Arrive in Santiago and expedited check in on Club Level at the elegant Ritz Carlton Santiago, located in the posh area known as El Golf. Enjoy the morning to get settled into your hotel and have lunch.
Spend the afternoon relaxing and rejuvenating at Santiago’s most luxurious spa. Treat yourself to a massage, reflexology, or a scrub. Steam in their Turkish sauna, traditional dry sauna or jet tubs.
Return to the Ritz for a relaxing afternoon. Dine tonight in splendor at Astrid & Gastón, one of Santiago’s finest restaurants, blending new world flavors with European technique.
Day 2,
Start off the day in an active way. Join your personal guide on bike tour to see Santiago from the local’s point of view. Pedal towards downtown to explore La Vega, Santiago’s giant fresh produce market. Swing by Mercado Central to see the über fresh fish. Continue past the Plaza de Armas square and the Metropolitan Park, among other sights.
Afterwards, journey south of Santiago to the village of Pirque. Drop in on friends at a non-profit organic farm and ecological high school. First, get to know the farm’s organic vegetable garden, meet the goats and chickens responsible for the delicious cheese and free range eggs, and finally, get an up close look at bee hives with an apiculture professor to understand how honey is produced (protective suits provided). After whetting your appetite, have an intimate lunch in the 19th century villa where all ingredients are homegrown. Dig into creamy Chevre-style goat cheese, juicy vine-ripened tomato pebre, and crunchy mud-oven-baked bread, as you wait for the simple and fresh full course meal. Delicious.
Before heading back to the hotel, climb abroad a private helicopter for a stunning aerial tour of the Andean Cordillera east of Santiago. Cruise by the ski resorts of Valle Nevado, past the jagged peaks, millennium glaciers, and Mt. Aconcagua in the distance. Touch down briefly in the Cajón del Maipo at an exclusive lodge for onces, tea time, before landing at the aerodrome in Santiago.
Return to the Ritz Carlton. Tonight dinner is on your own.
Day 3
Journey south to the Cachapoal area to visit the project of a passionate French winemaker who fell in love with Chile’s terroir. Located in the area known as the “high” Cachapoal, due to its proximity to the Andes mountains, the elevation and cool temperatures are an ideal climate for varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Join the winemaker to see his petit winery and taste from the tanks and barrels.
Continue south to the eastern area of the Colchagua Valley. Nestled in the folds of the Andes, visit with friends who produce premium olive oil. Walk with them through the fascinating process of growing the olives, extracting the oil, and finally tasting the different varieties like Arbequina and Picual. Chile makes extremely high-quality low-acid extra virgin olive oils for export so this is a unique opportunity to learn about this art. After the tasting, join the family for a casual, country-style lunch.
Arrive shortly after to the luxurious Clos Apalta/Casa Lapostolle Residences. These handsomely appointed private casitas boast astounding views of the valley and vineyards below.
Visit our friends in the charming colonial town of Santa Cruz whose passion is making artisan liquors. As their guests, they will share how they make their liquors, a country tradition, with natural fruits, herbs, and spices. As long time followers of organic vegetarian food, join them for a deliciously healthy meal constructed from local produce. Join in the casual cooking demonstration if you wish and learn the art of cooking on a classic wood-burning stove. Drink up the good vibes, company, food, and drink.
Day 4
Begin your day getting your blood pumping by climbing a hiking trail to the top of Apalta’s highest hill. Weave through the native trees and bush to overlook the vineyards below. Upon returning, the winery awaits you with a snack and wine tasting. During the tasting, hear the inspiring story of how this Chilean winery climbed to mega success.
Lunch is at our friend Patricia’s dairy farm in Marchigue. Patricia is an artisan cheese maker and gifted cook. She invites you to see how her addictive manjar (milk caramel), jams, and exquisite fresh and mature cheeses are hand made every day. You can even feed the baby calves with a bottle! Connect with her family in a casual lunch sampling the cheeses and her favorite rustic cuisine.
In the afternoon, discover one of the valley’s newest and most prestigious boutique wineries. With only a handful of bottled vintages from 115-year old vines, they make a single Cabernet-Carménère blend with remarkable finesse and balance. Visit the terrain and restored colonial cellar with the winemaker. Try the components from the barrel followed by a comparative tasting of the 2003 and 2005 vintages.
Dine this evening at a relaxed yet sophisticated bistro serving up Colchagua’s most refined fare paired with a tasting of more valley wines. Cheers to Chile’s wine country!
Day 5
After breakfast, tour the Clos Apalta winery before checking out. The impressive architecture reflects its fine icon wine, named the best wine of 2008 by Wine Spectator. Drive back to Santiago’s airport to catch your flight to Puerto Montt.
Upon arrival, meet your helicopter pilot at the airport for the exhilarating 15-minute ride to The Cliffs Preserve on the Patagonian coast. Set on a stunning 8,000 acres of private property where the Chilean continent ends, this will be your magical home for the next few days. Settle into your private villa. Go for a long walk along the beach. Or crawl in your private hot tub. Feels like home.
Have dinner tonight in The Cliffs lodge paired with fine wines and organic produce from their garden.
Day 6
Arise to the mesmerizing sound of nature: wind and crashing waves. Join a morning yoga class in the spa to center yourself followed by a contemplative walk in the forest or on one of the property’s deserted beaches. Absorb the energy and nature of this place at your will.
Sit down to a healthy, fresh lunch and then pamper yourself in the spa with the magic hands of their masseuse. Sweat out stress and toxins in the saunas. Indulge yourself and take a long nap by your roaring fire.
Another magnificent dinner awaits you as the sun goes down. Life at the Cliffs…simply divine.
Day 7
After an early morning yoga class and breakfast, join the group for a once-in-a-lifetime boat excursion to get up and close to the penguin colony. Navigate the southern seas to see this marvel of nature as they wobble, jump, and swim in harmony. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, join the kitchen staff for a tour of their organic garden. Here, the food for The Cliffs is lovingly grown, including the vital, crunchy greens served with every meal. After, meet up with the resident gauchos for a horse riding lesson on the beach. Let them teach you how to fall into sync with the horse: walking, trotting, and even galloping. An unforgettable experience.
Dinner is at the lodge.
Day 8
This morning, squeeze in one last yoga class or trek with the guides before checking out mid-morning. Drive back to Puerto Montt to visit the colorful, picturesque market of Angelmó. Full of hustle and bustle, the stands are spilling over with fresh conger eel, salmon, abalones, sea urchins, and a score of native shellfish found in the southern seas.
Fifteen minutes away is the adorable town of Puerto Varas, on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. Settled by the Germans, this “green” town loves the great outdoors—and good food. Go on a brief foodie tour to sample the best vegetarian empanadas (maybe in all of Chile); stop by a fine foods specialty shop to stock up on merkén or sublime chocolate. End with lunch at a favorite local eatery that brews its own beers overlooking the lake and conical Osorno volcano. Life is good.
Transfer to Puerto Montt airport for your flight to Santiago, and home.
Inclusions:
• Round-trip first-class transportation with professional driver throughout duration of tour
• English-speaking wine-specialized host throughout duration of tour
• 2 nights in Club Level at Ritz Carlton Santiago
• 2 nights at Casa Lapostolle Residences
• 3 nights at The Cliffs Preserve
• Winery visits and all tastings as per itinerary
• Other activities and visits as per itinerary: cheese making, liquors, horseback riding, hiking, biking, yoga, etc.
• Gourmet a la carte meals with wine and gratuity: 8 lunches, 6 dinners, daily breakfast at hotel
