Vaya Adventures Launches New 14-Day “Patagonia by Land & Sea” Program Available September thru April

Vaya Adventures (http://www.vayaadventures.com), an expert in designing premier bespoke vacations in South America, uncovers the seldom seen and extraordinary during its new 14-day Patagonia by Land & Sea program.  Visiting the southernmost reaches of the continent via less traveled routes, this adventurous but first class itinerary explores some of the remotest corners of this land of extremes.

The program is available from September to April with guaranteed departure with just two or more people. The per person, double, rate is $6,342 exclusive of local airfare of approximately $600 per person. For details please see: http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/patagonia-land-sea/

This newly launched Patagonian adventure has numerous highlights, including:

• Entering Torres del Paine National Park via zodiac up the Serrano River rather than by van transfer, a far less traveled way into the Park and a traveler favorite.
• Staying at the Ecocamp Patagonia, a pioneering first class eco-lodge with a privileged location inside the National Park.
• Hiking up to the iconic Paine Towers directly from the Ecocamp, eliminating the need for the time intensive road transfers required from nearly all other lodges in the area to this classic trailhead.
• 4 nights on the Australis expedition cruise ship, navigating remote and seldom visited fiords en route to Cape Horn, then finishing inTierra del Fuego.
• Hiking a gorgeous coastal trail in Tierra del Fuego National Park and overnighting in a charming hotel located right on the Beagle Channel.
• Added bonus included: Start this adventure with overnight in the trendy Lastarria neighborhood of Santiago,Chile, and cap it off with two nights in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires (included in price). Please note that this trip is fully customizable.

Among the highpoints of this itinerary perhaps none holds as much mystique as Cape Horn.  The sheer, 1,394 foot-high rocky promontory known as Cape Horn was discovered in 1616.  For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and it is known as the “End of the Earth.”Cape Horn National Park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. The nearby Wulaia Bay was the site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on Jan. 23, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle.

The Australis cruise is on a modern first class expedition vessel (either the Via Australis, max 136 passengers, or the Stella Australis, max 210 passengers), equipped with the latest navigation and safety technology. Guides are trained naturalists who help travelers appreciate the flora, fauna and ecosystems that are encountered along the voyage.  Cruising through remote, rarely visited waterways of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, vessels feature a spacious open top deck for admiring the spectacular southern scenery, a restaurant, comfortable and well-appointed common areas, and a library. Three lounges are styled with modern audiovisual equipment for the engaging naturalist lectures. Aboard, guests enjoy sumptuous meals and famous Chilean wines.

“No other active tour itinerary in Patagonia offers this combination of unique experiences, first class lodgings, and well off the beaten path routes,” claims Jim Lutz, Vaya Adventure founder and director.