Hailed as “South America’s unsung hero” by Forbes, and included in The Lonely Planet Top Ten Tourism Countries For 2020, Uruguay is finally coming into the spotlight. Departures Magazine published a piece in January about the “Monaco of the South” specifically highlighting the Vik Retreats and including quotes by owners Alex and Carrie Vik – “The 12-room Estancia Vik, where guests can go horseback riding and enjoy a traditional South American asado, was their first hotel. They subsequently opened two hotels on the beach: Playa Vik and Bahia Vik, which just debuted four new bungalows, a wellness facility complete with a yoga studio, and an event space. Each bungalow was designed by a different artist. In the evenings, guests can climb the dunes and descend to the beach to watch the sunset over this wild stretch of Atlantic coast before heading over to Solera for wine and tapas.” 

We are delighted to announce that we have started working with Casa de Uco in Mendoza, Argentina. Gabriel and Tom spent several days on property getting to know the team, experiencing all the wonderful activities from horse riding through the vines to archery, biking and creating their first blends at the winery. A dedicated trade page has been created packed with details about the hotel and winery. Please get in touch with any specific enquiries. Training sessions and wine tastings coming up! 

Ecoventura is evolving! Ecoventura has announced the name of its third luxury yacht, Evolve, due to launch in 2021. The yacht will join Origin and Theory to round out Ecoventura’s extraordinary fleet of luxury expedition yachts, collectively the newest and greenest in the Galapagos. The vessel will be similar in layout and design to her sister ships, with 10 premium cabins, panoramic views, sundeck with loungers, daybeds and jacuzzi, a full-time concierge and the lowest guest to guide ratio in the Galapagos.

A film about the Awasi Puma Foundation, “The View South: Pumas in Patagonia”, will be shown for the first time at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York on 18th October 2019. The mission of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival is to inform, engage and inspire wildlife conservation through the power of film. 2019 marks the 9th year anniversary of the festival which will span ten days and showcase over 100 documentary films, along with panel discussions, networking, receptions, field trips and more. You can watch a preview and read the interview with the filmmaker here.

In the past flights around Peru required a connection in Lima, but now direct flights run between Cuzco and Iquitos from July to November on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. This allows guests to travel direct between Peru’s Sacred Valley and the Upper Amazon cutting several hours, and a connection, from the journey. Iquitos is the closest domestic airport to Nauta, the port from where Delfin Amazon Cruises depart, whilst from Cusco it is a 90 minute transfer to Sol y Luna. We highly recommend stopping in Lima at the beginning or end of your trip; Hotel B in Barranco is the city’s Relais & Chateaux hotel and has just launched a new Art Tour (plus has a couple of yachts so you can see Lima from the coast).

Learn about the work of the most important Peruvian contemporary artists through a tour of the art collection of the Hotel B, our Relais & Chateaux hotel with an impressive collection of over 300 works of contemporary art. The tour is held by an art specialist, who will show you the most iconic works of their collection. The tour’s duration is 30 minutes and it includes glass of cava or pisco sour on the rooftop. More info here.

Working in tandem with Vik Chile, a remarkable collection of glass houses offers a new way to experience Chile’s breathtaking cultural landscape. Seven new glass houses form the highest category of accommodation on site. They hang from the steep hills just below Vik Chile, in the stunning nature and vineyard of Chile’s Millahue Valley. Carefully positioned to offer the best vantage points for living in exquisite, cool and romantic luxury while capturing the magnificent dramatic natural surroundings. See pics here.

Explore the Upper Peruvian Amazon and meet local communities. The pioneer of the luxury Amazon cruise, Delfin is owned and run by a Peruvian family and operates three different Relais & Châteaux boats (one with only four cabins). The owners sail on board with passengers once a month, and are deeply involved in the local community, from building covered market places and helping locals develop their skills in creating artisan crafts, to offering medical care and providing school supplies to local communities. For more information, CLICK HERE.

The Sol y Luna Home opened its doors in December 2018. Thanks to funds raised via GoFundMe and further donations from Hotel Sol y Luna. Ten years on, as well as educating over 200 children, including 13 disabled students, the Sol y Luna Shelter now provides a safe and loving home for the children of the Sol y Luna School who have been abandoned or were victims of violence or abuse. For more information, see here.

Gabriel and Tom travelled to Ecuador to board the inaugral voyage of Theory, the new 20-passenger yacht to join the Ecoventura fleet. Among the passengers were members of the press, travel trade and owner and CEO, Santiago Dunn (pictured here). Ecoventura, a sustainably-focussed Ecuadorian company, is the only Relais & Chateaux member in the Galapagos, and the latest partner to join South America Rep – please see the dedicated property page. To read more about the maiden voyage, here is the Ecoventura blog:
‘MV Theory has Successfully Completed Her Maiden Voyage in Galapagos!’