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Peregrine Travel Centre

Passage of the Condor

Passage of the Condor

From £6,995 GBP

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Description

Our coastal cruise along the Pacific shores of South America will be dominated by the ever present Andes as we make our way from central Chile to Peru. This is one of the world’s great expedition cruises. Few regions in the world offer the diversity and ecosystems of those found in this intriguing part of South America. From the towering snow-capped Andes to barren coastal desert, the landscapes are unparalleled.

Our voyage takes us along the nutrient-rich Humboldt Current that is a haven for an amazing concentration of seabirds, marine mammals and wildlife. To highlight the wildlife, we will be visiting the Islas Ballestas National Reserve, the Humboldt Penguin Nature Reserve and many other remote coastal sites and islands. This trip is as equally rich in geological, archaeological and cultural interest as well with visits included to the Pintados Geoglyphs, the Peruvian capital of Lima and the ruins of Chan Chan. There will also be the opportunity to join optional excursions to both the Atacama Desert and the Nazca Lines.

Trip Name
Passage of the Condor
Days
17
Overview
Vessel Type: Expedition Length: 90 metres Passenger Capacity: 110 Built: 1992 - newly re-launched 2016 The Hebridean Sky (formerly the Sea Explorer) underwent a 6.5 million dollar refurbishment. Always  known for its effortless elegance, impeccable service and atmosphere of charm and camaraderie, the Hebridean Sky continues that tradition adding a host of new amenities as well as state of the art stabilization, fuel efficiency, and upgraded communications systems. Its all-suite accommodations and increased adventure options make the Hebridean Sky the perfect blend of luxury and adventurous exploration. SPACIOUS SUITES Hebridean Sky is an all-suite yacht accommodating up to 110 guests. Built in 1992, refurbished 2014 and again in 2016, each suite features: • Exterior views • Your choice of queen-sized or two twin-sized beds • Sitting area with sofa and side chair • Flat Screen TV with DVD/CD player • Telephone • Independent temperature controls • Mini-Bar • Marble-appointed bathroom with fine toiletries • Hair dryer • 220 square feet or more • Sofa can be converted to bed for third person In adition Promenade, Deluxe, Veranda & Penthouse Suites include: • En suite Champagne & Chocolates on Arrival • Complimentary mini-bar (beer, wine & soft drinks) • $100 per person Gift Shop credit • En suite Nespresso machine Penthouse Suites (325 sq.ft.) and Veranda Suites (260 sq.ft.) feature private balconies. ONBOARD DINING Great expeditions require great food! Our team of world-class chefs offer breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that change daily. They have boat-loads of creativity, so you are sure to experience a variety of remarkable cuisine throughout your voyage. SERVICES • World-Class Cuisine • Complimentary Wine with Dinner • Live Entertainment • Complimentary Coffee/Tea station • Voyage Photographer • On-board MD and Facilities • Dedicated Passenger Service Manager • Pre-voyage hotel night • Complimentary Expedition Jacket FACILITIES • Elevator serving all passenger decks • Upgraded WIFI Internet • Library with computers • Panoramic Top Deck Observation Platform • Bar/Lounge with Live Entertainment • Boot Room • Lounge with Audiovisual Facilities • DVD Movie Library Deck plans may very depending on the ship operator.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 - London to Santiago, Chile.
Fly by scheduled indirect flight.
Day 2 - Day 2 - Santiago.
Arrive this morning and transfer to the Hyatt Hotel (or similar) for an overnight stay. This afternoon join a city tour including the Presidential Palace, Plaza des Armas and the Cathedral before enjoying the view from San Cristobal Hill over the city. The remainder of the day and evening are free for independent arrangements.
Day 3 - Day 3 - Valparaiso.
After breakfast in the hotel we will make our way to the port of Valparaiso. Our route will take us through the Casablanca Valley, one of the country’s premier wine areas and we will enjoy a tasting and lunch at one of the vineyards. We continue to Valparaiso, a city built on 42 hills, where we will enjoy a scenic drive to the Alegre Hill to see the colourful houses before enjoying the views from the Yugoslavian Terrace over the bay. We will then take the funicular to Plaza Sotomayor to re-join our coach and transfer to the MS Hebridean Sky in the late afternoon.
Day 4 - Day 4 - Coquimbo.
