South America Passage Grand Adventure

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside – and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway.

The United Kingdom’s premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.

Vigo clings to the slope of Monte del Castro, overlooking a namesake bay so vast, it could shelter an entire fleet. The city’s medieval heritage is seen in the narrow streets and granite houses of the Ribera del Berbes, the old fishermen’s quarter. Vigo is also the gateway to Santiago de Compostela, the most venerated shrine in all Europe during the Middle Ages. Pilgrims from the four corners of Christendom flocked to the magnificent cathedral, built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The cathedral still draws thousands of daily visitors today.

An important fishing and commercial port, Vigo was first settled by Celts 300 BC. The Celtic legacy lingers on in the province’s old legends – and in the bagpipes played on festive occasions.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon’s magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe.

The capital of Madeira is named after the fennel (funcha) that once flowered there in profusion. The largest island in the Madeira Archipelago was discovered in 1419 by Portuguese explorers venturing south into the Atlantic. The island is nearly equidistant from Lisbon and the African coast, and its unique geographical position allowed Madeira to play a pivotal role in European discovery. Seamen such as Christopher Columbus gained knowledge and experience plying the routes of the island’s sugar trade. When sugar declined, the island’s famed wines continued to provide a robust trade. By the late 18th century, Madeira’s mild climate, rocky peaks, and lush valleys provided a winter haven to Europe’s aristocrats. Visitors still flock to the island today, drawn by its scenery and its weather.

Funchal is noted for its superb hand-embroidery and wicker ware, both Madeira specialties. The island, of course, is also noted for its superb wines: they are perhaps the world’s most complex and long lasting wines.

The Canary archipelago was sculpted by a period of intense volcanic activity; its islands possess a stark, near lunar beauty. Gran Canaria is the third-largest island in the group and is often described as the ‘Round Island’ for its near-circular shape. Las Palmas, its capital, is also the largest city in the Canaries numbering some 500,000 inhabitants. Despite the seemingly inhospitable landscape, farmers in Gran Canaria’s Angostura Valley cultivate abundant crops of tomatoes, onions, melons, and figs. Moreover the island’s climates, lack of rainfall, and fine beaches have long drawn Europeans seeking the winter sun.

Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Archipelago. Like its brethren, Tenerife was formed by fierce volcanic activity. Its landscape remains dotted with volcanic cones and areas of intense geothermal activity. Towering over the island is Mt Teide, an extinct volcano that, at 12,200 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in Spanish territory. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the island’s capital and your port of call.

Tenerife’s north shore is separated from the south by rugged mountains, creating a rain shadow. The majority of the islands most recent resorts are found in the sere and parched south shore.

This scenic coastal city is tucked away on the northeast corner of Brazil and is still relatively unheard of outside of Brazil. Still, Fortaleza is the country’s fifth largest city. The city’s growth has much to do with Brazilians discovering Fortaleza’s beautiful beaches. Today, Fortaleza is a thriving city of some two million. Enjoy a long, leisurely stroll along the lengthy coastline of white-sand beaches.

Fortaleza is the capital of the state of Ceara, which was the first state in Brazil to abolish slavery. And while Brazilians and tourists alike throng to the beaches, the thriving, colorful city offers its own treasures.

Pulsing to a samba beat and thriving in the hedonism of Carnival, there is literally no place on Earth like Rio, as the city natives — the Cariocas — will tell you. Founded in the early 16th century, Rio was once the capital of Brazil. It remains the nation’s cultural and spiritual center, a dazzling amalgam of Latin and African cultures, with more than five-million city inhabitants.

Nestled between the continent’s two giants, Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America. More than half of the nation’s population of three million reside in the capital of Montevideo, located at Uruguay’s southernmost point on the Rio de la Plata. Although small in size, Uruguay has proven to be big-hearted – the country is one of the most literate nations in the world while Montevideo is one of South America’s most interesting and cosmopolitan capitals.

Montevideo is a charming city made up of 19th-century Beaux Arts buildings, parks, and historical monuments.

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis – the “Paris of the South” – by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world’s great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city’s enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens – the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

The “Paris of the South” flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias – cafés – to the city’s popular tango clubs.

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis – the “Paris of the South” – by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world’s great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city’s enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens – the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

The “Paris of the South” flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias – cafés – to the city’s popular tango clubs.

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis – the “Paris of the South” – by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world’s great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city’s enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens – the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

The “Paris of the South” flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias – cafés – to the city’s popular tango clubs.

