LATIN AMERICA RAIL DESTINATIONS
Every trip to Latin America is a journey – there’s no point flying all the way there just to stay in one place – which is why most travellers are keen to notch up a few stops on their grand adventure. So knowing how to turn the
practical business of getting from A to B into a fundamental part of the fun is vital, and a rail journey – whether short or epic, all-out luxury or old-fashioned charm – might just be the answer. Unless clients are really pressed for time, it’s a far more rewarding way to travel than skipping over the scenery on a flight, and frees everyone up to admire the views, unlike a self-drive where someone has to keep their eye on the road. And let’s not forget those round- trip journeys that are worth taking for the experience alone.
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TRAIN TO THE CLOUDS Where: Round-trip from Salta, Argentina What: Distance 270
miles, journey time 16 hours. Runs Saturdays from April to December, plus Wednesdays in July. Why: The ‘tren a las nubes’ does exactly what it promises, ascending an astonishing 4,200m above sea level through the deserts of northwest Argentina. Travellers will need a head for heights as they pass through lunar-esque landscapes dotted with cacti (it’s so high, there’s an onboard medical team to deal with cases of altitude sickness) and hop off at the turnaround point to see the 64m-high La Polvorilla viaduct.
Journey Latin America product manager David Nichols says: “Whether it’s for the great heights or the peculiar sensation of floating on air as the single track glides across gaping canyons, Salta’s Train to the Clouds is certainly aptly named. Soaring across the arid highlands of the northwest, this narrow- gauge railway performs some mind-boggling feats: there are plenty of vertiginous viaducts and snaking switchbacks, as well as two 360-degree loops. It’s a thrill ride that lasts several hours and spans some of the country’s most beautiful scenery.” Book it: Journey Latin America has a two-day package from £688, including the full-day Train to the Clouds, accommodation in Purmamarca, an excursion to Tilcara and Humahuaca, and private transfer back to Salta.
journeylatinamerica.co.uk
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ANDEAN EXPLORER Where: Cusco to Puno (or vice versa), Peru What: Distance 240
miles, journey time 10 hours. Runs three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays) plus Fridays from April to October. Why: Lake Titicaca should be on every Peru itinerary, and what better way to get there than this Peru Rail train to Puno, on the western edge of the lake? Frequently cited as one of the world’s best train journeys, passengers travel in classic 1920s Pullman carriages past fine examples of colonial architecture
and small communities selling handmade jewellery or hand- woven fabrics. Highlights to watch out for include the colonial Andahuaylillas church on the outskirts of Cusco, the great temple of Inca creator god Viracocha at San Pedro and the journey’s highest point at La Raya. Book it: Travel 2 offers an Andean Explorer excursion from Cusco to Puno or vice versa from £153, including lunch and afternoon tea.
travel2.com
Patagonia What: Distance 25 miles, journey time two-and-three-quarter hours. Trains depart at 10am, with frequency varying by season. Why: There are some unique journeys through the epic landscapes of Patagonia, but none has achieved the legendary status of this heritage steam train. Thanks to Paul Theroux’s 1979 travelogue, Old Patagonian Express: by Train Through the Americas, charting his journey from Boston to this sweeping region of southern Argentina, a steam train that still uses 1922 locomotives and counts a 1955 dining car among the more modern stock remains high on travellers’ wishlists. This is just a fraction of the
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distance La Trochita – meaning ‘narrow gauge’, for its 75cm track width – once covered, and there are still occasional longer
OLD PATAGONIAN EXPRESS Where: Round-trip from Esquel to Nahuel Pan,
journeys to El Maiten. Yet this taster still gives passengers a chance to experience carriages complete with wooden slats for seats and boxes of firewood to feed the furnace, to admire the vast landscapes and occasional birdlife passing by, and hop off for a quick tour around Mapuche settlement Nahuel Pan. Book it: Great Rail Journeys’ 16-day Brazil, Argentina and Patagonia tour features this journey plus other memorable train rides including the Serra Verde Express in Brazil and End of the World train in Ushuaia. Prices start at £7,295, including flights.
greatrail.com
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TRAIN CRUCERO Where: Quito to Guayaquil, Ecuador What: Distance 277
miles, journey time four days. It runs fortnightly from Guayaquil- Quito on Sundays, but weekly from August to September, departing Saturdays. The reverse journey follows the same pattern, departing Tuesdays year-round. Why: The very existence of this rail link is a testament to the back-breaking work of turn-of- the-20th-century engineers, who found a way to overcome the tough Andean terrain through which it passes, rising from sea level to highs of more than 3,000m, and running through a series of switchback turns at the infamous Devil’s Nose section. Don’t expect speed – this is the slow route, with meals taken off-train, a host of guided
5 November 2015
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