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33-Day Grand South America Voyage

 
 
33-Day Grand South America Voyage
Starting from $4,899*

Buenos Aires, Argentina to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US


Ship: ms Volendam


Departure Date :

Optional tours are available from most ports for an additional charge.

 

Itinerary

 
Day Buenos Aires, Argentina
--
"In the early 20th century, Buenos Aires, Argentina, gained immense wealth when it began shipping its pampas-raised beef around the world. It quickly entered the club of great world cities, and a slew of attractions and architectural jewels soon arose. Since that time, the capital has experienced huge swings in economic and political fortune. But Buenos Aires continues to fascinate and entertain sightseeing visitors, both for its chaotic energy and for its sheer urban beauty. Thankfully, the Belle Époque grandeur and enormous tracts of greenery remain. Any list of things to do in Buenos Aires would begin with its many walkable neighborhoods; Palermo especially stands out, thanks to creative residents who have pushed the restaurant scene well beyond beef. Porteños—as the locals are called—may be of Spanish, Italian, Jewish or Middle Eastern descent; that mix of cultures is reflected in the city's dialect, foods and pastimes. Looking beyond the city's sights, Buenos Aires is known as the birthplace of tango, and while the music and dance never quite went away, today tango is making a resurgence. Fans come here from around the world to take part in or watch the milongas (dance events). Argentines are world leaders in polo as well, and as the sport captures the interest of more and more travelers, hunky players like Nacho are gaining global celebrity. "
Buenos Aires, Argentina
 
 
Day Buenos Aires, Argentina
Departs 05:00 PM
"In the early 20th century, Buenos Aires, Argentina, gained immense wealth when it began shipping its pampas-raised beef around the world. It quickly entered the club of great world cities, and a slew of attractions and architectural jewels soon arose. Since that time, the capital has experienced huge swings in economic and political fortune. But Buenos Aires continues to fascinate and entertain sightseeing visitors, both for its chaotic energy and for its sheer urban beauty. Thankfully, the Belle Époque grandeur and enormous tracts of greenery remain. Any list of things to do in Buenos Aires would begin with its many walkable neighborhoods; Palermo especially stands out, thanks to creative residents who have pushed the restaurant scene well beyond beef. Porteños—as the locals are called—may be of Spanish, Italian, Jewish or Middle Eastern descent; that mix of cultures is reflected in the city's dialect, foods and pastimes. Looking beyond the city's sights, Buenos Aires is known as the birthplace of tango, and while the music and dance never quite went away, today tango is making a resurgence. Fans come here from around the world to take part in or watch the milongas (dance events). Argentines are world leaders in polo as well, and as the sport captures the interest of more and more travelers, hunky players like Nacho are gaining global celebrity. "
Buenos Aires, Argentina
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM
"Built on the fruits of a coffee empire and best known around the world as having the professional pitch where Pelé debuted his world-renowned soccer skills, the port of Santos dates back to 1546 and stands as a gorgeous colonial gateway to the gargantuan city of São Paulo, whose immense sprawl sits 80 kilometers (50 miles) or so to the northwest. Founded by Jesuits in 1554, São Paulo, or Sampa as it's affectionately called by locals, first thrived on sugar (and later caffeine!) but it was the establishment of Brazil's first College of Law in 1827 that set the city on its cultural and intellectual path—along with various waves of European and Asian immigration (the city is home to the largest Japanese and Italian diasporas in the world, and also has the largest Arab population outside an Arab country). Today, there's no sugarcoating it: South America's biggest city can be an intimidating beast. But beneath the urban grit and debilitating traffic is a vibrant metropolis that stands as the continent's capital of gastronomy and culture, a Brazilian boomtown that feeds on working hard and playing harder, leaving visitors who venture into its depths punch-drunk on bright lights and superlatives. "
Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil
 
