| Chile & Argentina: Cycling Andes, Volcanos & Lakes |
Home > Chile & Argentina: Cycling Andes & Lakes |
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| Day 1, Arrival: Temuco – Manzanar
Our staff will meet you at Temuco Airport and transfer you to Manzanar, where a soothing thermal bath awaits us at our three-star hotel. There will be time to assemble/fit your bike, and the local staff will prepare rental bikes. In the evening, we’ll have an orientation and briefing session before our first dinner together. Welcome dinner together.
Day 2, Loop Ride
Ride: 64 miles
Our cycling route begins with an easy spin on smooth roads as we follow the Lonquimay River. We’ll ride over rolling terrain before the route climbs 13.6 miles to the peak (6,181 feet) where we’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the Andes. Meals: breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 3, Transfer Ride to Pucón
Ride: 42-64 miles
Today’s route is relatively flat with a few rolling hills—just enough to get your legs going. We’ll cycle to the village of Caburgua and stop for a lakeside snack.
Our guide will identify species of birds and trees for us as we ride through beautiful farmland with views of the majestic, snow-capped Villarrica volcano (if we’re lucky, we’ll see smoke coming out of this active volcano). We’ll stop at Huife Hot Springs for a soothing soak in a mineral bath and take the van back to Pucón. The evening is yours to explore Pucón’s shops, restaurants, bars and cafés. Our guides will be happy to offer recommendations. Meals: breakfast, box lunch.
Day 4, Transfer Ride & Drive
Ride: 64 miles
Today’s route travels along the shores of three beautiful lakes: Villarrica, Calafquén and Panguipulli, and most of the way around Villarrica volcano. We’ll ride through picturesque lakeside towns along roads bordered by green prairie and native forests. There’s one moderate, three-mile climb and a nice descent before we stop for a picnic lunch on the beach at Calafquén Lake.
After lunch, we’ll follow a smooth, quiet road where cars are scarce. At one point along this section we’ll have a view of five volcanos! Meals: breakfast, restaurant lunch and dinner.
Day 5, Travel to Argentina
Rest Day
After breakfast, we’ll leave Chile and travel to Argentina by ferry. Once in Argentina, we’ll enjoy lunch by a lake before heading to our four-star hotel. Dinner is on your own tonight, so you are free to explore the shops, restaurants, bars and cafés of this charming village. Our guides are happy to provide recommendations. Meals: breakfast, box lunch.
Day 6, Loop Ride
Ride: 66 miles
Today we’ll ride the “route of the seven lakes,” a well-known scenic road once traveled by Ernesto “Che” Guevara (lakes include Lacar, Espejo, Correntoso, Escondido, Villarino, Falkner and Machonico). We’ll enjoy great rolling terrain through the Andean-Patagonian forest, climbing alongside four of the seven lakes. The evening is yours to explore the town and choose where you’d like to dine. Our guides are happy to provide recommendations. Meals: breakfast, box lunch.
Day 7, Transfer Ride
Ride: 97 miles
Today’s challenging route takes us across beautiful Argentinean Patagonia on a varied route that includes rolling hills, long flat stretches, and a challenging 4.4-mile climb. The terrain will differ from previous days as we enter the Pampas region, with grasslands and higher mountains with jagged rocks.
We will most likely see wildlife along our route such as guanacos (lamas), ñandus (large flightless birds, similar to ostriches), condors and red deer. After a great ride, we’ll arrive at our three-star hotel, located in a village popular with cyclists and fisherman. Meals: breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 8, Transfer Ride
Ride: 63 miles
Today’s route follows a gorgeous river for 29 miles and offers magnificent views of a majestic, jagged-rock mountain range. Keep an eye out for wildlife such as guanacos, ñandu, deer, wild boar, skunks, foxes and birds of prey.
We’ll ride alongside Lake Nahuel Huapi—some of the best views in the country can be seen from its beaches. At the end of the day, we’ll ascend 7.5 miles for magnificent views of the area before enjoying a great descent to our three-star, lakeside hotel. Meals: breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 9, Loop Ride
Ride: 74 miles
Prepare for an amazing day! We’ll be riding the world-famous Circuito Chico that travels along Lake Nahuel Huapi’s shoreline and travels through Nahuel Huapi National Park, where we’ll ride by numerous lakes and stop at breathtaking scenic lookouts. Along the route we’ll pass Hotel Llao-Llao, famous for its scenic location on a peninsula.
Once we complete the circuit, we’ll extend our route to visit Gutierrez and Mascardi lakes and continue riding to Bariloche, a popular tourist destination with numerous shops, restaurants and cafés. We’ll return to our hotel and the evening is yours to explore the town, relax and enjoy dinner on your own. Meals: breakfast, box lunch.
Day 10, Transfer Ride to Bariloche
Ride: 60 miles
Our entire route follows the shoreline of Lake Nahuel Huapi, offering a generally flat ride with easy rolling sections. This ride covers half of the famous Circuito Grande (155 miles), which travels around the lake. We’ll check in to our four-star hotel and spa, and the evening is yours to explore the town, shop or take a dip in the hotel’s heated pool. Dinner is on your own at one of the restaurants and cafés in town. Meals: breakfast, box lunch.
Day 11, Transfer Ride to Chile
Ride: 54 miles
Today’s ride features a great climb to Hito Samoré (4,255 feet) where we can enjoy an excellent view of the heart of the Andes mountain range. We’ll conclude the ride with a thrilling 14-mile descent into Chile to our fantastic, five-star hotel spa resort. Meals: breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 12, Transfer Ride to Puerto Varas
Ride: 36 miles
Our final day of riding offers some of the best scenery of the tour with great views of Lake Llanquihue and the Osorno Volcano that rises from the lakeshore. We’ll ride through this astounding landscape on our way to the village of Ensenada and continue to Petrohue Falls, where we’ll stop for a visit. We'll finish the day by relaxing at our four-star hotel and spa, and enjoy a farewell dinner at a seafood restaurant. Meals: breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 13, Departure
We’ll say our good-byes over a final breakfast and then transfer you to Puerto Montt Airport for flights back home or extend your stay in Chile. Meals: breakfast.
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