The sound of the ocean woke me at 6AM. The waves were pounding the beach so loudly that as I opened my eyes I would have thought the water was only a few feet away. In reality, I was cozy in our cabana at Pueblo Barrancas EcoLodge, tucked into the trees at least 100 meters from the beach. Ten stilted, quincha-roofed cabanas and 20 wall tents are hidden throughout the [...]
A thin bar of sand separates the sea from a long circuit of shallow lagoons which serve as a sanctuary for marine life and birds along Uruguay’s eastern shore. Today we drove from Jose Ignacio north to Laguna Rocha, a 72 square kilometer body of water that appears as an endless sheen of blue glass stretching across the horizon. With an average depth of only 3 feet, this UNESCO Biosphere [...]
We traveled from Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, east toward the Atlantic Ocean. As we left the city and passed through suburbs and then smaller outlying towns, one thing struck me: there are no fences. There are no concrete walls shielding the houses from the street, there is no razor wire or broken glass trimming the perimeter of shops and homes – which if you’re familiar with South American cities, these accoutrements [...]
Adventure Life is celebrating Earth Day by planting trees. You should join us! CLICK HERE to plant your tree. One entry = one tree. The more entries the more trees planted, so tell your friends. And to show our gratitude, three lucky entrants will each win a $100 prAna gift card. You deserve it! Your tree will be planted on the northern slopes of Ecuador’s Rumiñahui Volcano in Hacienda El [...]
If you find it hard to sleep in the land of the midnight sun, it won’t be the light keeping you awake. It’ll be the excitement. After all, when you clambered into the Arctic Kingdom convoy of snowmobiles and komatiks (wooden trailers on skis) to head off across the sea ice from Pond Inlet, enroute to its base camp at Sirmilik National Park on Baffin Island, you were launching yourself [...]
I’ll be completely honest — I love clothes. I adore coordinating outfits, accessories, shoes, make-up — if it’s pretty, I’m in. It’s taken several years and an informal 12-step program instituted by my ever-so-patient boyfriend to admit this without shame — but hey — I’m a shopoholic! And where in South American should any savvy shopper go? Buenos Aires! The San Telmo Sunday market provides over 3 miles of artisan [...]
We were greeted this morning by our bright and energetic guide, Jose. His enthusiasm and humor were literally infectious, and we soon found ourselves more excited for our Buenos Aires city tour than we ever expected! We visited the most famous barrios, or neighborhoods – Retiro, Palermo, Recoleta, La Boca, and San Telmo. We then went for a walk through the Recoleta Cemetery, the extravagance and architecture of the tombs [...]
In its Top 10 Adventure Trips that Give Back, National Geographic Adventure features one of our favorites: Baja Mexico Kayak and Turtle Conservation Trip. Five species of sea turtles are found in the Baja region. All are endangered. This Baja trip supports research on black sea turtles as part of the Grupo Tortuguero program. Grupo Tortuguero is a collection of former poachers who have committed to conservation. Travelers spend 5 [...]
Heading west on Ruta 7, we drove out of the pampas and vineyards of Mendoza and into the mountains. We passed the last vineyard and then entered a stunning red, orange and yellow limestone canyon. The Rio Mendoza, nearly completely dry at this time of year, snakes it’s way through the narrow valley. We first stopped to see the “Arenas Amarillos”, or Yellow Sands, a strange deposit of Bentonite, the [...]
As of March 6, 2013 the US Embassy has officially lifted their Peru travel alert that was announced in mid-February. You can read embassy’s complete statement online. The period of the February travel alert passed without incident. As always, our travelers’ safety and well-being is our top priority. Adventure Life guests traveling to Peru are accompanied by a reputable local guide and vehicle with professional driver on main routes. We [...]
