Chile is the country of possibilities. Chile has a rich culture, with their many indigenous communities still living there. Besides the lovely culture, it has a stunning environment, which offers all kind of possibilities for outdoors activities. With this tour you can experience the real culture of Chile. You will get an inside in the political times of the Pinochet regime, you will meet with Indigenous Mapuches and learn about their history and future and of course you will explore the nature of Chile. Visiting unknown Mocha Island, the base for Dutch and English pirates in the 14th and 15th century, you will have the chance to scuba dive to explore one of over 100 sunken pirate ships. And of course you will visit the lake district, famous for its many lakes, volcanoes and beautiful forests. Hike in the National Parks of Chile, explore the volcanoes and visit Cochamó and stay in the beautiful river lodge and mountain lodge which you will reach by horse.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival Santiago - Welcome Dinner Show. We will meet you from the airport and transfer you to your hotel, where you can take a shower and you have the afternoon to relax and explore the city. In the evening we will collect you from your hotel and drive you to the Bali Hai restaurant. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable welcome to Chile. Enjoy a mouth watering meal, and taste some fine Chilean wine whilst you sit back and enjoy the show music and dance from the different regions of Chile. The show culminates with exotic dancing and music from the mysterious and romantic Easter Island and Tahiti.
Day 2: Remember Tour. Today we start our program with a Remembrance Tour. An insight into the past 35 years of the city’s history which holds many testimonies of the events that occurred during the 1973 Military Coup which extended its stay in power during 17 years under General Pinochet’s Regime. The days activities will allow you to learn about the two extreme political points of view, which are still very evident in Chilean society. We start with an introduction with a visit to the Government Palace "La Moneda", where ex-President Salvador Allende committed suicide whilst the palace was being bombed on 11 September 1973. Afterwards we will head to the Fundacion Solidaridad, where an expert in the subject will give a thorough overview about the events preceding and during General Pinochets time in power. The Fundacion Solidaridad was started in 1974, to support the production and sale of handicrafts of political prisoners. The aim of the organization has now become to help increase the income and facilitate the market insertion of people who are making an effort to overcome poverty. We will hear about how the foundation is organized, the challenges they face, their achievements through becoming a fair trade organization, and the organizations history including anecdotes about the fights Winnie (who runs the foundation) had to face during the Pinochet regime.
Day 3: Trekking Rio Carillo and Concha y Toro. We will leave Santiago and drive to the Río Clarillo National Reserve, which is located in the Andean foothills southeast of the capital, surrounded by beautiful mountains and woods. The river Clarillo flows clean and clear between curious rock formations, with great natural pools where you can take a nice swim to refresh yourself without being in any danger. We will set out on a gentle walk along the paths in Quebrada Jorquera and Peumo Carlos Diaz sectors of the park, home to an amazing collection of fauna and flora. Once we have returned to our starting point, we will drive to the nearby village of Pirque, where we will have lunch (optional) at La Vaquita Echa which is well-known for its traditional Chilean country cooking. After lunch we will drive on to our next stop, Concha y Toro, the biggest and perhaps the most important wine exporter in Chile. We shall visit the oldest of their bodegas located just south of Santiago in the Maipo Valley. Founded in 1883 it sits in a beautiful park next to the old family mansion, which dates back to before the turn of the century. Our visit to the vineyard includes a tour of the facilities and the historical museum. The best-known brands made by Concha y Toro are Don Melchor, Marquéz de Casa Concha and Casillero del Diablo. You will have the chance to sample some of the wines before we drive back to Santiago in the late afternoon.
Day 4: Valparaiso. Today you will go along the "route de vinos" to Valparaiso. Valparaíso is known as “the jewel of the Pacific” and is famous for the oldest funicular system in the world. We´ll ride a funicular up into the hills from where there are always spectacular views of the port and the city and we can walk around this bohemian district. By taking a walk on Concepción Hill you will have the chance to discover the small quaint alley ways and enjoy the constantly changing views which make Valparaíso so special. Remarkable in Valparaíso is the array of colorful houses tumbling down across the steep hills. We will also visit the port, the financial district, the squares and see a variety of monuments. We will visit the Central Market where you can taste the typical Chilean seafood cuisine before heading back to Santiago and catching our flight to Temuco. In Temuco we will have a transfer to meet us from the airport and take us to our accommodation.