This morning we enjoy a glimpse of the important port city of Coquimbo, with its strong British influence, and the regional capital of La Serena. One of Coquimbo’s highlights is the picturesque Barrio Ingles. This historical quarter opposite the port stands as a testament to the strong British influence in this port city. British settlers arrived to the area in the mid-1800s and the legacy remains in the architecture of this barrio. Rising impressively above the city is the 91 metre Cross of the Third Millennium. Alternatively on a full-day tour we head inland where the landscape transforms itself into a lush array of plantations and vineyards set amongst rolling hills. We will stop at the Gabriela Mistral Museum in the village of Montegrande, enjoy a pisco tasting in the Elqui Valley and have a stroll through the Main Square.
Day 5 - Day 5 - Isla Pajaros & Isla Chanaral.
Today we enjoy the benefits of small ship cruising as we use our Zodiacs to view the islands off the Chilean coast. Spend the morning at Isla Pajaros to view the colonies of cormorants, boobies and Humboldt penguins that reside here. Over lunch we continue our journey north to Isla Chanaral, the largest in a series of islands once known as an important site for guano, a valuable agricultural fertilizer. The islands are protected today as a nature reserve home to sea lion colonies, nesting boobies, pelicans, cormorants as well as marine otters.
Day 6 - Day 6 - At sea.
Enjoy a day at sea as we continue our journey north.
Day 7 - Day 7 - Antofagasta.
Originally part of Bolivia and captured by Chile in the war of the Pacific in the late 19th century, Antofagasta is today a hub for the Chilean mining industry and handles most of the minerals from the Atacama. There will be the opportunity to join an optional overnight tour to the Atacama Desert to enjoy the sites of pre-Colombian, colonial and contemporary culture, the unique geology, volcanoes and lagoons and stay overnight in one of the desert hotels. We return to the ship in the evening of day 8 in Iquique. For those remaining onboard we will take a walking tour around Plaza Colon and see the Clock Tower, the Old Customs House and the former Railway Station. Continue to the Huanchaca Ruins where we see the striking remains of a Bolivian silver refinery built in 1868 and closed in 1903 and see La Portada, a natural erosion-carved arch-like rock formation.
Day 8 - Day 8 - Iquique.
Arrive this morning in Iquique which grew in the 19th century due to the large deposits of sodium nitrate found in the area. On a morning excursion we will discover the desert and pampa region inland from Iquique and see the remains of a once flourishing nitrate town in Humberstone. Founded in 1872 at the junction of the Pan-American Highway and the road to Iquique, it is today a ghost town after it stopped operations in 1960. We continue to the Pintados Geoglyphs where over 60,000 square yards of hill slopes are decorated by more than 400 figures depicting humans, animals, birds or abstract shapes, isolated or arranged into thematic groups. The geoglyphs are estimated to date from 1,000 to 1,400 A.D. and are thought to be part of a votive centre.
Day 9 - Day 9 - Arica.
Enjoy a choice of excursions today from the port of Arica. A morning tour will provide an introduction to Arica’s monuments and historic buildings including the Customs House and Church of San Marcos, constructed by Gustave Eiffel in 1876. Afterwards continue outside of the city to see the geoglyph art on the nearby hillsides. A visit to the San Miguel Archaeological Museum reveals its fascinating display of Chinchorro Mummies, the oldest known mummies in the world dating back 7,000 years. We return to Arica via the Morro where the history and arms museum offers an insight into the battles of the War of the Pacific and also wonderful views over the city. Return to the ship for lunch and a free afternoon. Alternatively have an early start and choose a full day tour to the Lauca National Park which straddles the Chilean / Bolivian border and offers a wealth of flora and fauna, interesting culture and history, and outstanding natural beauty. This journey features the region’s unique Altiplanic scenery, from green agricultural oasis to desert hills, pre-Inca archaeological sites to snow-capped peaks, magnificent volcanoes and one of the highest altitude lakes in the world at Lake Chungara home to pink flamingos. (Please note that this tour will reach altitudes around 4,500m).
Day 10 - Day 10 - Matarani, Peru.
Here in the far south of Peru we call into the port of Matarani. Drive to the ‘White City’, as Arequipa is known. Our tour includes bustling Plaza de Armas dominated by the stunning neo- Renaissance Cathedral, set amidst colonial buildings. Later, visit Santa Catalina Convent, a beautiful walled citadel, which for four centuries housed a closed order of nuns. We will also take in the colonial district of Yanahuara, a short distance from the heart of the city. It is a charming area of narrow cobblestone streets and old, white, volcanic stone houses. From here, there are magnificent views of the three volcanoes which overlook the city: Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu.
