West Coast of South America

[whystayhome]

We are booked on one of the Cuba cruises but are likely to cancel because of the new restrictions on visiting.  I am looking at the 22-day Miami-Santiago cruise instead and am wondering how the ports are.  Along the way, the Quest stops at 

Fuerto Amador

Manta

Puerto Bolivar [Machala]

Salaverry [Trujillo]

Callao [Lima]

Islas Ballestas

General San Martin [Pisco]

Punta Islay

Matarani

Arica

Iquique

Antofagasta

Isla Pan de Azucar

 

I would appreciate feedback on whether you enjoyed your time in port and also whether any of these ports can be done on your own. There seem to be a lot of Seabourn Ventures excursions on offer.

 

Thanks,

 

Linda

[Catlover54]

Three days have passed and there have been 96 views and no replies, so either not many have gone to these ports ( other than Lima) or do not have a “fantastic!” memory easy to share.

Though every port can have something interesting to see, even if not a famous tourist attraction, we opted not to do a well-priced western South America cruise recently because I researched the ports on Trip Adviso*  and had difficulty figuring out what DH and I would do in most of them  ( I cannot do superactive physical things and DH seeks out photography  paradises).  So we passed.

 

However, on the Silver Sea forum, the younger, very healthy and superactive JP Albany and wife Chris had a great time in many of those ports and he posted pictures.  With CC’s new format it is very hard for me to find certain posts by specific members so unfortunately I cannot link without a lot of time.

[whystayhome]

Thanks for the tip.  I have the cruise [and flights back from Santiago] on hold and have started doing some preliminary research.  I haven't found much, other than for Lima, and we did quite a bit there when we went on a Macchu Picchu adventure.  The base price for the cruise isn't bad/isn't great, but the port charges, Seabourn excursions,  etc. are very high. My husband suggested we hang on to the Cuba reservation, let South America go, wait to see if the SA itinerary gets deeply discounted,  and also check out Crystal, Silversea, etc. during that time frame.

 

These are the kinds of problems I have enjoyed having since I retired.

 

I will check out the Silversea poster.  

 

Thank you.  Love the picture!

 

Linda

[Catlover54]

I look forward to having similar problems starting later this year , Linda. 😎

Have a great cruise wherever you land up.

In some ports DIY or private may also yield more interesting options than what ship excursions offer but there has to be raw material to work with.

We live in northern CA where “home” offers a lot of fantastic travel options too, so may be pickier than others about where we choose to go, and DH is not much of one for traveling just to be on the ship, nice though that is.

[Fletcher]

Well, last January we stayed four nights at the Paracas Resort in Peru and took a small boat out to the Islas Ballestas.  The landscape of the mainland is dramatic - huge sand dunes - and the rocky islands have caverns and arches.  You don't go ashore.   We saw countless seabirds, some seals and three Humboldt penguins.  Right by our hotel we saw more  birds in five seconds than we saw all week in the Galapagos Islands.  This is arguably the world's greatest area for seabird concentrations.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Fletcher

[tsavorite]

We did a similar trip a year or two back, on Silversea (Silver Cloud) – most expedition type ships have to do this journey to transfer from the Arctic to Antarctic.

 

We only started in Callao.  One thing I do know (from feedback from passengers on the previous leg) is that the first bit of the journey coincides with the end of the rainy season in the Caribbean/Panama, and those who did not realise this/had planned appropriate clothing  were very unhappy about the weather.  The other warning, if you are not yet aware, is that the run from Callao southwards tends to be misty/cloudy/cool because of the Humboldt Current.  Again this is fine as long as you are expecting it – and you would not get the wildlife without the cooler temperatures.  And often the mist and clouds lift in the afternoon.

 

From Pisco, you will have the choice of a flight over the Nazca Lines.  This costs a lot, but is well worth it.  The alternative is to visit Tambo Colorado, which is one of the key Inca archaeological sites.  It is a wonderful complex if you have an interest in archaeology, and very under visited.

 

We did not stop at the next few ports (although I do know that the islas Ballesteras have wonderful bird viewing).

In Arica, you are likely to have a choice of trips up into the Altiplano.  I thought that the trip was great – I only went as far as Putre (other trips went much higher, but were much longer).  If you can cope with the altitude, they are fascinating. There will be an alternative trip not at altitude to see the pre-Columbian mummies – if you are interested in archaeology, I would imagine this would be just as interesting.

 

Antofagasta is an interesting city.  The sail in was beautiful.  Again, there are long trips up to the Atacama Desert – the feedback from that trip was generally positive, but the altitudes are even higher than the trips form Arica.  There is quite a lot to do in Arica itself – an old silver smelting complex that looks like an abandoned fort, a nice little local museum, a historical railway and station, with old rolling stock, thriving local markets (and lots of sea lions, vultures and other birds)  and a beautiful set of rock arches.

