Destinations
Sail away to discover the secrets of South America on the cruise of a lifetime…
Four new segments to Spirit of Adventure’s 73-night Grand South America Voyage
Cruises are a wonderful way to see the world, and Saga’s 73-night Grand South America Voyage offers an amazing adventure in luxurious comfort.
Now Saga Cruises has added four fly-cruise options to Spirit of Adventure’s exciting sailing which leaves Portsmouth on 7 January 2027.
These new 14, 21, 22 and 23-night cruise holidays allow guests to experience elements of South America or the Caribbean without being away from home for 10 weeks!
Overnight hotel stays and all transfers en route are included. What’s more, the VIP car service to take you from your home to the UK airport or port for your departure, and return you home again when you arrive back in the UK. Here are four new options to choose from with some of the shore excursions you can enjoy:
23-night cruise from Portsmouth to Buenos Aires, Argentina
Join the big sail away from Portsmouth on 7 January to enjoy all the ship has to offer plus fabulous ports of call in Gran Canaria and Cape Verde, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, plus Buenos Aires, Argentina before a return flight from the city on 29 January.
Rio de Janeiro
Top shore excursions:
Rio de Janeiro
What you’ll see: Incredible 360° views of picturesque Rio de Janeiro from the Sugar Loaf Mountain Aerial Tramway.
Highlights: From the top, you’ll have views of the stunning topography of the sprawling natural Rio skyline, Corcovado Mountain, and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.
Don’t miss: The famous beaches – Copacabana, Ipanema, Tijuca, and Leblon.
21-night cruise from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile
Fly from London Heathrow on 27 January for an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast in Hotel Palido, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 28 January. Embark the ship on 29 January for calls to Montevideo, Uruguay; Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Stanley, The Falklands[JN2.1]; and Puntas Arenas and Puerto Montt, Chile; before disembarkation on 17 February. Spend a night with dinner and breakfast at the Hotel Pullman El Bosque in Valparaiso (Santiago) Chile. The flight from Valparaiso on 18 February arrives in London Heathrow on 19 February.
Top shore excursions:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
What you’ll see: Wide 19th-century boulevards on a tour of Buenos Aires, the “Paris of South America”.
Highlights: La Boca district’s brightly-painted houses with music and tango dancing in the streets.
Don’t miss: Plaza de Mayo, a central gathering place overlooked by the pink presidential Casa Rosada Palace where Eva Peron addressed crowds from the balcony.
Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn
What you’ll see: The city is set on the northern coast of Patagonia, in an area renowned for its wildlife and Welsh heritage.
Highlights: Join the Small Group Experience to Estancia San Lorenzo one of the region’s remotest penguin reserves situated on Península Valdés, where guests can walk along the designated paths to see the penguins
Don’t miss: You may also see elephant seals and orcas off Península Valdés.
Stanley, The Falklands
What you’ll see: Stanley’s Victorian buildings and the Historic Dockyard Museum with displays on the 1982 conflict with Argentina.
Highlights: Take a 4x4 ride to Volunteer Point beach to see the largest breeding group of king penguins on the islands as well as gentoo and Magellan colonies.
Don’t miss: Christ Church, the world’s most southerly cathedral. Consecrated in 1892, it serves the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territories.
Punta Arenas, Chile
What you’ll see: The fascinating mix of tin roofs and European architecture of this remote city, still a bustling port thanks to its location on a busy shipping route and as a gateway to expeditions into Patagonia.
Highlights: A memorial to explorer Ferdinand Magellan in Plaza Muñoz Gamero, and a replica of one of his vessels displayed at the Museo Nao Victoria.
Don’t miss: An optional excursion to Magdalena Island, an uninhabited island home to the largest colony of Magellan penguins in South America.
Puerto Montt, Chile
What you’ll see: Puerto Montt’s Alpine architecture. It was founded in 1853 after government-sponsored immigration brought Germans here, hence its German heritage.
Highlights: Visit the handicraft and fish markets at Angelmo, admire lakes and snow-capped volcanoes on tours to the nearby towns of Puerto Varas and Frutillar.
Don’t miss: An optional excursion to Lake Llanquihue, South America’s third-largest natural lake, watched over by the snow-capped volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco and fringed by villages boasting magnificent gardens and charming European architecture.
22-night cruise from Chile to Grenada in the West Indies, via the Panama Canal.
On 15 February, fly from London Heathrow to Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile, for an overnight stay, dinner and breakfast in the Hotel Pullman El Bosque on 16 February. Board Spirit of Adventure on 17 February for an overnight call into the seaside resort of Callao, Peru; the port city of Salaverry, to visit historic Trujillo, Peru; Flamenco Island, Panama; transiting the Panama Canal; visiting Colon, Panama; Cartagena, Colombia and Oranjestad, Aruba. Disembark the ship in Grenada on 8 March for the overnight flight to London Heathrow, arriving on 9 March.
Top shore excursions:
Callao, Peru
What you’ll see: a thriving metropolis of skyscrapers, colonial gems and ancient ruins backed by the Andes and surrounded by deserts.
Highlights: Its UNESCO-listed historic centre, known as the ‘City of Kings’
Don’t miss: The 17th-century church in the City of Kings that miraculously survived Lima’s earthquakes in 1746 and 1940
Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
What you’ll see: Street performances, festivals and gatherings along the city’s side streets and alleyways. The city, founded by the Spanish in 1533, is Colombia’s cultural treasure, and is an included excursion.
Highlights: The 25ft-thick San Felipe de Barajas Fortress walls stretch for seven miles – the longest in South America. Inside, Ciudad Vieja, or the Old City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its picturesque plazas and maze of alleyways lined with Andalusian-style palaces, churches and mansions.
Don’t miss: A guided tour by canoe through mangrove tunnels rich in wildlife.
14-night Grenada to Portsmouth, UK cruise
Fly from London Heathrow on 7 March and enjoy an overnight stay Coyaba Beach Resort, Grenada before embarking the ship to sail to Portsmouth, UK, via Scarborough, Tobago; Bridgetown, Barbados and the Azores. Arrive back on 21 March in time for British spring. Your trip will include a VIP car service for the outward and return journey home.
Top shore excursions:
Molinere Beach, Grenada:
What you’ll see: Grenada’s horseshoe-shaped harbour of St George’s, nestled between volcanic hillsides and the crystal-clear ocean, provides easy access to this magical island renowned for its natural beauty, vibrant culture and spice estates.
Highlights: Take a snorkelling tour of Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park to view this unique art installation on the seabed with sculptures by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor.
Don’t miss: When the snorkelling is over, head to a rum shack on the beach. Grenadian rum is renowned for its spicy sweetness.
Bridgetown, Barbados
What you’ll see: the island’s lively capital is a unique blend of African, American and British heritage with 17th-century buildings, thriving art galleries and cafés
Highlights: Bridgetown’s historic Garrison which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list
Don’t Miss: Relaxing on the beach at Carlisle Bay, while enjoying a rum punch
Other shore excursions include: the lively Tobago town of Scarborough with its 18th century Fort King George, and a final stop in the Azores at Ponta Delgada, capital of São Miguel, largest of the nine Azores islands and renowned for its dramatic volcanic landscape.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by Saga unless specifically stated.
The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, medical or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.
