Expeditions

Overland Expeditions

South America - Colombia to Argentina

Highlights

Combine stages 3 and 4 of the Trans Americas and follow the spine of the Andes down the continent. Colombia – it’s a biking paradise, with the most consistently twisty roads through a tropical paradise! Cross the Equator and explore the Andean cultures in Ecuador & Peru. Then continue to the southern most tip of South America. Here lies Patagonia - a unique and undisturbed wilderness that provides you with rugged riding conditions.

Passing huge granite towering peaks, jagged blue glaciers and isolated ranches, where we can share roast lamb with the local families, before heading back north to the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires and the best steaks in the world!

Route Map

View Colombia to Argentina in a larger map

Is it for me?

Number of Days/Duration	70 days (10 weeks)
Approx total miles	12,000
Accommodation	100% Hotel Bed & Breakfast
Meals Included	All breakfasts and 10 Group Evening Meals
Culture Shock Rating	Moderate
Riding Difficulty	Moderate to Difficult

Riding Conditions

This ride covers around 10% of dirt and gravel roads (up to 1,200 miles), although as the infrastructure develops, this may reduce in future years.

Do not underestimate the focus required to ride in South America, simply due to the other drivers on the road who are mainly untrained and unpredictable and the road surfaces, which are very variable, including potholes, roads under construction, broken up tarmac, landslides etc.

What's Included?

Pre-Expedition:

One Days advanced rider course
One Days preparatory briefing meeting
GlobeBusters guidance handbook
Access to the GlobeBusters forum
One Days FBOS first aid course (Optional)

On the Road:

All accomodation as described
All breakfasts
One group dinner per week
Motorcycle Guide
2nd Motorcycle Guide if group is over 12 riders
Support Vehicle
Detailed daily route notes with GPS information
Freight of your motorcycle from UK to Bogota (UK/EU Price Only)*
Sea freight of your motorcycle from Buenos Aires to UK (UK/EU Price Only)*

*For a price including bespoke freight requirements please contact us.

Detailed Itinerary

Week 1 COLOMBIA

We spend enough time in Bogota for you to collect the bikes, have them serviced and also see some of the city itself. The Gold Museum is a must! As we head to Medellin, be prepared for some of the best mountain riding on the trip. It is ten bends per minute! Ride on through coffee plantations and sugar cane fields and then back to the lush green mountains. Your first experience of riding in the Andes will never be forgotten! We are staying in an old monastery, on a coffee plantation and in sophisticated city hotels. The biggest danger in Colombia will be wanting to stay!

Weeks 2 ECUADOR

Crossing into Ecuador, we head for the quaint Indian market town of Otovalo. Then it’s a major milestone - The Equator! We can park one wheel in the north and one in the south as we straddle the line with our bikes. Time to explore Quito is followed by two days in the Amazonian Rain Forest, teaming with life. Through to Cuenca we can relax in the thermal pools, before taking a small mountain road to a quiet border and our entry to Peru.

Weeks 3 & 4 PERU

Peru is a contrast to what has gone before and our first day is long desert roads to Chiclayo. Take some time out to visit the Lord of Sipan Museum and learn about the ancient past of this bleak landscape. In the seaside town of Huanchaco, see the traditional fishing methods or explore the adobe ruins of Chan Chan. Travel the tiny dirt road of Canyon del Pato, back into the high Andes.

Once south of Lima, it’s the sights that Peru is most famous for. You’ll have time to take a flight over the Nasca Lines, do a day trip to the Inca citadel, Machu Picchu, ride through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, watch condors glide over the Colca Canyon, take a boat out to the reed islands of Uros and stroll through the white city of Arequipa. All this is sandwiched between breathtaking riding on uncongested, high altitude roads, swooping through the peaks of Andes and across the remote altiplano.