 

Isla Pan de Azucar is an excuse to get the zodiacs out – we saw penguins, sea lions, lots of other birds and marine otters (these are the animals the island is famous for, but we were the only zodiac to find one that day). 

 

We carried on to Tierra del Fuego, and the ‘expedition’ nature of the cruise came more into focus in the second half.

I know this was not Seabourn, but as you were interested in the ports and activities, I hope it helps.

 

I believe JP Albany on the Silversea Board did this trip on Silver Explorer a little while back and posted lots of details with photos (can be accessed in his signature).

[galeforce9]

Thank you Fletcher and Tsavorite for some interesting information 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I haven't been to Islas Ballestas, but it looks awesome.  We did a similar trip out to islands off Callao a couple of years ago, saw sea lions and a few penguins (Palamino Islands.)

 

Manta has some possibilities--I've spent a week there.  It's not a scenic town in itself, but there's a rainforest nearby, and the town of Montecristi, which is great fun (where they make Panama hats, and lots of other beautiful things.) Huge beaches, but not for swimming, more for kite surfing.

 

Lima itself has all sort of wonderful places to go--archaeological ruins, museums.  Trujillo has some amazing temples.  Tends to be hot in (our) winter, however.  We did private guides for a few days in Lima, and they were wonderful--I'm sure they could plan a good day for you in port.

[tv24]

We were on the Quest in November, traveling from Miami through Santiago and on to Antarctica and Buenos Aires.  We took this cruise as a way to see a lot of South America, but it turned out that Antarctica was the best part.  We splurged on the Seabourn excursion to Machu Picchu and have been raving about it ever since.  The whole experience was out of this world.  2 fellow PAX booked their own MP excursion at half the cost and managed to make it back to the Quest with no problems.  We also took a Seabourn excursion to Arequipa which was an exquisitely beautiful town, although the 3-hour bus ride there was painful.  Every other port was DIY, mostly walking around.  My favorite was the old town in Panama City.  Many other ports were of little interest and many passengers were bored, calling this the "Container Ship Port Cruise."  Two were downright disgusting in scent, the island with the birds and one container port where the Quest docked next to a fish-processing ship.  On the whole we had a great time, but it was because we were on the Seabourn Quest where life is grand.  Machu Picchu was extraordinary and Antarctica unique, and later on the Lake District of Chile was gorgeous.  But otherwise the ports were forgettable or annoying.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

8 hours ago, tv24 said:

We were on the Quest in November, traveling from Miami through Santiago and on to Antarctica and Buenos Aires.  We took this cruise as a way to see a lot of South America, but it turned out that Antarctica was the best part.  We splurged on the Seabourn excursion to Machu Picchu and have been raving about it ever since.  The whole experience was out of this world.  2 fellow PAX booked their own MP excursion at half the cost and managed to make it back to the Quest with no problems.  We also took a Seabourn excursion to Arequipa which was an exquisitely beautiful town, although the 3-hour bus ride there was painful.  Every other port was DIY, mostly walking around.  My favorite was the old town in Panama City.  Many other ports were of little interest and many passengers were bored, calling this the "Container Ship Port Cruise."  Two were downright disgusting in scent, the island with the birds and one container port where the Quest docked next to a fish-processing ship.  On the whole we had a great time, but it was because we were on the Seabourn Quest where life is grand.  Machu Picchu was extraordinary and Antarctica unique, and later on the Lake District of Chile was gorgeous.  But otherwise the ports were forgettable or annoying.

 

It would be interesting to know exactly which ports were so annoying, of little interest, or boring.  Do you remember?

 

For instance, when we were dock in Manta, we had a tuna boat across the dock from us, and it was being unloaded into containers most of the day--I found it fascinating. 

[tv24]

OK, so here is some more info from our November, 2018 Quest cruise:

 

Fuento Amador:  I recommend DIY walking tour of Old Town Panama City.  Easily done.  I loved it.

 

Manta:  Not pretty.  We took a cab to Montecristi, walked around, bought an over-priced Panama hat, went to the cathedral, ate a fast food lunch, and were not impressed.

 

Salaverry: Arrange a tour of Chan Chan, a pre-Incan archeological dig, a vast and fascinating site.  Avoid the tour of the fishing boats on the seaside.

 

Puerto Bolivar:  No memory.  Did we bother to get off the ship?

 

Callao (Lima):  We flew to Cuzco for the excursion of Machu Picchu.  A life-changing experience.  We did not re-join the ship until General San Martin.

 

Matarani:  Nothing there worth seeing.  We took an excursion to Arequipa, which was gorgeous, but it was a painful 3-hour bus ride each way through desolate desert landscape.  We saw a volcano explode in the distance.

 

Arica:  Small town with a church.  Ho-hum, but pleasant.

 

Iquique:  Extremely dry desert area.  This is a port for the local mining industry.  Not interesting.