 
Day Ilhabela (Sao Sebastiao), Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM
"Volcanic peaks, stunning beaches, dense tropical jungle and some 360 waterfalls—it's no wonder Ilhabela translates to ""beautiful island"" from its unofficial Portuguese name (though officially known as São Sebastião Island, nobody dares call it anything but beautiful!). Separated from the Brazilian mainland and the town of São Sebastião by a narrow strait, the 360-square-kilometer (139-square-mile) island is the chic getaway of choice for Paulistas (natives of the city of São Paulo), who flock here for its secluded sun-toasted sands, boutique hotels, trendy restaurants and unadulterated nature (85 percent of the island has been turned into a park and UNESCO-protected biosphere). Mainstay pastimes here include beach-lazing with a caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail, made with a sugarcane-distilled spirit known as cachaça plus sugar and limes) at the ready; water sports; trekking; and frolicking among the rich and fabulous. Whether you're diving deep into its cerulean waters in search of 16th- and 17th-century pirate shipwrecks (or windsurfing over them!), jungle hiking alongside toucans and capuchin monkeys or just plopping yourself down on any number of its idyllic beaches, Ilhabela makes no apologies for its position as São Paulo's cosmopolitan island escape. Ain't she beautiful? "
Ilhabela (Sao Sebastiao), Brazil
 
 
Day Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM
"Some cities need no introduction, and even fewer cities live up to their reputation the way Rio de Janeiro does, in both the best sense—how visitors experience sheer exhilaration being there—and the harsh reality of its social and economic strains. Situated in arguably the world's most dramatic urban setting, it has apartment complexes that hang on huge granite peaks which rise smack in the middle of the city, and adding to the drama, its stunning beaches seem to stretch forever. A quick course in Rio: Before arriving, listen to some bossa nova and samba music to get in the swing of things. Second lesson: Practice pronouncing Rio as Hio in order to sound like a native Carioca. After that, it's all about stopping at corner juice bars to enjoy fresh tropical drinks named for fruit you've never even heard of, and indulging in people-watching along the legendary Copacabana and Ipanema boardwalks. For more insight into the city, you might take the plunge into Maracaña Stadium to watch a crazy match between crosstown rivals Flamengo and Fluminense (imagine the Yankees and the Red Sox living in the same city) or jump on a bike to discover some of Rio's far-flung and vastly diverse districts. "
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 
 
Day Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Departs 06:00 PM
"Some cities need no introduction, and even fewer cities live up to their reputation the way Rio de Janeiro does, in both the best sense—how visitors experience sheer exhilaration being there—and the harsh reality of its social and economic strains. Situated in arguably the world's most dramatic urban setting, it has apartment complexes that hang on huge granite peaks which rise smack in the middle of the city, and adding to the drama, its stunning beaches seem to stretch forever. A quick course in Rio: Before arriving, listen to some bossa nova and samba music to get in the swing of things. Second lesson: Practice pronouncing Rio as Hio in order to sound like a native Carioca. After that, it's all about stopping at corner juice bars to enjoy fresh tropical drinks named for fruit you've never even heard of, and indulging in people-watching along the legendary Copacabana and Ipanema boardwalks. For more insight into the city, you might take the plunge into Maracaña Stadium to watch a crazy match between crosstown rivals Flamengo and Fluminense (imagine the Yankees and the Red Sox living in the same city) or jump on a bike to discover some of Rio's far-flung and vastly diverse districts. "
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Ilheus, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM
Beach-blanketed Bahia is the stuff tropical Brazilian dreams are made of, and Ilhéus, located 211 kilometers (131 miles) south of the Bahian capital of Salvador, sits in one of the northeastern state's most dramatic settings, flanking a palm-swept bay edged by picturesque urban sands. Once a thriving cocoa port, Ilhéus was founded in 1534 and is most famous for its immortalization by Brazil's most legendary storyteller, Jorge Amado, who summoned his adopted hometown as the evocative setting for one of his best reads, Gabriela, Cravo e Canela (Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon).
Ilheus, Brazil
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Recife, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM
"You'll hear the phrase ""Venice of Brazil"" thrown around a lot in the Brazilian city of Recife. And for good reason. Vast mangrove swamps and waterways are integrated right into the fabric of city life, meaning that when you are in Recife, you'll often find yourself on a bridge, a causeway or a boat. In spite of its nickname, it wasn't Italians but other Europeans who shaped this city's history. The Portuguese founded it in 1537, while the Dutch ruled briefly in the 17th century and left their mark on the architecture. Customs, cuisine and music in this northeastern coastal city are so different from Rio and São Paulo that you might as well be in another country. Recife is one of Brazil's largest metro areas, with distinct neighborhoods, including an old colonial core with buildings in various states of preservation. In the Boa Viagem district, where at low tide you can see the reefs that gave the city its name, a seafront boardwalk stretches for 12 kilometers (eight miles)—a favorite spot for locals to jog and bike. Recife's nearby sister city of Olinda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site popular with visitors for its hilltop views, stunning Baroque buildings, walkable cobblestoned streets and world-famous carnaval. "
Recife, Brazil
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Fortaleza, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 02:00 PM
Northeastern Brazil is made up of a hodgepodge of small states that outsiders are only slowly beginning to discover. One of them is Ceará, whose capital, Fortaleza, is by any measure a big city—with more than 3 million residents, it is Brazil's fifth-largest metropolis. It's a place where life is focused on the coast in a way that recalls Miami, with high-rise apartments that overlook 26 kilometers (16 miles) of Atlantic Ocean beaches, and with endless promenades where families stroll and stop to eat at seaside cafés.
Fortaleza, Brazil
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Icoaraci (Belem), Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM
Founded in 1616 as one of the first settlements along Brazil's Amazon River, Belém, the capital of the Brazilian state of Pará, once prospered as one of South America's spotlight playgrounds for the rich and cultured. This urban oasis in the jungle experienced unprecedented growth and fortune during the rubber boom at the turn of the 19th century thanks to a Brazilian monopoly on latex. It was during this golden era that the City of Mango Trees constructed one of its most important landmarks, the neoclassical-style 1874 Theatro da Paz on the Praça da República—an architectural testament to the opulence of those days when the city was affectionately referred to as "the tropical Paris."
Icoaraci (Belem), Brazil
 