Day 5: Temuco – The Mapuche. After a light breakfast you will get picked up by a bilingual guide, and you will head towards Carahue. Today you have the chance to learn more about the indigenous culture and history of Chile. Carahue was founded in 1552 by Pedro de Valdivia. Carahue, in the past known as La Imperial or Antiqua, was destroyed as a result of the war of Arauco in 1600, and refounded in 1882 and renamed. You will see old machinery along "la avenida" which was the main road to Puerto Saavedra. From here you have a lovely view over the river Cautín en Eduardo Frei Bridge, the main character of the city. Also you can have a look at a small shop with Mapuche handicrafts. We will continue our walk to Puerto Saavedra, but first we will visit Don José and Doña Marcelina, two Mapuches who are still preserving "la Ruka" from their grandparents. You can see the big collection of handicrafts and articles of the Mapuche that is still kept in their house. Don José and his kids will tell you about their culture and tradition. After this rich and educational experience about the Mapuche culture we will continue our journey to Puerto Saavedra, a small fishing harbour where we will enjoy a delicious lunch before heading back to Temuco.
Days 6 – 8: Mocha Island. Legendary pirates, who plundered ships to steal the gold and the silver from them. They used to anchored their ships in Mocha Island , as they were attracted by the tranquility of the island, in order to obtain water, food and rest. You will visit and explore this tiny Island, unknown by Chileans and tourists. After breakfast you will get transferred to Tirúa, from where your short minute during flight to Mocha Island will leave. In Mocha Island we will check in to a beautiful cabaña. A local guide will take us on a trip around the Island by jeep. The rest of the day is yours and you can do whatever you want. If you have little experience of diving, then it is definitely worth it to try this interesting dive. Other optional activities at the Island are a trekking through The Mocha Island National Reserve, a trip through the countryside to enjoy the island and the beaches from a different perspective and the chance to participate in activities such as milking cows, feeding livestock, horse back rides, or visit the sea lions colonies or Birds Island. In conclusion, at Mocha Island there is a lot to explore and to do. During your stay at Mocha Island, 3 homemade meals per day are included enjoyed together with the locals of Mocha Island. On day 8 we will fly back to Tirúa where you will get picked up and transferred to Pucón, where you have the time to explore the city and the lake and to relax a bit and review your first week of eco tourism and culture.
Day 9: Trek Huerquehue. Some of Chile’s most beautiful National Parks are located in this region so during the day we’ll dedicate some time to visit the Huerquehue National Park. Huerquehue, famous for its more than 20 lagoons, is considered as one of the most beautiful national parks of Chile. We will enjoy a short trek passing through millenary trees (araucarias), along hidden trails with astonishing views. We will enjoy our lunch while watching the views, before heading back to Pucón.
Day 10: Free Day Pucon. This day is free for you to choose your own activity. There are opportunities for renting a mountain bike and explore the countryside, horse-riding for half a day through the native forest or visiting a cattle farm or rafting on grade III rapids in the lower part of the river Trancura. All equipment will be provided and professional guides will teach you how to use your paddle and navigate the white water. It is possible to do one activity in the morning and another in the afternoon. Or for the more adventurous, (weather permitting) you can trek up to the crater of the Villarica volcano. If you leave early in the morning you will be able to see the sunrise. On the top of the volcano you can smell the sulphuric fumes of the volcano, and see the smoke and bubbling lava, a constant reminder of the fact that Villarrica is still active.
Day 11: Puerto Varas. Early in the morning you will get picked up and transferred to the local bus station of Pucón where your bus to Puerto Varas will leave. After a ride of 4-5 hours you will arrive in Puerto Varas. You have the time to check-in and to fresh up a little bit before a local guide takes you to a typical Chilean restaurant for lunch. After that you will head to downtown Puerto Varas and discover the beauty of this lakeside city.
