Call now to book: 0203 925 1711 www.jetlinecruise.com
16Discover your inner Indiana Jones or Lara Croft on
an unusual winter holiday to one of the most remote
cruise destinations in the world - South America. You
will encounter a unique mixture of exploration, mystery
and adventure where incredible scenery, amazing flora
and fauna, colourful cultures and fascinating history are
marvellously intertwined.
The Atlantic coast of South America gives you the
opportunity to visit Brazil and Argentina with key features
such as the Amazon, Rio de Janeiro, Sugarloaf Mountain,
Copacabana Beach and the Paris of the South - Buenos
Aires. Perhaps choose an itinerary which includes a passage
through Cape Horn incorporating the Falkland Islands,
Argentina, Chile and the Chilean Fjords. While the Pacific
Coast of South America offers Chile, Peru, Ecuador, the
Andes and the ancient lost city of Machu Picchu.
BRAZIL has a population of approximately 200 million,
is the largest country in South America and is the fifth
largest country in the world. It has an Atlantic coastline of
4,655 miles featuring numerous ports of call and of course
the mighty Amazon River. 60% of the Amazon rainforest
sits within Brazil, whereas Peru has 13% and Colombia
has 10%. Rio De Janeiro (River of January) is the second
largest city in Brazil with a population of 6.3 million. Rio
is the most visited city in the southern hemisphere and is
famous for its carnival celebrations, samba and the beaches
of Copacabana and Ipanema. Must see landmarks include
the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer (one of the modern
Seven Wonders of the World) at 130 feet tall and built
between 1922 to 1931 atop Corcovado mountain, rising
700 metres above sea level. Also Sugarloaf Mountain,
which is 396 meters high, above the harbour with its
cable car famously featured in the James Bond Movie
"Moonraker".
ARGENTINA Is the second largest country on the
South American continent with a population of over 40
million people. Buenos Aires is the Capital of the country
and a top tourist destination, known for its European style
architecture and rich cultural life. Top activities include a
tango show, ranches in the Provinces of Buenos Aires and
the Pampas, or enjoying a traditional Aasado (Argentine
style BBQ). Visit Avenida del Libertador where you will
find many of the city's best-known museums and Avenida
de Mayo for its sophisticated Art Nouveau, Neoclassic
architecture.
CHILE is 2880 miles long making it the longest northsouth country
in the world. It is just 265 miles wide at its
widest point and together with Ecuador are the only two
countries in South America that do not share a border with
Brazil. Chile gained independence from Spain in 1818 and
today is one of South America's most stable and prosperous
nations. The southern coast features a labyrinth of fjords,
inlets, canals, a twisting peninsula and islands best explored
by ship. Santiago is the capital and is situated approximately
80 miles from the port of San Antonio. Against the stunning
backdrop of the Andes this city has recently undergone a
cultural metamorphosis with fine dining, a famous seafood
market, sleek new cultural centres, thoughtful museums
and gorgeous green parks.
CAPE HORN One of the most sought-after
itineraries is a cruise around the extreme southern tip
of South America. Follow in the path of historical great
explorers such as Sir Francis Drake , Ferdinand Magellan
and Darwin cruising each of the three navigable passages
through Cape Horn for which they are famous for.
DRAKE PASSAGE The Drake Passage is the
body of water between the southern tip of South America
at Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of
Antarctica. The 500 mile wide passage between Cape
Horn and Livingston Island is the shortest crossing from
Antarctica to the rest of the world's land. It was named
after Sir Francis Drake when his ship, having passed through
the Strait of Magellan, was blown far South in September
1578. Ships in the passage are often good platforms for the
sighting of whales, dolphins and plentiful seabirds including
giant petrels, other petrels, albatrosses and penguins.
STRAITS OF MAGELLAN This is the
Northernmost Route through the tip of South America
which takes you past Punta Arenas in Chile and was
explored by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. Until 1914, when
the Panama Canal opened, this was the main route for
ships sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It is 350
miles long and just 1.2 miles wide at it narrowest point.
BEAGLE CHANNEL This 150 mile long channel
takes you through the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago of
islands at the southern tip of South America, past Ushuaia
in Argentina. The eastern end of the Channel forms the
border between Chile and Argentina whilst the western end
is entirely in Chile. It is only three miles wide at its widest
point and so can be quite tricky for ships to negotiate. The
Beagle Channel was named after the British ship Beagle, in
which Charles Darwin explored the area (1833-34).
PERU gained independence from Spain in 1821 and
was home to ancient cultures such as the Incas - their
most famous legacy being ancient citadel of Machu Picchu.
The Incas left no record of why they built the site around
1400 AD or how they used it before it was abandoned in
the early 16th century when the Spanish Conquistadors
conquered the region. The residents took with them
their most valuable belongings and destroyed the trails
connecting Machu Picchu with the rest of the empire.
Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish, and
subsequently was left untouched, lost to the dense Amazon
Jungle for the next five centuries.
Lima, the capital of Peru, is a great metropolis where the
historic centre has been declared a Cultural World Heritage
Site by UNESCO and is home to some the best museums
in Peru. The world-famous Nazca Lines are situated
approximately 286 miles from Lima. Here 50 square km
of desert floor were covered by vast drawings, figures of
mammals, insects and deities. They were discovered in
1927 and are the most extraordinary legacy left by the
Nazca culture that flourished around 300 BC. The lines
are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 metres
long, which can only be seen in their true dimension from
an altitude of at least 1,500 feet. The Nazca culture is not
believed to have been capable of manned flight, yet the
question remains as to how they crafted the drawings, what
technology they used and what purpose the lines served.
SOUTH AMERICA
A Perfect destination for a winter holiday & the cruise of a lifetime!