 

Antofagasta:  Pleasant but not very interesting.

 

Isla Pan Sucar:  Stinky bird sanctuary.  Passengers almost stage a mutinee over the smell.

 

So some wonderful experiences, but a lot of ho-hum.  We loved our time on the Quest and the fun we had with our fellow passengers.  This itinerary was of such limited interest that it was deeply discounted.  If fact the segment between Callao and Santiago was downright cheap and attracted a lot of Seabourn newbies.  No regrets;  we had a great time, but frankly, this is not the itinerary of a lifetime.  I hope my limited notes are helpful.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Okay, well we liked Montecristi, but then we were with a friend who lives there, and she took us to a hat maker who had a tiny shop in his home, and my husband got a very good quality hat for a decent price.  And then she took us to lots of little shops around town to look at crafts, weaving, alpaca stuff.  It was fun.  But I admit, Manta on the surface has very little to distinguish it--you certainly can't just get off the boat and walk around; or rather you can, but it would be boring.

 

We did one of the temples in Salaverry plus a luncheon that included the specially-trained horses of the region.  It was pleasant.  We did stop at the beach to see the fishermen--these are the guys who traditionally make their boats out of reeds and kneel on them to go out and fish in the surf.

[scottam]

16 hours ago, tv24 said:

OK, so here is some more info from our November, 2018 Quest cruise:

Salaverry: Arrange a tour of Chan Chan, a pre-Incan archeological dig, a vast and fascinating site.  Avoid the tour of the fishing boats on the seaside.

Matarani:  Nothing there worth seeing.  We took an excursion to Arequipa, which was gorgeous, but it was a painful 3-hour bus ride each way through desolate desert landscape.  We saw a volcano explode in the distance.

 

So some wonderful experiences, but a lot of ho-hum.  We loved our time on the Quest and the fun we had with our fellow passengers.  This itinerary was of such limited interest that it was deeply discounted.  If fact the segment between Callao and Santiago was downright cheap and attracted a lot of Seabourn newbies.  No regrets;  we had a great time, but frankly, this is not the itinerary of a lifetime.  I hope my limited notes are helpful.

TV24,

Thank you for your comments on the various ports. It’s been difficult to find much info, let alone many tour/sightseeing options  for some of the ports in this region. In addition to tours, we’re happy to walk off the ship and make our own discoveries, so we’ll figure it out and enjoy ourselves either way.

 

Regarding Salaverry and Matarini, did you use your ship for shore excursion or did you book with an independent company? If so, which one?

 

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

We did one of the temples in Salaverry plus a luncheon that included the specially-trained horses of the region.  It was pleasant.  We did stop at the beach to see the fishermen--these are the guys who traditionally make their boats out of reeds and kneel on them to go out and fish in the surf.

Wendy, 

Same question for your time in Salaverry. A ship excursion or independent and, if independent, what was the company? 

 

Thanks to to both for your comments!

Tammy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, scottam said:

...

Wendy, 

Same question for your time in Salaverry. A ship excursion or independent and, if independent, what was the company? 

 

Thanks to to both for your comments!

Tammy

 

It was a ship's tour in Salaverry.  We did have private guides in Lima, and they are highly recommended, peruvianlocalfriend.com , but they don't do Salaverry (really Trujillo).  They do Lima, Cusco, Puno and Arequipa.  In Lima, they were exceptional, and very reasonable.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

3 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

It was a ship's tour in Salaverry, but it was Regent, not Seabourn.  We did have private guides in Lima, and they are highly recommended, peruvianlocalfriend.com , but they don't do Salaverry (really Trujillo).  They do Lima, Cusco, Puno and Arequipa.  In Lima, they were exceptional, and very reasonable.

 

[tv24]

Scottam:  In both Salavery and Matarini we booked Seabourn's excursions.  We were lucky to have a lot of OBC and we had no good way to use it other than on excursions, so we shopped around.  You could easily book a private tour of Chan Chan from the Salavery port as the distance to the site is not great and you have all day to complete the tour.  Arequipa from Matarini is 3 hours each way.  Yikes!  Seabourn's excursions are always expensive and some are not good quality.  But they guarantee that they will get you back to the ship.

[scottam]

Thank you Wendy and tv24 for your replies.  So very helpful! 

 

Tamm

[whystayhome]

Just cancelled our Cuba cruise as the word has come down from the government. Will probably be joining you and will be I touch about excursion sharing. 

 

Linda

[scottam]

On 6/4/2019 at 2:51 PM, whystayhome said:

Just cancelled our Cuba cruise as the word has come down from the government. Will probably be joining you and will be I touch about excursion sharing. 

 

Linda

Hi Linda,

That’s great! See you on the roll call!

 

Tammy

[scottam]

Just now, scottam said:

Hi Linda,

That’s great you’ll be joining us, but too bad about the Cuba cruises! See you on the SA roll call!

 

Tammy