The Argentina Issue, November 2007

Dear Traveler,

Argentina's northwest has been on the Backroads radar for some time as we crisscross the globe looking for promising regions to explore. Now, after more than a year of research and fine-tuning logistics, we're pleased to unveil a great new biking adventure in this lesser-known corner of South America.

This trip looks so fantastic that I couldn't wait to get down there so the Backroads Private Trips team is helping me put together a custom departure for a group of friends next spring. What especially strikes me about this region is the sheer variety of landscapes and experiences we've woven into a single trip. There's fantastic biking on virtually traffic-free roads, a combination of paved and unpaved roads (hence the mountain bikes, but nothing too tricky). We explore a high-desert plateau in the shadow of the Andes, and ride through lush subtropical landscapes, spectacular canyons and geological formations that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. And then there is wine country, where the world's highest-altitude vineyards produce extraordinary vintages (which we stop to taste, of course).

Add to all this a legacy of pre-Columbian, Colonial and gaucho cultures — plus superb lodgings at haciendas and estancias (estate hotels), where you can ride right up to the door — and you have an ideal Backroads bike trip. Plus a great chance at either end of your trip to discover Buenos Aires, which truly is one of the world's most exciting cities.

For itineraries and details on all of these possibilities, or for more information on northern Argentina or any other Backroads trips, please visit www.backroads.com or call 800-462-2848 or contact your travel agent.

Read on for all the details on this amazing Argentina trip. You'll also find a preview of other great new trips we're launching in Italy/Slovenia, Turkey, South Africa, Peru, Utah and the Canadian Rockies.

I hope you'll join us somewhere in the world of Backroads next year.

Best regards,

Tom Hale
Founder and President

P.S. Drop by a Patagonia store before November 11, 2007 to cast your vote in the Capture a Patagoniac Photo Contest; the grand-prize winner receives a Backroads Vietnam biking, walking or Insider trip. For those who have entered the contest we wish you the best of luck!

Argentina

Biking the Undiscovered Northwest with Backroads

• An extraordinary range of environments, from high-desert plateau to subtropical forest to canyons protected as World Heritage sites
• Mountain biking from inn to inn on remote, lightly traveled roads
• A rich legacy of Spanish colonial and ancient Inca cultures
• Private tastings in the renowned wine region of Cafayate
• Superb lodgings, from elegant haciendas to stylish boutique hotels
• Extend your trip in Buenos Aires, one of the world's great cities

Argentina's northwest offers a remarkable range of landscapes and experiences — and this new Backroads biking adventure embraces them all. If you're hoping for a lot of variety on your first South American trip, or if you've traveled to the continent before and want to journey even deeper, join us as we actively explore a remarkable region while it's still largely undiscovered by outsiders.

An Incredible Journey

We rendezvous in Salta, aptly named Salta la Linda ("Salta the Beautiful"), one of Argentina's best-preserved Spanish colonial cities. Here you'll want to explore the fascinating streets, churches and sites dating back to the conquistadors — and of course the lively, tree-shaded central plaza, with its many cafés among the arched façades.

Your biking adventure begins on the way to Purmamarca, a peaceful adobe village at the base of the Cerro de los Siete Colores ("the hill of seven colors"). The surrounding valley, the Quebrada de Humahuaca, is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its erosion-sculpted red cliffs and other geological formations. Among our local friends is a master weaver who shares the secrets of dyeing wool and creating elaborately patterned fabrics on his loom.

Next we ride among tobacco plantations and carob trees, then down through bird-filled subtropical forest of the Yungas region.A shuttle up to 11,000 feet takes you to Los Cardones National Park, an expanse of high desert covered in giant cacti and overlooked by snowcapped peaks. With an eye out for llamas and guanacos, you bike over hilly terrain reminiscent of the U.S. Southwest, stopping to visit a local family, taking in the gaucho culture and enjoying fresh-baked empanadas from adobe ovens. Your home for two nights is Cachi, another colonial showpiece renowned for its silversmiths.