Weeks 5 & 6 NORTHERN CHILE & ARGENTINA

Take the Pacific coastal road, skimming the sides of sand dunes and hovering above the ocean. Then head inland to cross the vast expanse of the driest desert in the world, the Atacama. Ride through the Valley of the Moon and pause for wonder on the expansive natural Salt Flats. Settle down to enjoy your first juicy Argentine steak with a glass of full bodied red wine. Enjoy good mountain tracks through red rocks and canyons and ride in the shadow of Aconcagua, South America’s highest peak. Return to Chile and its modern, bustling, cosmopolitan capital, Santiago with time to explore and to prepare the bikes for the next leg .

Weeks 7 & 8 PATAGONIA (CHILE & ARGENTINA)

After time to rest in Santiago, and a few days to explore the city, we set off south to the famous Ruta Interlagos and the Chilean Lake District. One of many Andean border crossings between Chile and Argentina, takes us to the beautiful lakeside town of Bariloche. Be prepared to think you are in Switzerland! Cross back to Chile to ride the Carretera Austral, an incredible dirt road nestling between the ocean and the mountains, curling around turquoise lakes, passing jagged hanging glaciers and sparkling waterfalls. Stay in the old wooden houses of the original German settlers and pine cabins by the lakes. This section of riding can be challenging, but the region is pristine and stunning.

Then it’s the most infamous road in South America - Ruta 40. A gravel road through the heart of Patagonia where the strong crosswinds can battle you for the bike! We rest overnight at a traditional estancia and dine on fresh racked roast lamb. In El Calafate, we divert from the main route to visit the immense ice colossus of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Again, it’s back to Chile to see the soaring granite peaks in Torres del Paine National Park, yet another World Heritage Listed sight.

Week 9 TIERRA DEL FUEGO

The ferry, crossing the Magellan Straits to Tierra del Fuego, steams back and forth without respite. We cross from Chile back to Argentina amidst reminders and memorials to the Falklands War. Then all too soon, you’ll ride the final pass – The Garibaldi, before dropping into Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel. It’s straight to the Tierra del Fuego National Park and the “End of the Road” sign. Congratulations! You are one of a tiny handful of riders to have ridden to the most southerly point accessible by road. Time to celebrate!

Week 10 ARGENTINA

Turning north, we re-trace our tracks across the island back to the Argentine mainland and begin our ride on the Atlantic coast road to Buenos Aires. En route, we stop on the Peninsula Valdez, famous for its wildlife to see penguins, sea lions and maybe even whales, as well as visiting old Welsh settlements for tea. Our final nights are across the Pampas, so watch out for the gauchos. In Buenos Aires, it’s a night out at the most famous tango bar in the city, before we take or bikes to the docks for freight and fly home.

Dates & Prices

	2013 (UK / EU) Includes Freight	2013 (Rest of World) Excludes Freight
Start Date	03 October 2013	03 October 2013
End Date	12 December 2013	12 December 2013
Rider Price	£13,995	$20,695
Pillion Price	£7,495	$11,995
Specific Prices	Single Room £4,000	Single Room $6,500
Availability	Available to book now	Available to book now
	Book Now	Book Now

Useful Information

Country/Region Information

We travel the length of the South American continent, through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. It's an extraordinary journey through extremes of landscapes, but most riding will take advantage of the spine of the Andes Mountains. The cultures change along the way - indigenous mountain peoples, sophisicated city living, tropical beach life. Ths trip gives you an amazing flavour of the diversity of South America.

Weather Information

The timing of the trip gives us the best chance of optimum weather conditions through the regions that we are travelling through. Nevertheless, the contrasts of weather will still be extreme. In Colombia, it can be steamy hot; in Tierra del Fuego, it can be snowing. Be prepared for anything!

Visas Information

For UK Citizens, no visas are needed in advance of travel. Other nationalities should check their own requirements, which may be different.

Travel Health Information

You must visit your GP or a specialised travel clinic to get advice on the recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures needed for the countries on this trip. In particular, ask about malaria measures and any medications for the effects of altitude. (We travel over 4,000 metres). As background, the websites listed below may prove useful.

Foreign Exchange Information

The base currency for this trip is the US Dollar. The US Dollar is readily exchangeable for the local currencies. The websites below will give you the current rates of exchange.