 
Day Crossing the Equator / Crossing the Amazon River Bar, Brazil
Cruising Only
The equator is an essential component of our planet's geography—even though it's just an imaginary line drawn on a map. In addition to being the widest spot on the planet—a full 43 kilometers (27 miles) wider than at the poles—this is also the planetary dividing line for the Coriolis effect, which explains why cyclones rotate clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of it. It's also the place best suited for launching spacecraft because the gravitational pull gives rocket ships an extra boost out of the stratosphere. And for a bit of light-hearted fun, if you're onboard a craft where any of the crew are crossing this imaginary line for the first time, you'll likely witness a King Neptune (or Crossing the Line) ceremony. This ancient naval tradition puts newbies, or “Pollywogs,” through a series of pranks and tests to prove themselves worthy of being a son or daughter of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.

Crossing the Amazon River Bar, Brazil

Crossing the Equator / Crossing the Amazon River Bar, Brazil
 
 
Day Cruising the Amazon River / Crossing the Equator
Cruising Only
"The Amazon is a river, and a region, of superlatives. It's the world's largest river when measured by volume. With 209,000 cubic meters (55 million gallons) of water flowing into the Pacific each second, it's five times the size of the Congo, the next largest river. The basin it drains is some 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles), making it the largest drainage basin in the world. (By comparison, the contiguous United States is roughly 8 million square kilometers, or 3.1 million square miles.) What most impresses visitors to the Amazon, however, is rarely these numbers. Instead it's the area's cultural and natural riches and the experience of seeing the rain forest extend in every direction. As you travel along the length of the Amazon, you'll call at villages that are not just geographically remote, but are far from contemporary culture as well. Some 400 indigenous peoples live in the Amazon, as they have for centuries. On the same journey, you can visit the 19th-century opera house at Manaus and the colonial-era churches in Santarém, Macapá and other cities. Biologically the basin is home to some 10 percent of all the world's known animal and plant species. From jaguars to macaws and pink dolphins to glass frogs, the Amazon is an area of astounding and unique biodiversity. "

Crossing the Equator
Cruising the Amazon River / Crossing the Equator
 
 
Day Santarem, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM
"Perched alongside the Rio Tapajós deep inside the Amazon between Manaus and Belém (but 800 kilometers, or almost 500 miles, from both!), Santarém is a muggy but intriguing jungle town and a jumping-off point for a bevy of surrounding attractions. Established as a Jesuit mission in 1661, Santarém suffered from the same rubber boom-and-bust cycle as Pará's capital, Belém. The town later had a moment in the spotlight as the nearest major significant port to Henry Ford's American utopian jungle experiment, Fordlândia, which tried and failed between 1928 and 1945 (its ruins are located 12 hours downriver by boat). Today, Santarém does a brisk business in tourism thanks to the crystalline waters of the Tapajós River, which account for over 105 kilometers (65 miles) of postcard-perfect river beaches in its environs. Alter do Chão, a Brazilian dream destination of idyllic sands, has been called the Caribbean of Brazil; and Floresta Nacional (FLONA) do Tapajós, a pristinely preserved 2,100-square-kilometer (811-square-mile) piece of Amazon beauty, boasts massive Samauma trees and a few burgeoning eco-tourism enterprises. Both Alter do Chão and FLONA can be experienced as day trips from Santarém. The city itself boasts a pleasant riverfront promenade, a few worthwhile museums (keep an eye out for evidence of the city's little-known past as a refuge for sympathizers to the Confederate cause who emigrated here after the Civil War; their descendants, Confederados, still live here today) and several great restaurants. "
Santarem, Brazil
 
