Ports in Chile Questions...
Sep 11th, 2007, 05:15 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,930
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ports in Chile Questions...
Santiago
Conception
Puerto Chacabuco
Punta Arenas
Puerto Montt
Valdivia (Corral)
Ushuaia
Has anyone been to the above ports & can
give excursion info? And, would like to
book own tours (not ships)...any
recommendations? Any ports w/taxicab
offers that were good?
In Ushuaia overnight so have plenty of time
for this port.
Thanks in advance for ANY info. The ships is NCL's Dream & excursion cost is high
THANKS in advance.
Conception
Puerto Chacabuco
Punta Arenas
Puerto Montt
Valdivia (Corral)
Ushuaia
Has anyone been to the above ports & can
give excursion info? And, would like to
book own tours (not ships)...any
recommendations? Any ports w/taxicab
offers that were good?
In Ushuaia overnight so have plenty of time
for this port.
Thanks in advance for ANY info. The ships is NCL's Dream & excursion cost is high
THANKS in advance.
Sep 11th, 2007, 09:47 AM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Been to Santiago -port of Valparaiso.
We did the easy walk up to the town and got a bus to Santiago. I think it was a one and a half hour journey,but it's nearly 3 years ago so I can't remember! The bus was good -curtains and air con. Cheap too. There were 4 of us and we were most impressed to have had a day out(with lunch and wine)for £40 for us all!!! LOVED Santiago.
We returned to Valparaiso and walked around. It was a nice place too.
We did the easy walk up to the town and got a bus to Santiago. I think it was a one and a half hour journey,but it's nearly 3 years ago so I can't remember! The bus was good -curtains and air con. Cheap too. There were 4 of us and we were most impressed to have had a day out(with lunch and wine)for £40 for us all!!! LOVED Santiago.
We returned to Valparaiso and walked around. It was a nice place too.
Sep 11th, 2007, 03:29 PM
#4
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My wife and I have been to a few of these ports.
We felt Valdivia was the best port in Chile. The city itself is worth a day trip. We did not take a tour, but just toured the city on our own. We were able to take a city bus from the tender port to the city. We took a canal trip on our own also. This is a great port.
In Ushuaia , we took the Beagle Channel boat trip. It was very worthwhile.
Santiago is an ok city, but it is not nearly as memorable as Buenos Aires. Hope you are going to the latter.
In Punta Arenas, most people see the penguins, although we waited until we got to Puerto Madryn. The cemetery is interesting.
We did not go to the rest of your ports.
Have a great time.
We felt Valdivia was the best port in Chile. The city itself is worth a day trip. We did not take a tour, but just toured the city on our own. We were able to take a city bus from the tender port to the city. We took a canal trip on our own also. This is a great port.
In Ushuaia , we took the Beagle Channel boat trip. It was very worthwhile.
Santiago is an ok city, but it is not nearly as memorable as Buenos Aires. Hope you are going to the latter.
In Punta Arenas, most people see the penguins, although we waited until we got to Puerto Madryn. The cemetery is interesting.
We did not go to the rest of your ports.
Have a great time.
Sep 30th, 2007, 01:31 PM
#6
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi
We (3 couples) are going to be on the Norweigan Dream for the November 7th to 21st cruise.We have made our own arrangements for tours in Ushuaia,Punta Arenas and Puerto Mott, we arestill working on Valdivia andChacabuco. Would be happy to share the info we have if you wish,just let us know
Bye for now
We (3 couples) are going to be on the Norweigan Dream for the November 7th to 21st cruise.We have made our own arrangements for tours in Ushuaia,Punta Arenas and Puerto Mott, we arestill working on Valdivia andChacabuco. Would be happy to share the info we have if you wish,just let us know
Bye for now
Oct 1st, 2007, 02:32 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,930
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oct 1st, 2007, 10:17 PM
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,087
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We did most of those ports on our Antarctic cruise. In Puerto Montt we arranged ahead of time a private tour company that had been recommended on one of the cruise critic boards. The companies website is http://www.gvtours.com/index.html and I can't recommend them highly enough. We saw absolutely everything with them and at half the cost of the ship's tour. The nice thing about them as well is you don't have to send any money ahead of time. Check out the website to get an idea of what you will see. We met several people on board who wanted to come on the tour with us so we were able to book a larger minibus.