Day 11 - Day 11 - At sea.
Relax onboard.
Day 12 - Day 12 - Isla Ballestas & Tambo Colorado.
Influenced by the cold Humboldt Current, Isla Ballestas marine preserve area serves as a breeding refuge for birds, resting areas for mammals and spawning grounds for many marine organisms. We take local boats from the port of Pisco to explore these unparalleled, fascinating islands where we should see a variety of seabirds, such as the very localised Peruvian booby, and mammals such as the southern sea lion. On our way back to the mainland we will pass the “candelabro” a giant figure etched into the coastal cliffs. Return to the ship for lunch and this afternoon we travel to the Tambo Colorado, one of the best preserved Inca archaeological sites in Peru. Named after the abundant use of colour on the walls it was one of the administrative and military centres controlling the Pisco valley from its base on the main road between the coast and mountains. We will explore the site and see the structures built around the central plaza. Alternatively, there will be an opportunity to join an optional tour aboard a small aircraft for a bird’s eye view of the famed Nazca Lines. These enormous geoglyphs etched in the desert floor date back to 2000 B.C. and can really only be truly appreciated from the air.
Day 13 - Day 13 - Callao for Lima.
This morning we arrive in Callao the port for Lima. After breakfast we enjoy a tour of Lima city, which was founded by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, and then named the ‘City of Kings’ by the Spaniards who took the city in name of the Spanish Crown. During the viceroyalty the city became the most important capital in the region, and as testament to this, today you can still see the imposing buildings that were constructed principally in the city centre. We will see the most important buildings in the Plaza Mayor, such as the Government Palace, the beautiful cathedral; and the various small palaces and colonial balconies that adorn the capital of the Peruvian Republic, all of which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO thanks to its well preserved architecture.
Day 14 - Day 14 - Salaverry.
After a morning at sea we arrive in Salaverry at lunchtime and visit Hauca de la Luna to see the Huaca del Sol pyramids from the Moche culture, a remarkable pre-Inca civilisation. Continue on to the ruins of Chan Chan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the imperial capital of the Chimu, where we explore the ruins of the largest adobe city in the world, marvelling at their skillful irrigation and engineering projects. Before returning to the ship drive a few miles inland to the intriguing desert city of Trujillo. This oasis city was founded by Pizarro in 1536 and still exudes much Spanish colonial charm. Visit the Casa Urquiaga, a mansion containing pre-Columbian ceramics and the Plaza de Armas with its imposing 17th century cathedral.
Day 15 - Day 15 - At sea.
Our lecture programme will continue today and you will also view a slideshow of photos from your voyage before enjoying a Farewell Dinner this evening.
Day 16 - Day 16 - Guayaquil, Ecuador to London.
Disembark this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled indirect flight to London.
Day 17 - Day 17 - London.
Arrive this afternoon.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
19-03-201804-04-2018£10,285Byrd Superior Sole
19-03-201804-04-2018£7,700Mawson Premuim Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£9,045Scott Deluxe Balcony Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£6,995Amundsen Standard Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£7,345Byrd Superior Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£8,145Mawson Corner Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£9,795Amundsen Standard Sole
19-03-201804-04-2018£10,695Shackleton Hebridean Suite
19-03-201804-04-2018£9,495Shackleton Owner's Balcony Suite

Inclusions

    • Travel through the Casablanca Valley, one of Chile's premier wine areas and we will enjoy a tasting and lunch at one of the vineyards
    • Discover Isla Pajaros to view the colonies of cormorants, boobies and Humboldt penguins that reside here
    • Visit Hauca de la Luna to see the Huaca del Sol pyramids from the Moche culture, a remarkable pre-Inca civilisation
    • See the ruins of Chan Chan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the imperial capital of the Chimu

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