Nestled between the continent’s two giants, Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America. More than half of the nation’s population of three million reside in the capital of Montevideo, located at Uruguay’s southernmost point on the Rio de la Plata. Although small in size, Uruguay has proven to be big-hearted – the country is one of the most literate nations in the world while Montevideo is one of South America’s most interesting and cosmopolitan capitals.

Montevideo is a charming city made up of 19th-century Beaux Arts buildings, parks, and historical monuments.

Fleeing the economic devastation of England’s Industrial Revolution, Welsh settlers immigrated to Argentina in search of cheap land. Led by Viscount Madryn, one group of settlers sailed for Patagonia, founding the small city of Puerto Madryn in 1865. Life in Patagonia, however, was not easy. There were lonely prairies, brutally cold winters, and unrelenting winds. Still the Welsh survived, and today visitors can still see their legacy in Puerto Madryn and its surrounding communities.

Puerto Madryn is your gateway to one of South America’s largest breeding grounds for birds and mammals – Tombo National Reserve.

Capital of the Falklands since 1845, tiny Stanley lies on the windswept tip of East Falkland Island. The Falklands long served as a way station for ships, particularly whalers, bound to and from Cape Horn. The islands’ rigorous environment is immediately apparent: Stanley Harbor is dotted with the hulks of vessels that succumbed to the fierce winds and waves of the South Atlantic. While their strategic location led to important roles in both World Wars, the islands are best remembered as the cause of the 1982 war between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Today, travelers increasingly journey to the islands to view their rich assortment of bird and marine life.

Colorful houses occupy the low rolling moorland bordering Stanley Harbor. Stanley’s climate resembles London’s – cool and rainy though summer visitors are often blessed with clear, sunny skies.

Located on Chiles Isla Hornos in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Cape Horn is widely considered to be the southernmost tip of South America. The culmination of the Andes mountain range, the legendary Cape is prone to unpredictably strong winds, choppy waters, icebergs and rogue waves – none of which phase the Princess ships that sail here. Nevertheless, hazardous maritime conditions have protected the rocky region from human settlement, so youll enjoy the same views as the earliest explorers discovered centuries ago. Unusual rock formations with deep grooves and granite cliffs covered in trees are its signature features. Navigating around the Cape was a near-impossible feat for sailors who braved its intense winds and treacherous waters in the 17th century. However, those fortunate enough to return from a successful trip were entitled to numerous benefits, including dining with one foot on the dinner table and wearing a gold loop earring to boast of their seafaring victory. Though Cape Horn became a significant trade route between the 18th and early 20th centuries, the opening of the Panama Canal rendered this route obsolete – but that hasnt prevented adventurers from recreational journeys to the Cape, or the bragging rights that come along with them!

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and one of two main cities on the island territory of Tierra del Fuego. Shared by Argentina and Chile, “The Land of Fire” features unforgettable scenery and trails of discovery framed by the sea, forests, lakes and mountains.

Punta Arenas lies atop rolling hills, looking out over the Strait of Magellan. In the days before the Panama Canal, this was a major port as ships plied the waters of Cape Horn. Punta Arenas remains a prosperous town today, thanks to its rich natural resources. The city is also the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, a maze of fjords, rivers, steppes, and mountains to the north. To the south lies the great frozen mass of Antarctica. Adventure awaits in any direction at this port located near the end of the earth.

Across the Strait of Magellan lies Tierra del Fuego, the lonely, windswept island discovered by Magellan in 1520. The region was settled by Yugoslavian and English sheep ranchers in the 19th century.

Puerto Montt is your gateway to Chile’s magnificent Lake District. Here, snow-capped volcanoes gaze down on alpine valleys nestled among low hills. Glaciers carved out this terrain, leaving the jewel-like lakes in their wake. The Lake District was a magnet for German immigrants, and their legacy can be seen today in the manicured rose gardens of Puerto Varas, the “German Villages” like Frutillar, and the gabled homes with elaborate balconies of Puerto Montt.

Despite a population of more than 130,000, Puerto Montt retains the feel of a small town. For a simple introduction to the city, walk along the waterfront road to the fishing port of Angelmo and browse the local artisans’ stalls, then tuck into a snack in one of the small cafés along the way.

Nestled between rolling hills topped with colorful houses and meandering coastal dunes, the bustling city of San Antonio enjoys its reputation as the gateway to Chile’s central valley and the capital of Santiago. With a population of over five million people, Santiago sprawls at the feet of the snow-capped Andes. Inland lies the sun-kissed wine regions of Casablanca and Maipo Maipo Valley, Chile’s internationally renowned wine district.