LATA updates on latest developments

Lata has revealed its latest updates.

In December this year, Air Europa will start operating a new service from London Gatwick to the Brazilian city of Recife via Madrid. The twice-weekly route will operate on Wednesdays and Fridays – with the addition of a third weekly flight expected in 2018. Return flights will start from £651 return in January 2018

In November 2017, Avianca will launch its first nonstop flight between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and San Salvador’s Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL). The service will operate five times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Starting in next month, LATAM Airlines will begin two new daily domestic flights in Brazil between Guarulhos, São Paulo and Santos Dumont, Rio de Janeiro, and in Colombia between Cali and Cartagena, and Medellin and Barranquilla.

The Uptown in Buenos Aires is the city’s newest restaurant and bar is located in the heart of the city. Designed by architect Paulo Peirano, the bar is situated underground in a real train carriage accessed by way of a subway door, and decorated in a style reminiscent of the New York subway with white rectangular tiles. The restaurant serves cuisine inspired from New York’s Little Italy and China Town.

Two new tourism routes have recently been unveiled in El Salvador – the ‘Los Manantiales’ route and the ‘Cumbres del Mar’ route. The ‘Los Manantiales’ route located 30 minutes south of San Salvador offers visitors insight into El Salvador’s culture, traditions and history, visiting local textile shops, ancient colonial buildings and cave paintings in the municipalities of Zaragoza, Huizucar, San Jose Villanueva and Nuevo.

The ‘Cumbres del Mar’ routes circles the coast of El Salvador passing by some of the country’s most pristine beaches and includes a stopover in El Malecon del Puerto de La Libertad – home to a rich gastronomic heritage.

From 6-8 October San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, will host The Central America Travel Market (CATM). The event will welcome over 80 European tour operators, 180 Central American sellers and 20 media.

November 2017 marks the release of Paddington 2 in UK cinemas. The release of the second film pre-dates 2018’s anniversary of the book’s initial release in 1958. The story of Paddington bear who lived in London but was originally from Peru, has put the spectacled bear, also known as the Andean bear and Peru in the spotlight. Because of its habitat loss, the spectacled bear is classified by the IUCN.

October 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s capture by the CIA and Bolivian army near the jungle village of Higueras in Bolivia. The 39-year-old Marxist revolutionary was executed the following day with his body buried in an unmarked grave near Valle Grande. His remains were not found until June 1997. Journey Latin America offers a 14-day ‘Signature Bolivia: The final frontier’ tour which traces the footsteps of Che Guevara along the ‘Ruta Che’ and includes a visit to the ‘Che’ shrine in La Higuera. The holiday is priced from £3,935 per person including domestic flights.

Quito, Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the ‘Baroque school of Quito’, which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art.

St Helena is set to welcome the island’s first four-star hotel scheduled to open in November 2017. The St Helena Mantis Hotel, which will be located in Lower Jamestown, will feature 30 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar and will be the most remote hotel in the Mantis portfolio. Mantis is a collection of privately owned boutique hotels and eco-escapes around the world. Aside from developing the island’s first ever four star boutique hotel, Mantis will also train locals to work in the tourism and hospitality industry.

A new hotel has recently opened in Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Alvear Hotel Icon will be a 34 floor building located in front of the Faena Arts Centre, featuring 159 rooms and a convention centre with capacity for 1,300 people. On the top floors, guests will have access to a bar and a restaurant offering 360 degree panoramic views of Buenos Aires. www.alearicon.com

New helicopter flights between Hacienda Hotel Vira Vira, and Bariloche (Chile & Argentina)

From 1 November, the Hacienda Hotel Vira Vira located near Pucón in Chile will boast a helicopter R66 on-site, providing scenic fly-overs and transfers from the hotel. As well as transfers within Chile (to Temuco Airport, Puerto Montt and other destinations), the new service includes an international flight between Vira Vira and Bariloche in Argentina – an impressive journey over the Andes, with stunning views of the lakes and volcanoes of both Chile and Argentina. The flight time between the hotel and Bariloche is approximately one hour and a half and is priced from £959 for two people.

The Awasi Iguazú, set to open at the end of 2017 on the Argentinian side of Iguazú Falls, is working with biologist and photographer, Emilio White, to develop a wide range of original and authentic excursions for guests. These include boat trips to see 18th century Jesuit ruins; visits to unknown waterfalls, and expeditions to local Guarani tribes to learn about their ancient artisan crafts and relationship with the rainforest. One night at the hotel is priced from £563 per person per night during the soft launch (Dec 2017 – March 2018).

Mashpi Lodge has unveiled a new full day hiking excursion in the Mindo Cloud forest visiting the Mashpi community. Upon arrival, guests will take a tour of a local chocolate farm and taste some of Ecuador’s finest chocolate. A one night’s stay at the lodge is priced from £502 per person per night based on two people sharing.

Tierra Hotels is set to re-open the geometrically designed eco-hotel Tierra Chiloé, which has doubled in size from 12 rooms to 24. A new extension, designed by the original architects Mobil Arquitectos, has been developed, continuing with the sustainable design which reflects traditional local houses built on stilts over the water. The bold design of Tierra Chiloé highlights the ever-changing views of nearby islands and the distant mountains on the mainland.

Tour operator news

Latin America travel specialist Jacada Travel has launched a new foodie experience in Lima created in conjunction with the well-known LIMA restaurant team. The experience is priced from £4,446 per person.

New for 2018, ‘The ‘Making of Argentina’ experience with Martin Randall offers a comprehensive overview of the country’s history, politics, art, architecture, gastronomy and music. The 13-day trip travels to the Calchaqi valleys and includes a wine tasting in the region of Cafayate, as well as a private tango show in Buenos Aires’ famous café Tortoni. The tour is priced from £7,180 based on two people sharing including international flights and accommodation.

Audley Travel has introduced a new 18-day self-drive tour from Salta to Mendoza through Catamarca in Argentina, including visits to the world-famous wineries, prehistoric landscapes and volcanoes of the region as well as time in Buenos Aires. The holiday is priced from £7,000 per person based on two people sharing, including international flights, transfers, car hire. www.audleytravel.com/Argentina

The new eight-day ‘Ecuador Highlights’ trip with Andean Trails is a cultural tour taking in the best tourist attractions of the country such as trekking to the snow-capped peaks of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, walking through the Cajas National Park and visiting the stunning colonial city of Quito, and Cuenca – home of the Panama hat. The tour is priced from £1,290 per person based on two people sharing.

Explore has added three new trips for 2018 including a three-week ‘Rio to Lima Explorer’ tour which travels to the main highlights of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru; a one-off 12-day ‘Argentina and Eclipse tour’ for 2019, which combines the spectacle of the total eclipse with some of the most breath-taking landscapes in South America; and a 16-day ‘Brazilian Amazon by Boat’ experience which journeys from the City of Belem to Manaus – the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas region. The ‘Rio to Lima’ tour is priced from £4,695, the Argentina experience is priced from £4,599 and the Brazil holiday is priced from £3,975. Each price is per person and based on two people sharing including international flights.