After a challenging ride through the Calchaqui Valley—exploring historic adobe villages linked only by dirt roads—you arrive at the legendary winery hotel, Estancia Colomé. Here you can explore the high-altitude vineyards and surrounding property by bike or horseback, then join our exclusive tasting of Malbec and other fine varietals from the estate's 150-year-old vines.

You shuttle over the Infiernillo Pass, ringed by peaks with a distinctive reddish hue, before riding on to the renowned wine-growing hacienda at San Pedro de Yacochuya. When not biking through the spectacular mountain landscapes of the Quebrada de Cafayate, another World Heritage site, you can treat yourself to a wine spa treatment, sample local vintages at the estate's private bodega and enjoy the laid-back ambience of colonial Cafayate. After our final shuttle back to Salta, you may want to linger in this beautiful city or fly on to discover more of cosmopolitan Buenos Aires.

Haciendas to Mansions

The superb accommodations on the Premiere Inn trip include some of Argentina's finest. In Purmamarca, the stylish El Manantial del Silencio uses tapestries, terra cotta floors and other traditional elements to create an airy, colonial-inspired environment — with an outdoor pool, and gourmet Andean cuisine created by a well-known Argentinean chef. El Manantial del Milagro in Salta is a working hacienda with a garden pool surrounded by fields and orchards at the foot of the mountains. And in Cachi the new luxury hotel La Merced del Alto offers acclaimed cuisine, a pool and spa facilities, and stunning valley views.

Set in a wine estate at nearly 8,000 feet, the renowned boutique hotel Estancia Colomé features a swimming pool, massage facilities — and a museum of contemporary art. Its spacious guest suites, with high ceilings, fireplaces, heated terra cotta floors and private verandah views, win high praise from Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report. Your final stay is at Patios de Cafayate Hotel & Spa, a former colonial mansion set among extensive gardens and vineyards, where you can enjoy a swim or spa treatment, sample the estate's fine wines or simply relax in your elegant room decorated with Andean tapestries.

Biking Fantástico

Combining paved and unpaved roads at altitudes ranging from 4,500 to 11,000 feet, this unforgettable mountain biking adventure is designed for guests who are used to doing a bit of serious riding. On two days we explore stretches of the famed Ruta 40, a hard-packed dirt road running from Bolivia down to Patagonia, featuring breathtaking vistas that are legendary among bikers and photographers. As always with Backroads, there are plenty of options when it comes to daily distances, as well as chances for avid bikers to add some challenging — and spectacular — extra miles. And of course we build in plenty of time to relax and take in the amazing scenery as you stroll around town, enjoy a massage in the hotel spa or chat by the pool.

Cultural Flavor

Your taste of northern Argentina goes beyond the distinctive wines of the Salta and Cafayate regions. A favorite hot beverage is mate, the aromatic herbal brew that has become the national drink; it's a great source of caffeine that you can also sip cold from your water bottle. As for cuisine, the chefs at our acclaimed hotels add some creative nuances to traditional Andean fare, from humita or tamales baked in corn leaves to llama steaks. And everywhere we enjoy the famous Argentinean beef prepared asado on the grill; add a bit of chimichurri marinade to spice things up a bit.

Mate and asado are part of the traditional culture of the gauchos, who are happy to share their passion for horses, music, wine and folklore when you meet them at our haciendas and on remote farms. To make your cultural education complete, we even take you beyond the tango and discover regional dances such as the zamba, the cueca and the chacarrera. And in the markets along our routes, you'll find all kinds of indigenous crafts, from colorful woven ponchos and rugs to handcrafted drums, flutes and charango guitars.

NEW TRIPS FOR 2008 - Biking, Walking/Hiking and Multisport

Italy & Slovenia

Biking from Venice to Ljubljana
Looking for the perfect European biking trip? We've found an instant classic in a surprisingly unexplored corner of the continent: the Friuli wine region of northeastern Italy and, just across the Julian Alps, the peaceful mountain valleys of Slovenia. Biking lightly traveled roads, you ride from the Adriatic coast through the famed Collio vineyards, then cross into the former Yugoslavia to explore lakeside alpine villages surrounded by spectacular scenery. A treat for old European biking hands but with plenty of shorter rides for a range of abilities, this new Backroads journey bridges two proud, vibrant and intriguing cultures.