I loved Ushuaia. We were there overnight as well. We did take a ships tour there (the small guage train) It is a great way to see the area and we really enjoyed being able to go into the "little" post office at Tierra del Fuego. You can buy a souvenir passport with the offical postage stamp for $1 - great gift to bring home to kids and stamp collectors. They have the postmaster cancel the stamp right there.
Also, if you are into Chilean wines go to the grocery store on the main street. They have a huge selection and the same wines that are in the wine shop down the street are almost half the price. Enjoy!!
I loved Ushuaia. We were there overnight as well. We did take a ships tour there (the small guage train) It is a great way to see the area and we really enjoyed being able to go into the "little" post office at Tierra del Fuego. You can buy a souvenir passport with the offical postage stamp for $1 - great gift to bring home to kids and stamp collectors. They have the postmaster cancel the stamp right there.
Also, if you are into Chilean wines go to the grocery store on the main street. They have a huge selection and the same wines that are in the wine shop down the street are almost half the price. Enjoy!!
Oct 7th, 2007, 05:54 AM
#9
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi,
We sailed the Regal Princess in Jan 2006 with a similar but not same itinerary.
I agree with the earlier post re: Puerto Mott. Very nice tour guide. His direct email: [email protected].
Very reliable/responsible.
It was raining heavily in Ushuaia - we saw Garibaldi Pass and a lake via ship's tour. It was o.k. but probably would have been better in good weather.
Punta Arenas you can probably do on your own, unless you visit the penguins on this tour. They are cute! You may want to consult with cruisecritic.com website for discussions on the best port for penguins. We saw them in the Falkland Islands.
Regarding Santiago, I would definitely recommend NOT doing this city on your own. spend the money and hire a tour guide. We were mugged near Cerro Santa Lucia, and as an earlier poster says, there is not much to see there. When I spoke to a later tour guide in Valparaiso about this, he said that the mugging rate is very high for tourists to Santiago (like 1 in 5), almost like an "initiation" of sorts...
At any rate, if you have time in Santiago area in the beginning, I would recommend a trip down to Isla Negra, small sleepy beach town, reminescent of Carmel/Monterey, California, to see Pablo Neruda's (the poet's House). Otherwise, I'd do a Chilean Wine Tour from one of the wineries such as Conche del Toro (the valleys are about an hour away from Chile). Well, good luck!
We sailed the Regal Princess in Jan 2006 with a similar but not same itinerary.
I agree with the earlier post re: Puerto Mott. Very nice tour guide. His direct email: [email protected].
Very reliable/responsible.
It was raining heavily in Ushuaia - we saw Garibaldi Pass and a lake via ship's tour. It was o.k. but probably would have been better in good weather.
Punta Arenas you can probably do on your own, unless you visit the penguins on this tour. They are cute! You may want to consult with cruisecritic.com website for discussions on the best port for penguins. We saw them in the Falkland Islands.
Regarding Santiago, I would definitely recommend NOT doing this city on your own. spend the money and hire a tour guide. We were mugged near Cerro Santa Lucia, and as an earlier poster says, there is not much to see there. When I spoke to a later tour guide in Valparaiso about this, he said that the mugging rate is very high for tourists to Santiago (like 1 in 5), almost like an "initiation" of sorts...
At any rate, if you have time in Santiago area in the beginning, I would recommend a trip down to Isla Negra, small sleepy beach town, reminescent of Carmel/Monterey, California, to see Pablo Neruda's (the poet's House). Otherwise, I'd do a Chilean Wine Tour from one of the wineries such as Conche del Toro (the valleys are about an hour away from Chile). Well, good luck!
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
newyorkais35
Mexico & Central America
0
Jan 31st, 2008 07:47 AM
Dor
Mexico & Central America
4
Oct 28th, 2003 11:51 AM
