South America Tours - Chile

Mountainbike - Altiplano

10 Days / 09 Nights (Moderate)

Season: All Year Round

Mountainbiking is more and more popular all around the world. In this program AZIMUT 360 invites you to live an unforgettable experience enjoying the pleasures of mountainbiking in the beautiful landscapes of the Andes Mountain Range. Adapted for everybody, this expedition combines cycling, trekking and overland in the nicest national parks of the high plateau. The quiet rhythm of mountain biking, allows us to enjoy the landscapes, the wildlife, the flora and the dozens of Aymara villages all along the journey. Chile offers many other alternatives for mountain bike lovers. Thanks to its logistics and its operation bases located all over the country, AZIMUT 360 can provide the right trip in the place for you. Just bike, we do the rest!!

We invite you to a magical meetring with Inca history...

DAY 1:        (SANTIAGO) - IQUIQUE - VALLE ESCONDIDO

Reception at Iquique airport. Transfer to Valle Escondido. Visit of Humberstone Ghost town (former mine) and excursion to the Gigante de Atacama (geoglyphs). Arrival at Valle Escondido and overnight close to the thermal baths. Camp. (L,D)

DAY 2:        VALLE ESCONDIDO - COLCHANE - ENQUELGA

We drive up the altiplano. A succession of colored mountains receive us, before reaching Colchane, Isluga, on the Bolivian border and in the Isluga National Park. A variety of species live in this area. We set our camp at Enquelga thermal baths (3800m) at the base of Isluga Volcano (5530m). Preparation for the expedition. (B,L,D)

DAY 3:        ENQUELGA - AGUAS CALIENTES (26 km)

Beginning of the ride. We take our mountainbikes and leave Enquelga to reach Aguas Calientes thermal baths, crossing Isluga National Park from South to North. We set our camp near the thermal baths and relax in the warm water (3800m). (B,L,D)

DAY 4:        AGUAS CALIENTES - SURIRE SALT LAKE  (35 km)

Ride to reach Surire National Park. We follow the Bolivian border straight to the North and finally reach the marvellous Surire Salt Lake. We set our camp near the thermal baths (4100m). (B,L,D)

DAY 5:        SURIRE SALT LAKE - PAQUISA (45 km)

We continue north towards Paquisa, a small village located half way between Surire and Guallatire. We set the camp. (B,L,D)

DAY 6:        PAQUISA - GUALLATIRE (35 km)

The ride continues along the river in the Vicuña National Park. We cross the river several times before arriving in Guallatire, a village located at the feet of Gallatire volcano. Camp (4200m). (B,L,D)

DAY 7:        GUALLATIRE - CHURIGUAYA (35 km)

We leave Guallatire and enter one of the nicest national parks in Chile: Lauca National Park, that has been classified as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. We set our camp in Churiguaya. (B,L,D)

DAY 8:        CHURIGUAYA - LAKE CHUNGARA - COTACOTANI (40 km)

The ride continues to Lake Chungará, surely one of the most beautiful regions of Chile. Arrival at Lake Chungara, the highest one in the world. The deep blue lake offers a fantastic view on Parinacota (6342m) and Sajama (6520m) volcanoes. Then we ride along Cotacotani Lagoon. Camp at Cotacotani. (B,L,D)

DAY 9:        COTACOTANI - ARICA

Transfer by vehicle to Arica. We cross Lauca National Park from East to West and visit the villages of Parinacota, Putre and the Copaquilla Fortress. We see the strange candelabrus cactus and the geoglyphs of the Lluta Valley. Arrival at Arica. Transfer to the hotel. (part of this road may be done on the bike). (B,L)

DAY 10:        ARICA - (SANTIAGO)

Transfer to Arica airport. Flight back to Santiago. (B)   

SERVICE DETAILS

Included Services

09 nights in Hotel, Pousada (Inn). Standard Room, including room and government taxes 
09 breakfasts

09 Lunches

08 Dinners

Land transfers as detailed in the itinerary
Guided Tours as detailed, including National park taxes. Tours can change due to operational, safety or weather condition.

Not Included  

Flights 

Optional Tours  

Travel Insurance

Meals not included in the itinerary. 

Drinks, Laundry, Tips, Telephone calls, and any other personal expenses etc…. 

Meals
Meals included in the program are detailed in the following chart.

Accommodation:

Double rooms can have separate beds or not. A third person depending on the hotel has the possibility of using a sofa bed. Consult for children policy.  

Payment:

Deposit of 30% to guarantee your reservation. The remaining amount must be paid a minimum 30 days before start of the tour. If reservation is made within 30 days of the tour full payment required to make a reservation.   

Cancellation:

Up to 30 days before full refund is given unless the flight tickets have been emitted. In this case there will be a penalty due to the cancellation of the tickets. This depends on the rules of the airline used.  No refund is given when a cancellation is made within 30 days of departure.  

Operation of tour:

Minimum of 1 pax to operate. 

Responsability:

Brasil Travel / Melchior & Hodson Ltda and/or agencies involved with the packages, flights and tours shall act only as agents of the tour members in making arrangements for hotels and any other services and do not assume any liability what so ever for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident or delay to persons or property due to an act of God, default by any hotel, company or person rendering any of services included on the tours or flights. Furthermore, no responsability is accepted for quarentine, government restrains, weather or other causes beyond control. No responsability is accepted for any additional expenses, omissions, delays, re-routing or acts of government authority.

Insurance:

Not included (optional)