From the thunder of Iguazu Falls to the glaciers of Patagonia and the peaks of the Andes, South America delivered one of the most diverse adventures we have experienced in retirement. Join Tom, Laura, and Pink Bear as we explore Argentina and Chile by land and sea aboard an unforgettable Patagonian expedition cruise.
This article focuses on our South American Journey. If you want to read our backstory and about our other adventures, go to:
Pink Bear’s Retirement Journey
Before we jump into our first activity, let’s go over the 1) Why, 2) Where, and 3) How of traveling to South America.
Why South America?
South America had been on our bucket list for years because it seemed to offer everything we love — wildlife, beautiful scenery, adventure, and relaxation. There are so many places to visit in South America that it is an all-encompassing travel destination. The climates vary from arid deserts to rainforests to polar. We realized that we could experience a tremendous variety of things on a single travel adventure.
Where in South America?
South America is a continent with many countries. It also includes a vast region known as Patagonia. Pink Bear has been fascinated with Patagonia for quite a while, so we decided to start with that area in our planning.
Pink Bear did a great deal of research on Patagonia.
Patagonia is not a country but a massive region encompassing the southern end of Argentina and Chile.
- Covers approximately 1 million square kilometers (400,000 square miles)
- Includes Cape Horn
- Gateway to Antarctica – Ushuaia
- Includes the majestic Chilean Fjords
- Includes the Andes Mountains
Since Patagonia encompasses both Argentina and Chile, we decided to focus on those two countries. During her research in South America, Pink Bear discovered that Iguazu Falls is a must-see attraction. So, we added that to our South American destination list.
How Will We Structure the Vacation?
The next logical decision was whether we would have a land vacation, a sea journey, or a combination of the two. As part of retirement adventures, we have moved away from large cruise ships and crowded destinations. In addition, as we have become more accustomed to traveling, we find we enjoy spending more time in one area and appreciate learning about the people, culture, and customs in the places we visit. We prefer river and small-ship cruises. We also enjoy land-based vacations. These all offer a more immersive experience, rather than a non-stop party.
For Patagonia, an expedition cruise seemed an ideal choice. Since we had traveled with Viking River Cruises before and enjoyed the experience, their Patagonian expedition cruise seemed a logical extension. Viking offers a quality product at a reasonable cost. We enjoy their small ships, with innovative design features and the signature Scandinavian décor. The cabins have efficient layouts and very upscale and comfortable furnishings, in our opinion.
Pink Bear loves looking at the Viking Cruise brochure.
The cruise we selected was the Viking Polaris Argentina and Chilean Fjords journey, originating in Buenos Aires and ending in Santiago, Chile. An overnight stay in a hotel in Buenos Aires and a flight to Ushuaia (where we would board the Polaris vessel) were included as part of the Viking cruise package.
Since we wanted additional time in Argentina and Chile, we added extra days before and after the cruise, which we arranged ourselves. We are not overly fond of land tour packages, so we don’t book these through the cruise line. Pink Bear and I like to arrange our own accommodations and tours. It allows more flexibility.
For this trip, we spent a few days in Buenos Aires and Iguazu pre-cruise, and a few days in Santiago post-cruise.
Our South America Itinerary
- Buenos Aires, Argentina (4 days)
- Iguazu Falls, Argentina (3 days)
- Buenos Aires Pre-cruise with Viking (1 day)
- Viking Polaris Expedition Cruise (12 days)
- Santiago, Chile (3 days)
How Did We Plan the Trip?
As retirees, we focus on comfortable travel, upscale but realistic, active but not exhausting.
We plan our trips using a simple spreadsheet. It is invaluable for keeping track of things. You don’t need fancy software or programs, just a simple Excel or Numbers document.
- Where to Stay: Once we decide where we want to go, we pick where to stay and what we want to do. For this trip, accommodations would be a cruise cabin and hotel rooms. Our choice of cabin was a junior suite on the Polaris, which came with some nice perks since it is in the “suite class”. For hotels in Buenos Aires and Santiago, we chose Marriott properties since we are Bonvoy Platinum Elite. For Iguazu Pink Bear did a great deal of research and chose Loi Suites.
- Sightseeing: For sightseeing, we selected private tours since we wanted to get the most out of this foreign country. At our age and for a personal upscale experience, private tours are the way to go. We highly recommend Tours by Locals. TripAdvisor or Viator also provides some nice products. All this stuff goes into the spreadsheet. We color-code for easy identification. We include times, but they are exact for some things, rough estimates for others.
Each destination will have its own blog, but below are some hotels and destination highlights to whet your appetite.
Buenos Aires
The Park Tower
Hilton Hotel
Buenos Aires Street Scenes
Buenos Aires is a very upscale urban paradise in Argentina, offering beautiful neighborhoods, shopping, markets, restaurants, museums, galleries, and of course, the incredible Recoleta Cemetery.
Iguazu
Loi Suites
Iguazu Falls – Argentina and Brazil Side
One of the new Natural Wonders of the World, everyone should visit Iguazu Falls in their lifetime. They are incomparable, and you will get wet! I needed to hold on to mischievous Pink Bear so she would not fall in. A full description of our days at Iguazu Falls will be provided in a future blog.
Viking Polaris
The Polaris is a beautiful state-of-the-art expedition vessel.
Patagonian Glaciers
We visited many glaciers on our Polaris expedition through the Chilean Fjords that will be detailed in future blogs.
Cape Horn Surprise Landing
The weather around Cape Horn is usually not conducive to a zodiac landing. However, every once in a while, the winds calm and the sea is tranquil enough for a landing. We were blessed with one of those days, and we had a surprise landing on Cape Horn. It was a magical experience, and we will be sharing it with you in a future blog.
Santiago Chile
Our final destination in our South American adventure was Santiago, Chile. This cosmopolitan modern city offers many things to do and see. It is also a good base for exploring the Andes or visiting the seaside town of Zapallar, the gateway to Penguin Island, formally known as Isla Chachagua.
Hope you liked this overview. These are only a few of the many gorgeous things we experienced. Next, we will be discussing our arrival in Argentina and more pictures of our accommodations, tours, and expedition cruise.
Upcoming South America Travel Blogs
- Arriving in Buenos Aires/City Sights
- Tigre Delta Excursion
- Touring Iguazu Falls
- Life aboard Viking Polaris
- Cape Horn Landing
- Expedition landings and Zodiac adventures
- Patagonian glaciers and wildlife
- Santiago
- Zapallar/Penguin Island
- Travel planning tips and costs
Retirement Vacation Rating:
⭐ Retirement Comfort Level: 9/10
⭐ Adventure Level: Moderate/Active
⭐ Pink Bear Approved: Yes
A Patagonia expedition cruise, with land travel before and after the cruise, is not for the timid traveler. However, it is a wonderful and exciting journey for active retirees looking for a moderate amount of adventure. Follow my blog to learn how to travel to Patagonia in upscale comfort without breaking the bank.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll share the details behind every part of this adventure—from navigating Buenos Aires and standing beside the roaring waters of Iguazu Falls to cruising through remote Patagonian fjords and hiking near ancient glaciers. If South America is on your retirement travel bucket list, we hope our experiences help you plan your own unforgettable journey.
For all our South American Adventures, go to: