Venture, Sailing the Humboldt Route ex Callao to San Antonio

Details

12 Night Cruise sailing from Callao to San Antonio aboard Seabourn Venture.

12 Night Cruise sailing from Callao to San Antonio aboard Seabourn Venture.

We trace the Humboldt Current beside haunting desert shores, exploring offshore islands, Spanish colonial cities and lush valleys to Lima at the base of the Andes Cordillera.

Highlights of this cruise:

Callao
A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.

Matarani
Shaped like an exuberant sea horse standing on its head, Mayotte is the most southerly and oldest of the Comoros islands, with relatively low, rounded hills and a prominent circling coral reef. A collective Territory of France, its inhabitants are EC citizens. This "island" actually consists of three main islands: Grande Terre, Petite Terre, and the rock of Dzaoudzi, and is a remarkable natural environment filled with birds, lemurs and numerous species of flora and other fauna.

Arica
The main seaport for silver from the vast mines in Bolivia during the Spanish colonial period, Arica has been a contested city throughout its history. It enjoys a climate as dry as that of the Sahara, but without the temperature extremes. Nearby Lauca National Park offers views of volcanos, lakes and plentiful altiplano wildlife such as llamas, vicunas, alpacas and guanacos.

Coquimbo
The twin cities of Coquimbo and La Serena have prospered in recent years from the growing popularity of Chile's seacoast resorts. Your ship will dock at Coquimbo, renowned in South America for the harvest of seafood brought in daily by brightly colored fishing boats, and for its casino, which is open nightly during the southern summer. Nearby La Serena was founded in 1544, and still boasts many beautifully preserved and restored Spanish colonial buildings such at its 16th century cathedral presiding over the Plaza de Armas. Inland, the rich fields and orchards of the Elqui Valley provide a bounty of fresh fruit and fine wine grapes, while on the slopes nearby, astronomers take advantage of the clear, dry air to photograph the heavens through huge telescopes. The little river town of Vicuna was the birthplace of Nobel prize poet Gabriela Mistral.

San Antonio
This large, modern port serves Chile’s capital, Santiago, a city with Spanish colonial charm and a vivacious spirit. Encircled by the Andes and the Coastal Range, Santiago is centered around the Plaza de Armas, with several of the city’s landmarks: the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral the Palacio de la Real Audencia from 1808, the City Hall and the National Museum of History. North of San Antonio lie the picturesque old port and university town of Valparaíso and the colorful seaside resort of Viña del Mar. In between the coast and the capital are valleys filled with some of Chile’s most famous wineries, all inviting you to come and taste.