost every Peru operator offers some version of the Inca Trail, though notable exceptions include G Adventures, which runs its own treks to ensure fair treatment of porters (from £799 for most popular option Inca Discovery), and Dragoman’s exclusive Community Inca Trek tour that goes via small villages.
Save some energy for white-water rafting on the Apurimac River and cycling the Sacred Valley (Journey Latin America’s Active Peru tour starts at £3,610 with flights); or combine action and relaxation with Inkaterra Hotels’ new Walking to Wellness package, which teams jungle hikes with Amazon-inspired spa treatments (Rainbow Tours offers a 16-day itinerary, from £6,135).
Soul: Taste trendy Peruvian cuisine in foodie hub Lima – Trafalgar’s In the Footsteps of the Incas tour includes Be My Guest home dining – then explore arty Miraflores on a Bohemian Tour of Lima, available to guests of recently-rebranded Belmond Miraflores Park.
Cusco mixes indigenous culture, colonial architecture and modern-day markets with access to Machu Picchu. Get to know the locals on a homestay – Dragoman includes Inca site Raqchi on its 17-day Lima to Cusco trip, while Intrepid Travel’s Homeland of the Incas adds a night in a family home.
Alternatively, travel in style with Titan’s Footsteps of the Incas, which includes the luxurious rail journey from Cusco to Puno (two weeks, from £3,395).
Colombia
Body: Adventures don’t get much more exotic than trekking to a lost city only accessible on foot. Ciudad Perdida was built by the indigenous Tayrona people in the 11th-14th centuries, but disappeared off the maps until being rediscovered by treasure-hunters in 1975. Explore offers a Trek to the Lost City, also featuring walking tours of Bogota and Cartagena, from £2,299 for a nine-day trip with flights.
Alternatively, try kayaking, biking and summiting one-time worship site El Penon de Guatape – plus salsa dancing after-dark in lively Cali – on Dragoman’s 19-day Andean and Caribbean Trails trip, from £810 land-only.
Soul: With the first direct London-to-Bogota flight starting with Avianca on June 27, expect Colombia to be this year’s rising star. Get to grips with its colonial heritage in Bogota and Cartagena – both covered in detail on Latin America specialist HighLives’ Discover Colombia tour, from £2,900 – while Journey Latin America’s Remote Colombia tour adds a stop to see the mysterious ancient statues still in situ at San Agustin Archaeological Park, from £3,636 with flights. For insight into its coffee-growing culture, try Intrepid’s nine-day Bella Colombia tour.
Ecuador
Body: Enjoy Amazonian activities at properties such as Sacha Lodge, a private eco-reserve that offers night-time jungle walks, canoeing down the Napo River, or a gentler canopy walk 30 metres above ground. Kuoni can package up three nights’ full-board with international and domestic flights, and a night either side in Quito, from £2,356.
G Adventures’ Land Galapagos Multi-Activity trip (from £1,899 excluding flights) includes downhill cycling in San Cristobal, snorkelling with sea turtles, and hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano.
Soul: Explore the gateway city Quito, then drive north to the colourful markets of Otavalo to pick up Panama hats and other crafts. Rainbow Tours suggests staying in a historic hacienda such as the boutique Hacienda Pinsaqui, featured on its 12-day Ecuador Explorer tour, from £3,550.
Understanding traditional ways of life is also key for G Adventures, whose Local Living Ecuador Jungle seven-day trip includes four nights with a Quichua family (from £389 land-only, return to Quito).
BEST OF THE REST
Nicaragua
Body: Relax with a spot of sunbathing on the unspoilt Corn Islands, an energetic climb up Mombacho Volcano, or a hike on Ometepe Island. Journey Latin America’s 12-day Highlights of Nicaragua visits these highlights and more, from £2,192.
Soul: Quaint colonial cities Granada and Leon are as culturally captivating as it gets, from political murals recalling the country’s revolutionary past, to thriving art galleries, museums and historic churches.
Costa Rica
Body: This ecologically-rich country is awash with everything from gentle nature walks to challenging hikes and cycle routes amid stunning scenery. Exodus has a 15-day Costa Rica Coast-to-Coast Ride from £2,549 including flights.
Soul: The galleries and museums of capital San Jose are worth a quick stop, but it’s Costa Rica’s famous biodiversity that really inspires. Allow time to learn about its wildlife and meet local people.
Guatemala
Body: Climb one of three mountains overlooking Antigua, hike or bike around Lake Atitlan, or explore Tikal National Park. Peregrine Adventures’ nine-day Mexico & Guatemala Explorer starts at £1,062, plus flights.
Soul: Marvel at the Mayans at Tikal, wander the cobblestoned streets of Antigua, or soak up the spirit of lively Chichicastenango Market (below).
