Experience a "Grand Voyage" of a lifetime in South America

The 2027 A Grand Voyage to South America is the ultimate epic 73-night cruise – here’s where it will take you and some of the (many) highlights…

by Lesley Bellew

Spirit of Adventure’s 2027 A Grand Voyage to South America is a 73-night circumnavigation of the world’s fourth largest continent, the home to more than 40% of the planet’s biodiversity.

It’s a cruise that has it all: beaches, mountains and glaciers, rainforests, deserts, wildlife, cities, ancient and modern history, art and architecture. There’s a complimentary tour in every port for a real voyage of discovery.

That’s on top of the wonderful rhythm of daily life on the all-inclusive boutique ship where you can do as much or as little as you like. Choose to join classes from dancing to Pilates, spot sea-life from the deck, join the quizzes or laze by the pool.

After a chauffeur-driven journey to Portsmouth to board Spirit of Adventure on January 7, there are calls to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, and Santiago in Cape Verde, off the West coast of Africa, before the “first footing” in South America, at Salvador on the north-east coast.

As the ship continues to sail clockwise around this fascinating continent, there are opportunities to explore the vibrant cities of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina, canoe in mangroves, join a wine tour, see rookeries of penguins and visit pre-Incan archaeological sites. There’s also plenty of scenic cruising: passing Cape Horn, Patagonia’s Amalia Glacier and Brüggen Glacier in Chile’s southern ice field plus the bonus of five days in the Caribbean.

Here are some of the (many) highlights:

Salvador, Brazil

Salvador was Brazil's first capital, founded by the Portuguese in 1549. You can visit the UNESCO-listed old town of Pelourinho to walk along cobbled streets that wind past lively squares with colonial architecture and open-air bars. The ship is in port from 8am to 7pm to make the most of this first stop on the South American continent.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Be up early for the 6am sail into Rio. There's a lot to do in one day so you can book a tour to ride on the aerial tramway to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain or go up Corcovado Mountain from where the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city. For beach life and people-watching, consider the famous Copacabana sands or Ipanema with its fashionable shops and restaurants.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Spirit of Adventure moors overnight in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Don't miss Plaza de Mayo, overlooked by the pink presidential Casa Rosada Palace where Eva Peron addressed her people from the balcony.

The city's architecture feels European as during the prosperous 19th-century beautiful boulevards sprung up in this "Paris of South America".

Visit the bohemian La Boca district's brightly-painted shanty houses where there's plenty of music and tango dancing in the streets or book to see an evening performance of the tango in city that gave birth to the iconic dance.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Wine lovers can opt to join a tour to the Canelones wine region or learn more about Montevideo's European influences on an included tour of the modern capital and old town which was founded by the Spanish in the 18th century. The neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral in Plaza Matriz and the Solis Theatre boast fine examples of colonial buildings while the city's downtown offers a contrasting array of Art Deco buildings. All aboard is 7pm so you can fit in plenty of sightseeing.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

On the northern coast of Patagonia, with its spectacular scenery and wildlife, Puerto Madryn is famous for its Welsh heritage. In 1865, about 150 Welsh emigrants travelled 8,000 miles on the tea-clipper Mimosa to set up a new homeland and you can explore this extraordinary story during your visit.

Wildlife lovers can also opt to tour the Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery, a colony of Magellanic penguins.

Port Stanley, Falklands

With an overnight mooring off Port Stanley you can take the tender ashore to explore Victorian buildings, including Christ Church, the world's most southerly cathedral. The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory and the Historic Dockyard Museum hosts displays on the 1982 conflict with Argentina as well as highlights of the islands' earlier history, flora and fauna.

An included tour to Gypsy Cove takes guests to see Magellanic penguins or book a 4x4 ride to Volunteer Point beach to see the largest breeding group of king penguins on the islands as well as gentoo and Magellanic colonies.

Punta Arenas, Chile

Spirit of Adventure cruises through the Strait of Magellan to remote Punta Arenas, where explorer Ferdinand Magellan is commemorated by a memorial in Plaza Muñoz Gamero.

If you can't get enough of seeing penguins visit nearby uninhabited Magdalena Island. It is a breeding success story as the penguins, unfazed by humans, nest close to paths that tourists follow. Predatory large seabirds, such as skuas, are the penguins' greatest threat but they tend to keep away when humans are present.

Puerto Montt, Chile

Puerto Montt is the gateway to the Chilean Lake District with a rich German heritage including a German Colonial Museum. You can also mooch in the handicraft and fish markets at Angelmo or on the included excursion see lakes and snow-capped volcanoes from the nearby towns of Puerto Varas and Frutillar. Lake Llanquihue, South America's third-largest natural lake, is the focus of an optional excursion.

Valparaiso, Chile

Get your cameras at the ready in Valparaiso. Here on Chile's Pacific coast colourful houses appear to tumble down the hillside and you can take funicular elevators to reach the top of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed city, known as the "Jewel of the Pacific". There's a full-day optional excursion to Santiago for those who would like to see the capital. Spirit of Adventure stays in port until 10pm.

Callao, Peru

Make the most of an overnight mooring in Callao, a seaside resort with a UNESCO-listed historic centre whose 17th-century Cathedral of Callao survived major earthquakes in 1746 and 1940. Callao is the port for the capital, Lima, a metropolis of skyscrapers, colonial gems and ancient ruins surrounded by desert and backed by the Andes while other optional excursions include the Larco Herrera Museum to discover 3,000 years of Peru's pre-Columbian history or visit the Sacred Citadel of Pachacamac.

Salaverry, Peru

Consider an optional tour to explore the UNESCO-listed mud city of Chan Chan, an archaeological site of 10,000 decorated buildings where the Chimu people flourished between 1200BC and 1465BC. Alternatively, travel inland to Trujillo, the birthplace of Peru's national Marinera dance, a romantic, graceful dance that captures the sweeping rush of a courting couple.

Fuerte Amador, Panama

The port is at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal with beaches, a pier, waterfront bars and restaurants. You can also experience the hustle and bustle of Panama City or take an optional tour to ruins of the former city of Panama Viejo.

Spirit of Adventure then ticks the box for your bucket lists by transiting the Panama Canal, the 50-mile-long waterway which opened in 1914, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.

Colón, Panama

Here, at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal, don't miss the optional tour to Gatun Lake, a large man-made fresh water lake that is home to monkeys and manatees, sloths, crocodiles and tropical birds.

Or, if you are ready for some retail therapy, the included highlights of the Colón tour take in Zona Libra for duty-free shopping and in nearby Portobello, hunt for treasures in the markets.

Cartagena, Colombia

From Cartagena, you can take a canoe through mangrove tunnels to look for wildlife during an optional guided tour or join an included excursion of the city founded by the Spanish in 1533. The historic centre is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a huge network of fortifications unlike any other in the New World – the city is surrounded by miles of old stone walls and alleyways lined with Andalusian-style palaces, churches and mansions.

The Caribbean awaits

After Cartagena, it's time to hit the beaches during Spirit of Adventure's five-day sailing in the Caribbean with calls to Oranjestad, Aruba; St George's, Grenada; Scarborough, Tobago and Bridgetown, Barbados.

Of course, that's not the end of the cruise, there's a final call to Sao Miguel, in the Azores and three wonderful homeward sailing days to Portsmouth.

Book your Grand Voyage to South America with Saga today.