5 Best Luxury Latin America Vacations for Seniors: 2024

You have spent a lifetime working hard to achieve success, and now it’s time to start traveling successfully. After all, what is retirement for but to take those once-in-a-lifetime trips to far-off lands? To experience things most will only ever wonder about? From the depths of the Amazon to the heights of Machu Picchu all the way to Patagonia at the end of the world, Latin America awaits to gift you with some of your most treasured travel memories yet. To help you decide what kind of memories you want to make, we have put together the 5 Best Luxury Latin America Vacations for Seniors in 2024. So, what will it be: sailing around the Galapagos on a superyacht, or watching the sunrise from your private suite beside Machu Picchu? Don’t worry, we won’t make you choose between them.

1) Machu Picchu & Amazon Jungle

Machu Picchu: a beacon of the synchronicity between math and nature, man and Mother Earth. Built atop a mountain rising 2430 meters above sea level in the 1400s, this royal Incan estate displays architectural practices far ahead of its time, yet a spiritual practice still deeply rooted in ancient beliefs. ‘

It’s about the journey, not the destination’ they say, but with Machu Picchu, it’s about both. We start our journey at the Belmond Monastario Hotel in Cusco, a protected national monument with the stately characteristics of a 17th-century monastery and the luxuries of a 5-star boutique hotel. After exploring Cusco on a personally tailored excursion, celebrate the day with a pisco lesson at the hotel followed by dinner with a private opera performance beneath the mystical monastery cloisters. 

On the next leg, we stay at the Tambo del Inka Hotel amongst ruins of former Incan estates in the serene Sacred Valley. Traditionally, a ‘Tambo’ was a place along a remote road that supplied travelers with shelter, food, and supplies. This Tambo supplies travelers with a contemporary spa retreat that honors its Incan roots through its culture-rich design features, lush terraces, hydrotherapy services, and Andean cuisine. 

From the high Andean mountains we head into the jungles of deepest darkest Peru where we come face-to-face with real Amazonian tribes. Departing from Iquitos, the gateway to the Amazon, we board the Aqua Aria, a 32-passenger luxury cruise line by Aqua Expeditions with 16 palatial suites, a spa, dining room, bar, lounge gym, and boutique. Their flawing floor-to-ceiling windows allow you to watch the unruly Amazon pass by your room from the comfort of your king bed. After indulging in the spa and outdoor jacuzzi, you feel more than ready to brave the intense jungle elements on a skiff boat adventure through the mangroves.

2) Galapagos & Mashpi Lodge

Slumber amongst the stars at Mashpi Lodge, a refined rainforest hotel in the cloud forests of Ecuador. Perched on a mountainside almost 1000 meters above sea level, the lodge promises an intimate indoor-outdoor living experience. Whether you’re in the spa, restaurant, or suite, floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the lodge’s 2,500 acres of living, breathing jungle. Meanwhile, beneath the canopies and between the vines, the weirdest and most wonderful wildlife is waiting to be discovered. Spot monkeys, peccaries, frogs, snakes, and over 400 species of bird with the lodge’s very own indigenous on-the-ground guides or fly high above the forests to see it from a bird’s perspective on the Dragonfly Canopy Gondola.

After retreating to the rainforest, set sail on a voyage of discovery around the Earth’s most biodiverse islands, the Galapagos. At the confluence of three currents, 350 miles from the Ecuadorian shores, this volcanic archipelago’s unique geographical position allowed it to become one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. Being so remote, much of the wildlife is endemic to the region. Nowhere else can you walk or swim beside blue-footed boobies, giant tortoise, marine iguana, and the flightless cormorant. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed. 

Having worked hard in life, it’s now time to reap the rewards by joining one of the finest vessels to sail the Galapagos, the Cormorant II. Due to be inaugurated in August 2022, you will be amongst the first in line to sail on this highly exclusive mega-catamaran. As well as a double-hull designed for smoother sailing, the yacht features an impressive Sky Deck with an outdoor bar and restaurant, BBQ, and whirlpool complemented by 360-degree views of the surroundings. It also boasts only nine spacious suites with private balconies, two of which are panoramic, so you’ll be able to enjoy your Galapagos experience peacefully and in like-minded company.

