A Gentle Encounter with Glaciers and Desert

You only have to look at a map of Chile to see how diverse a land this is. It stretches for almost 4,300 kilometres from north to south, and includes desert in the north and iceberg-strewn fjords in the south. This holiday shows you these contrasting landscapes as you explore with expert guides in Patagonia and the Atacama Desert, and is a great introduction to this most photogenic of countries,

You begin in Santiago, Chile's capital, set in a valley between two mountain ranges, and have a full day to explore at your leisure. Your hotel is in the historical neighbourhood of Lastarria, and wandering along its cobbled streets you come across stylish boutiques and cafes among the fine colonial buildings as you mingle with smartly turned out locals, a suitably relaxed way to commence your holiday.

From here you are whisked away to the far south of the country to a land of jagged granite peaks, mighty glaciers, mirror-like lakes, deep fjords, forests and vast pampas grasslands. There's so much to see and to do that you'll fill every moment of your three days here. Thankfully you have the help of an experienced guide as you choose your options which range from hiking to kayaking and horse riding to cycling, all against the most magnificent backdrops.

At the other end of Chile is a world equally breath-taking. The Atacama Desert genuinely has an other-worldly feel, little wonder it was used by both the European Space Centre and NASA to test Mars rovers. Unleash your inner astronaut with a visit to Valle de la Luna and Valle de la Muerte. Elsewhere you can witness dozens of spurting geysers, watch flamingos at salt lagoons and marvel at pre-Colombian petroglyphs as you wonder about the people who created them.

Heady with discoveries, landscapes and adventures you end the holiday at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valparaiso, known as the 'Jewel of the Pacific'. From your palatial hotel you can admire views over the city and bay, and have plenty of time to explore the trendy neighbourhood as you stroll along the famous Paseo Yugoslavo.

You stay at top quality hotels throughout, adding a real touch of luxury to the holiday, as you indulge in spa treatments, dine on haute cuisine and revel in your exquisite surroundings. By flying between cities the time spent travelling is minimised giving you longer to enjoy in each of the destinations, which is what this holiday is all about.