 
Day Boca da Valeria, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 02:00 PM
Surrounded by the Amazonian rain forest, Boca da Valeria, a small Brazilian settlement of fewer than 100 people, boasts no tourism infrastructure. Yet the destination lures travelers by offering an authentic glimpse of the simple river life that the Amerindians have followed for centuries. Meaning "Mouth of the Valeria River," the remote fishing and trading village sits at the convergence of the Amazon and the Rio da Valeria. The local children guide visitors along a dirt footpath and pose for pictures in their native costumes, often with exotic animals in tow. Boca da Valeria, which is located between the towns of Parintins and Santarém, stands in stark contrast to nearby urban centers such as Manaus, where residents live with all the comforts, and complications, of contemporary life—but therein lies the appeal to the world adventurer.
Boca da Valeria, Brazil
 
 
Day Manaus, Brazil
Arrives 10:00 AM
"If ever a city were a model for boom and bust, it would be Manaus, which lies at the confluence of Brazil's Amazon River and Rio Negro, more than 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean. Like in America's Old West, great fortunes were amassed in no time here and vanished just as quickly during the boom years of rubber production in the late 19th century. The most enduring memorial of that time is the great opera house and theater that are still in use today, and whose existence in the Amazon helped inspire the 1982 movie Fitzcarraldo, about one man's maniacal obsession with bringing opera to the jungle. These days, Manaus is downright huge—perhaps surprisingly, it's Brazil's seventh-largest city. A swank new soccer stadium was added for the 2014 World Cup, and a three-kilometer-long (two-mile-long), cable-stayed bridge opened in 2011 across the Rio Negro. The Ponta Negra suburb has modern high-rises, buzzing restaurants and beaches that rival those of any town on the sea. But within minutes, visitors can find themselves in the watery jungle, the source of the Amazonian specialties like pirarucu fish and acai berries on the menus of Manaus's restaurants. "
Manaus, Brazil
 
 
Day Manaus, Brazil
Departs 05:00 PM
"If ever a city were a model for boom and bust, it would be Manaus, which lies at the confluence of Brazil's Amazon River and Rio Negro, more than 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean. Like in America's Old West, great fortunes were amassed in no time here and vanished just as quickly during the boom years of rubber production in the late 19th century. The most enduring memorial of that time is the great opera house and theater that are still in use today, and whose existence in the Amazon helped inspire the 1982 movie Fitzcarraldo, about one man's maniacal obsession with bringing opera to the jungle. These days, Manaus is downright huge—perhaps surprisingly, it's Brazil's seventh-largest city. A swank new soccer stadium was added for the 2014 World Cup, and a three-kilometer-long (two-mile-long), cable-stayed bridge opened in 2011 across the Rio Negro. The Ponta Negra suburb has modern high-rises, buzzing restaurants and beaches that rival those of any town on the sea. But within minutes, visitors can find themselves in the watery jungle, the source of the Amazonian specialties like pirarucu fish and acai berries on the menus of Manaus's restaurants. "
Manaus, Brazil
 
 
Day Parintins, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 02:00 PM
If a world record exists for the most remote festival on the planet, then Parintins should win hands down. This cow town of sorts sits on an island in the Amazon River, some 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) inland from the Atlantic. Its claim to fame: the spectacular Boi Bumba festival, held over three days in June. The town's 60,000 inhabitants spend the year preparing for the festival, building fantastic floats that depict giant pink porpoises, fierce jaguars and the like. Two rival camps, the red-colored Garantido and the blue-colored Caprichoso, compete in song and dance performances staged in a massive stadium glowing like a UFO that landed in the Amazon jungle.
Parintins, Brazil
 
