LATIN AMERICA SEASONS DESTINATIONS
A
t 19 years old, I swanned off for a summer of backpacking in Latin America with one woolly jumper in my rucksack. I know, I know. Can I blame it on being young, or do I have to put my hand up for stupid too? My failure to undertake even the most basic investigation into the weather in Chile, Bolivia and Peru during July and August meant I had no choice but to wear my only sweater every day for six weeks. Needless to say, I was never anyone’s first choice to sit next to on the bus. As with most of the world, the time of year you visit different areas of Latin America will result in very different types of holiday. And it’s not just down to the weather, which, as we’re talking about the southern hemisphere, runs in patterns opposite to the UK. From wildlife migrations to annual festivals, doing the research about what’s going on in advance will vastly improve your client’s holiday experience. Below, we’ve suggested when
it’s a great time to visit certain areas and destinations, and why. However this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s disastrous at any other time of year – just make sure you at least check out the climate patterns first. To avoid confusion, when we say spring, we mean spring in the UK, rather than the weather pattern in destination.
w SPRING While flowers are blooming and bunnies are hopping around in the Northern Hemisphere, in Argentina it’s time to bring in the harvest. In Mendoza, this means grapes for its most famous export – wine. The National Grape Harvest Festival is a 10-day event starting on the first Friday in March which culminates in a grand ceremony attended by more than 20,000 people in Mendoza city, with music, fireworks, hundreds of dancers and the crowning of a festival queen. Wine-wise, there are public tastings, special menus and wine pairings at restaurants – even the local McDonald’s serves wine. Seasons may be topsy-turvy,
but religious celebrations stay the same the world over, so spring means Easter everywhere. However, few destinations take it quite as seriously as the Catholic countries of Latin America, with some of the most famous – and showy – celebrations taking place in the city of Antigua in Guatemala. Its Semana Santa, or holy week, begins on Ash Wednesday and runs throughout the Easter weekend. Forget our rather half-hearted efforts with chocolate eggs: here the streets are carpeted in brightly coloured designs made from sawdust, fruit and flowers depicting the last days of Christ, alongside Mayan symbols, and there are
processions of religious floats flanked by locals in purple robes. There are many good times to visit the Galapagos, but clients who go in April and May will enjoy the benefit of calm, warm seas, blue skies, and prices and crowd numbers that are lower than those in the following months, when it’s peak season. It’s a beautiful time of year to
experience these unique islands. Cox & Kings’ Kimberley Hay says: “Wildlife activities are rife. The eggs of marine iguanas and sea turtles begin to hatch, and many birds begin their courtship rituals, including the unmistakable blue-footed boobies.” Clients who snorkel and dive will benefit from great visibility under water.
w SUMMER With a direct flight with British Airways to Lima launching in May, this summer is an even better time than usual to send clients to Peru. This isn’t the only reason. “For those visiting Peru in June, don’t miss Inti Raymi, The Festival of the Sun, which is the most important festival of the year and is held in the streets of Cuzco,” says Travel 2’s Emily Underhill. Nine days of street parties culminate in the main procession, which stretches from the Sun Temple to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman fortress, where crowds wait to see the colourfully costumed king and queen take part in an ancient Inca ceremony
to honour the sun god, complete with a – pretend, thankfully – sacrifice. August will see the Olympics
come to Rio de Janeiro – the first time the Games has been held in South America. If clients are lucky enough to be attending the chances are they’ll have their tickets and flights sorted already, at least for the portion of the time they’re in Rio. If they want to extend their trip, suggest time in the Pantanal. It may be less well known than the Amazon, but this vast wetland actually has far more wildlife on show, especially at this time of year, when the lagoons shrink and animals congregate at the water that remains. Visitors are likely to spot capybara, caiman and giant anteaters, they may well see ocelot and tapirs, and if they’re very lucky, perhaps a jaguar or an anaconda. If you have clients who are getting ski withdrawal while Europe and North America basks in summer sun, then send them south. Argentina’s lake district around Bariloche receives snowfall at this time of year, with the most famous resort of Cerro Catedral offering 1,480 acres of skiing.
w AUTUMN Anyone who loves resurrecting their inner child and embracing Halloween should time their trip to Mexico to coincide with the Day of the Dead. This
11 February 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 71
TOP TIP Find out more about travel in the
region from the Latin American Travel Association
lata.org
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