Turkey

Walking in Cappadocia and Sailing along the Turquoise Coast
This remarkable new walking trip blends fascinating history with spectacular natural beauty at the "crossroads of civilization" where Europe blends into the East. Beginning among the surreal rock formations of Cappadocia, you explore underground cities, cliffside churches and a troglodyte "high-rise" carved out of an erosion-sculpted monolith. Then head south to the sun-drenched Turquoise Coast, where we board our beautiful private yacht, or gulets. Your adventures ashore include hiking into the mountains to a village feast and discovering the ruins of ancient empires. Plus swimming or kayaking in secluded bays and coves — and taking in endless vistas of the glittering Mediterranean.

South Africa & Botswana

Walking and Big-Game Viewing on a Unique Active Safari
This one-of-a-kind active adventure uses private aircraft to connect areas renowned for their abundant wildlife: Cape Point, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, and Mashatu and Londolozi game reserves. You'll have plenty of opportunities to spot lions, leopards, buffalos and rhinos, along with African penguins and other rare species, as you journey on foot and in open-topped Land Rovers. View centuries-old Bushman rock art. Enjoy a traditional welcome at a tribal village. Follow ancient elephant paths on a historic plantation. Visit the renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. And reward yourself with superb outdoor dining, rejuvenating spa treatments and nights of elegant relaxation at four Relais & Châteaux lodges and a luxury camp set amidst one of the world's largest elephant herds.

Peru

Lodge-to-Lodge Trekking
Be one of the first to join us in the Land of the Incas for a once-in-a-lifetime lodge-to-lodge trek. During this high-altitude journey, porters and mules carry our baggage as we follow a lightly traveled trail through the Vilcabamba, a spellbinding Andean mountain range that cradles Machu Picchu. En route to this renowned sanctuary we explore smaller, hidden Inca ruins and visit traditional villages where pre-Columbian traditions still thrive. Evenings, we retreat to welcoming lodges, where down comforters, fireplaces and jacuzzis provide the perfect respite from a day on the trail. It's an adventurous two-footed journey you won't want to miss

Bryce & Zion

Five-Day Biking in Utah's Red Rock Canyons
Explore the magnificent scenery of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks in trademark Backroads style on this new five-day getaway. Your breathtaking biking route winds among towering red rock formations, bizarrely shaped hoodoos and sandstone cliffs rising some 2,000 feet. And of course you get off your bike to explore on foot as well: through Wall Street, a dramatic slot canyon with overhanging walls as little as 3 yards apart; up the trail to Angel's Landing, with its spectacular views of the canyon country; across meadows filled with wildflowers and through groves of manzanita, sage and piñon trees; and following a river through the Narrows, where you may find yourself knee-deep in the rushing water. And then at sunset, watch hues of amber, red and orange play over the vast desert landscape as the first of a trillion stars appear overhead.

Canadian Rockies

Hiking and Heli-Hiking in Banff, Lake Louise and the Bugaboos
This extraordinary new adventure combines hiking in Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks with exhilarating helicopter lifts deep into untouched wilderness. Highlights of your classic Rockies hikes include Lake Louise, Stanley Glacier, Takakkaw Falls, the Wapta Icefields and Yoho Lake. Then we fly you into the Bugaboo Range, reaching areas so remote it would be an epic challenge — or simply impossible — to discover them on your own. For 28 years Backroads has set the benchmark for active adventure in the Canadian Rockies. From our permanent base in Canmore, Alberta, our team of highly experienced Trip Leaders — all of them certified mountain parks interpreters — are ready to show you the mountains they know so well. And then each evening, you can relax in acclaimed mountain lodges, reflecting on a Rockies experience unlike any other.