3) Santiago de Chile & Patagonia

As the financial and cultural heart of the country, Santiago is defined by a striking contrast between its flashy glass skyscrapers which stand proudly beside colonial palacios and iglesias. Pegged as one of the most sophisticated cities in South America, Santiago indulges heavily in the arts, as will we. The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Teatro Municipal, and Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral are just some of the city’s revered arts institutions on our checklist. After exploring its museums, markets, parks, and paseos, there’s nothing better to do in Santiago than dive into its legendary jazz scene with a fine Chilean wine in hand. 

Then, we will trace the origins of most Chilean wines just 60 miles north of Santiago to the Casablanca Valley. Cultivated by a dry Mediterranean climate, the valley produces masterful barrels of pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay. As a result, the region hails household names such as Castillo del Diablo, Casas del Bosque, and Bodegas RE. As we tour the vineyards and wineries of Casablanca Valley, not only will we ensure your palette is trained to tell the best wines apart, but we will also ensure your knowledge of cultivation and production graduates you as a wine connoisseur. 

Scenes of Santiago’s cityscape against the snow-capped Andes are impressive, but it’s the scenes you’ll behold in Torres del Paines National Park, Patagonia, that will be forever imprinted on your soul. Imagine dramatic rocky outcrops set against milky blue lakes, and vast glaciers contrasting with wistful golden grasslands. Those who have visited argue that nothing compares to its beauty. On this trip of a lifetime, you’ll be able to see for yourself. While Patagonia is reputed for drawing in the most extreme outdoor adventurers, there is in fact a variety of trails to suit all abilities in Torres del Paines.

4) Buenos Aires & Mendoza

Buenos Aires, coined the Paris of South America, is the fervent Argentine capital raised by the money of the European bourgeoisie. Distinguished by its neo-Renaissance architecture, the romantic streets of Recoleta can easily be mistaken for the Champs Elysees. On our visit, we will be staying at the Alvear Palace Hotel in Recoleta, a renowned Buenos Aires institution that embodies this classic French elegance. From the doorman’s formal welcome to your massage and evening meal, the hotel promises attentive service in a refined setting.

While its ornamental Parisian style disguises the country’s roots, the strong Argentine spirit tangos through its streets from the MELBA to the Casa Rosada. After exploring the city’s rich cultural heritage and artistic flair, we will finish this soiree in the city with a speakeasy cocktail night. What could be better than sipping old fashioneds and reminiscing on the trip in the dim light of a secret Buenos Aires bar?

After a jaunt in the fast-paced city, we will kick back in the Mendoza countryside where the wine flows and gauchos roam free. As the epicenter of Argentina’s unparalleled production of Malbec, the world’s only truly full-bodied wine, we ensure you become well-acquainted. In fact, by staying at the rustic yet refined Cavas Wine Lodge in a 55-acre vineyard, you will quite literally be immersed in the wine region. During your stay, the beautiful boutique lodge can organize private tours and tastings at some of the most famous wineries in the region, as well as horseback rides through the vines.  Read more about our classic Buenos Aires & Mendoza Experience.

5) Galapagos & Peru 

This epic trip to Machu Picchu, Peru, and the Galapagos, Ecuador, is not just a voyage of discovery, it’s a voyage of reconnection within and without. There’s a very good reason why Incan royalty chose Machu Picchu as its base — aside from the flawing vistas. They believed the site to be sacred land which allowed a deeper connection to the spiritual realm. As we explore this sacred site, it might just inspire you to explore your own spiritual connection too. Perhaps you’ll even be called to touch the Intihuatana, a magic stone in Machu Picchu that feeds you mystical visions and foresight. 

Afterward, the serene Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, distinguished as the only hotel to sit beside Machu Picchu, will help you reconnect with yourself. Start with a private sunrise breakfast in the orchid garden followed by an aromatherapy treatment and a traditional coca leaf reading. Complete this unforgettable experience at the lodge with Peruvian cuisine created from produce grown in the same soil Incans once used to grow their precious maize. 

From a deepening spiritual connection to a deepening connection to nature, we set sail around the Galapagos. An unlikely Pacific paradise where nature reigns supreme, this archipelago awaits to remind us just how mind-blowing nature is. As we visit the islands and marine parks in search of endemic wildlife, we also get a first-hand experience of important environmentalism and conservation practices. After a hard day’s adventure, you’ll be able to retire to your luxury suite onboard one of the most envied superyachts in the Galapagos, the Aqua Mare. Spanning 50 meters in length, the world-class pedigree superyacht features only seven spacious Zuretti-designed suites as well as elegant indoor and outdoor social spaces that will elevate your Galapagos experience to the next level. 

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