Day 12: Trekking Volcano Osorno. Today it is time to face another volcano, Volcano Osorno. With a local guide you will leave early in the morning to head towards Vincente Rosales National park, where we head upwards towards the skirts of the Volcano Osorno. While going up you will pass little farms typical for this area, and the farmers try to continue the way of farming as their grandparents did. We will hike through the hills and join the magic views of the lake Llanquihue. After lunch we will leave the volcano and we will make our way back through the valleys of the temperate rain forest. In the afternoon we will be back in our hotel, where we will be picked up to go to Cochamó, a small picturesque fishing village near Pucón. We will travel through amazing scenery to the riverside lodge where we will have a delicious local dinner, and where we will spend the night.
Day 13: The Pioneer Trail. After a local breakfast our horses are waiting for us. Before leaving you will get a little riding instruction. After the instruction you are ready to set off and we will ride along the rio Cochamo into the Valdivian rain forest, where you will have a picnic. Then the ride will continue up into the Andes. The journey continues up through the pristine wilderness of the Andean Valley of La Junta.
Day 15: The Pioneer Trail. You will wake up by the sounds of the birds and the sun shining in your face. You will have breakfast on the balcony of the rustic lodge before riding back to the riverside lodge. On the horseback you will descend through the rain forest. After the picnic you will continue the right through this incredible peaceful piece of nature. We are back at the river lodge on time and you can take a shower and having a cup of tea with homemade cake before leaving the riverside lodge to Puerto Varas.
Day 16: Back to Santiago. Unfortunately everything comes to an end, and also this incredible trip, where you explored the incredible nature of Chile. You can choose to go fly back to Santiago or you have the opportunity to explore more of Chile and choose one of our extensions to Patagonia, San Pedro de Atacama, or Isla de Pascua. If the extensions you want not is named, we can make sure that you can get your extensions the way you want.
Tourism Policy:
- We believe in generating incomes for local communities by visiting locally owned restaurants and shops. We also try to use local guides where possible
- During our trips and expeditions we encourage our clients to act responsibly and respect the local community, which in turn will help them to gain a greater understanding and insight of the local customs
- We choose to use campsites owned and managed by local communities
- We work in conjunction with our partners on the ground to implement the highest standards
- We always take economic, environmental and cultural factors into account when considering new
destinations
- We aim to ensure that our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to the local conditions and operates within the limits set by the local community with regards to its infrastructure and capacity
for receiving visitors
- We aim to take responsibility for maintaining and, if possible, improving the natural environment
- We aim to minimize our impact on the atmosphere and local water systems during our expeditions
and day treks
- We always aim to take all our litter home
- We aim to give environmental and economic considerations equal weight
- We will provide our staff with regular and ongoing training about the principles and practices of
responsible tourism
- We provide our guides with instructions on how to act in the natural environment, encourage them to teach these guidelines to our clients during our tours.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- 2 airport transfers Santiago
- 1 airport transfer Temuco
- 2 transfers Temuco – Tiruá
- 1 transfer hotel Pucón – Pucón bus station
- 1 transfer Puerto Varas – Hotel Puerto Varas
- 2 transfers Puerto Varas – Cochamó
- 14 breakfasts
- 11 lunches
- 5 dinners
- Flight Santiago – Temuco
- Return Flight Tiruá – Mocha Island
- 1 Private Excursion Remembrance tour Santiago (Full Day)
- 1 Private Excursion trekking Rio Clarillo and Concha y Toro
(Full Day)
- 1 Private excursion Valparaíso (Full Day)
- 1 Regular excursion Mapuche culture (Full Day)
Price excludes: meals not indicated, personal expenses, excursions
mentioned as optional, travel insurance, tips, international flights, return flight back to Santiago
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Chile
Cultural Journey
Ecotourism
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