Crisis Management!!
Good morning. I’m really hoping someone could give me some constructive advice please.
I apologise in advance for the very long message.
We thought we had our itinerary for a visit to S America all sorted, we’d even began booking hotels, but at the last minute we’ve had to make some changes.
We arrive in Santiago, spend a few days there and then travel from Atacama. We had then planned to travel to Salta via bus, but for a number of reasons, we can no longer so this.
We only had 3 days planned for Salta before flying to Buenos Aires.
To travel to Salta via Santiago is proving very costly and not a good use of time (unfortunately we’re very close to the Easter weekend). So we’re looking at alternatives.
We’ve decided against Mendoza for several reasons.
So I’m after advice on the following suggestions:
Option A: we add days to our existing destinations
We add a day to Atacama. Currently we have 2 full days and half a day planned. We’re not planning to go above 3,000m, so no trips to El Tatio Geysers or Ruta de Salar. If we’re in Atacama for 3.5 days, is this too much time if we’re not venturing to higher altitudes?
We add a day to Patagonia. We currently have 3 full days and half a day planned, spent between El Calafete and El Chalten. We’re not planning to do any heavy hiking due to health reasons. Some light trekking is possible. We simply want to see the amazing scenery but from a comfortable viewpoint. If we add an extra day to this trip, is it too long considering we won’t be doing full day hikes?
We add a day to Buenos Aires. Currently we only have two full days planned for BA and an extra day to have a day trip to Colonia Del Sacramento.
Option B: we find somewhere else to visit for the 3 days and then continue our trip as planned to Patagonia and BA.
Lake District? We could fly from Atacama to Puerto Montt via Santiago and spend two full days in this area. We don’t drive so we’d need to book a tour or use public transportation Is this too short a time to spend there? Is it worth it?
We fly to Cordoba and spend a few days there? We’re in our fifties, and I’ve heard this is a young, party city, so not sure if it suits us?
Option C: Anywhere else?
Any suggestions for anywhere else? We looked at flights direct from Santiago to Montevideo but they’re far too expensive. We’re travelling to Iguaza Falls and Rio followed by Peru later in the trip, so these are already on our itinerary.
Any gems that we’re missing?
I’d be very grateful for any advice.