 
Day Alter Do Chao, Brazil
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 02:00 PM
Not for nothing is Alter do Chão known as the Caribbean of the Amazon. Taken as a whole, the village's white powdery beaches, transparent blue-green waters and hang-loose vibe would make a perfectly convincing addition to the Lesser Antilles. Of course, there are tip-offs that you're still in the midst of South America's River Sea, not least the neighboring rain forest and the pink dolphins—those local mascots—that periodically surface in the water. This uncommon tropical charm lies at the heart of Alter do Chão's appeal—but the place becomes outright irresistible when you factor in the curiously cosmopolitan inhabitants (expat hippies, herbalists and nature lovers in addition to Brazilians) and the cute little shops, cafés and businesses they've created.
Alter Do Chao, Brazil
 
 
Day Cruising the Amazon River / Crossing the Equator
Cruising Only
"The Amazon is a river, and a region, of superlatives. It's the world's largest river when measured by volume. With 209,000 cubic meters (55 million gallons) of water flowing into the Pacific each second, it's five times the size of the Congo, the next largest river. The basin it drains is some 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles), making it the largest drainage basin in the world. (By comparison, the contiguous United States is roughly 8 million square kilometers, or 3.1 million square miles.) What most impresses visitors to the Amazon, however, is rarely these numbers. Instead it's the area's cultural and natural riches and the experience of seeing the rain forest extend in every direction. As you travel along the length of the Amazon, you'll call at villages that are not just geographically remote, but are far from contemporary culture as well. Some 400 indigenous peoples live in the Amazon, as they have for centuries. On the same journey, you can visit the 19th-century opera house at Manaus and the colonial-era churches in Santarém, Macapá and other cities. Biologically the basin is home to some 10 percent of all the world's known animal and plant species. From jaguars to macaws and pink dolphins to glass frogs, the Amazon is an area of astounding and unique biodiversity. "

Crossing the Equator
Cruising the Amazon River / Crossing the Equator
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Devils Island, French Guiana
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM
Before they were a notorious penal colony, the Iles de Salut (Islands of Salvation) provided French colonists with a welcome escape from the fever-ridden jungles of the Guiana mainland. Lying ten miles off the coastline, and swept by treacherous ocean currents, the trio of small islands provided a perfect isolated location for incarcerating criminals without danger or expense, since the shark-infested sea and the trackless jungles ashore precluded any possibility of escape. All three islands, popularly known as Devil's Island, were used as a prison from 1852 to 1953. Your day is free to explore the prison ruins or search for signs of the surprisingly abundant wildlife.
Devils Island, French Guiana
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Bridgetown, Barbados
Arrives 09:00 AM Departs 07:00 PM
"Barbadians, or Bajans in local parlance, consider their island nation the most British of the Caribbean: Queen Elizabeth II is still head of state, and English products are stocked in many of its stores and restaurants. Barbados is known as the birthplace of international pop star Rihanna, but it has also produced some of the biggest Caribbean calypso and soca music stars. The summer Crop Over festival is a huge carnival event. With live music and crafts for sale, the popular Friday fish fry at Oistins Bay is a fun place to mingle with the locals. Centered around a waterway called the Careenage and its handsome Chamberlain Bridge, the historic center of Bridgetown, the country's capital, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011 for its wealth of British colonial architecture dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Among the famous figures who visited Bridgetown when it was at its peak was none other than George Washington, who spent two months in 1751 in a house that still stands today, on his only trip abroad."
Bridgetown, Barbados
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM
La Capital, as Santo Domingo is affectionately known, is a UNESCO site and one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean, with Zona Colonial buildings dating back to the 1500s. Santo Domingo is also considered the most modern metropolis in the Caribbean doing a great job of converging old and new. At the heart of the Zona Colonial, a pedestrian-friendly maze of cobblestones and interesting architecture is the first cathedral built in the New World. Find time to sample the aromatic coffee and cacao.
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
Arrives 07:00 AM
"Shimmering blue waters, swaying palm trees and soft ocean breezes greet you in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where you'll find yourself somewhere between laid-back island time and the fast pace of a thriving city. In this sun-filled, year-round beach town, pristine beaches are the main attraction, shorts and flip-flops are the daily uniform, and yachts are often the preferred form of transportation. It's a place where you can do as much, or as little, as you desire. Because of its many canals and waterways, Ft. Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of America. It's home to the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest in-water boat shows in the world. Visitors can easily get a taste of the area's nautical lifestyle by cruising the Intracoastal Waterway on an old-fashioned paddle wheeler. Other options include hopping aboard one of the popular water taxis or Venetian gondolas that glide down the historic New River, which flows right through town. "
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US