Ski and Desert Adventure Holiday » Itinerary

Fly overnight to Latin America. Please note: international flights are quoted separately for this holiday.

Arrive in the resort of Portillo today, a three hour drive north of Chile’s capital, Santiago.

Ski in the stunning surroundings of Portillo, a high Andean valley with the Laguna del Inca reflecting 5,000m peaks.

Portillo is small. The infrastructure is 12 lifts serving 23 slopes. Of these 10% are for beginners, 70% for intermediate-advanced and 20% for experts.

In addition to the slope network there is fantastic off piste, made accessible by the superb ‘va et vient’ lifts – essentially four person drag lifts which take you up the steepest of slopes at speeds approaching 30km an hour.

With a maximum of 450 guests each week, Portillo offers incredible levels of service, delicious food and a uniquely intimate environment for a ski resort.

As well as great levels of service, only 450 guests means near empty slopes.

Portillo has a magic to it which gets to most guests. Many return year after year.

Check out this morning though you can continue to ski all day if you like.

Travel to the north of Chile and the Atacama Desert. Stay in a boutique hotel in the small, characterful oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Set off from the hotel for a gently paced bike ride across the salt flats to a lagoon, home to a family of flamingos. In the late afternoon walk through a narrow gorge in the salt mountains.

Ride up to 20km, 3hrs, flat. Walk 7km, 2hrs, down 100m.

Start today’s walk in small village at 4,000m. Walk along a wide green valley then down an Inca road surrounded by giant cacti and agricultural terraces to an oasis.

Walk 18km, 5hrs, down 1,000m

Today’s walk takes you as high as many of us will ever stand. Walk slowly but steadily to the summit at 5,620m – only a couple of hundred metres lower than Kilimanjaro.

Walk 6km, 3hrs, up 420m, down 420m.

Visit the world’s highest geothermal field – the Tatio geysers as they come to life at sunrise. Afterwards, soak in hot springs. Fly to Santiago this evening.

Leave Santiago today. Flight times vary as international flights are quoted separately for this holiday.

Arrive back home.