SURF AND SINGLETRACK - XC Chile
Chile is one of the world's most spectacular countries: 4,000 km of Pacific Ocean coastline compete with the massive Andes mountains for bragging rights to Chile's top natural attractions. On this trip we'll sample both, with singletrack riding in the coast mountains and the Andes and surfing in the beautiful Pacific ocean. Throw in a few wine tastings and beach barbecues and you've got all the makings of one of the world's best adventures!
Day 1. Arrive in Santiago
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On your first day in Chile, you'll be checking in to your hotel in central Santiago and getting prepared for your Ride. From your hotel you'll have great views of the Andes, and will be within walking distance of great local restaurants and shops. Take the day to rest and explore Santiago. If you feel up to it, you can hop on the bike and ride up to a mountain in the center of town, where you'll have spectacular views of the city and the mountains. Tonight we'll meet for our first group dinner, and sample some of the local wines and drinks, including Pisco Sour, a national favourite.
Day 2. Santiago area riding
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You'll start the day off with a delicious, hearty breakfast at the hotel, then meet with your guides for a pre-tour meet-and-greet and safety talk. Then it's time to ride! We'll hop in the van and head across town to the base of Huinginal mountain. This local playground features a challenging 2-hour climb along singletrack trails. Once we reach the top, we'll pause to soak in the amazing views before heading back down on beautiful, smooth and fast singletrack. We'll have lunch at the base of the trail, then hop in the van for an afternoon of shuttle riding. When we've had our fill, we'll head back to our hotel and another round of delicious Chilean wine.
Day 3. Cerro El Roble
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After breakfast we hop in the van for a 1-hour drive high into the mountains. We'll ascend part of the way in the van, then climb the last hour to the summit of the El Roble trail on our bikes. At the top of the climb, we'll have breathtaking views of Mt. Aconcagua - the continent's highest mountain - and the Pacific coastline. The winding, technical descent takes us through pine forest, ending up in the charming town of Olmue where the van will wait to take us to a delicious local lunch. After lunch, it's off to Valparaiso, the oceanside home of famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, fascinating architecture and winding streets.
Day 4. Valparaiso urban riding and Pacific surf.
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Valparaiso is built onto the side of a mountain, with narrow winding streets and colourful houses throughout. The alleys and back streets make for some incredible urban riding - we'll climb to the very top of town and enjoy the view before dropping in on this fun and unique urban descent along the same streets used for the Cerro Abajo Red Bull race every year. After lunch at one of our local favourites, we'll head up the coast to Maitencillo. After checking in to our beachside villa, we'll grab the surfboards and meet our instructor for an afternoon of surf instruction. When the sun sets, we'll bring in our boards and enjoy a barbecue dinner on the beach.
Days 5+6. Jungle mountain biking and surfing in the Pacific Ocean.
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You'll spend 2 more days enjoying some thrilling riding in the Chilean coastal jungle in the mornings, and surfing in the afternoons. The riding is fast and smooth, with some great climbs and views of the ocean. Maitencillo is a perfect place to practice your surfing, with breaks ranging from 2 to 10 feet. If you're feeling really keen, join us for a sunrise surf - totally magical! n.b. no surf experience is required to partake in the surfing.
Day 7. San Esteban and San Francisco Lodge
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After a sunrise surf session, breakfast on the beach, and one more ride in the jungle, we'll hop in the van for the drive to San Esteban. This charming and picturesque town is surrounded by mountains and vineyards... and singletrack. We'll check in at the beautiful San Francisco Lodge, have lunch, and then hop on the bikes for a great afternoon of class cross-country riding. After returning to the lodge, we'll enjoy a soak in the hot tubs before enjoying a tasty dinner and sampling some of the local wines.
Day 8. San Esteban riding
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We'll spend another day exploring the beautiful San Esteban valley, this time a gorgeous 28-km singletrack loop that takes us around the valley. We'll pack lunches for this amazing ride, and when we come back to the lodge, there's lots more to do, including hiking, horseback riding (included), and lots of other fun stuff!
Day 9. San Esteban and return to Santiago
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We finish our last day of the trip with another spectacular ride, this time another beautiful cross-country singletrack ride. After returning to the lodge for lunch, we'll pack up the bikes, enjoy a few glasses of local wine to celebrate a magical week, and hop in the van for the return drive to Santiago (about 2 hours). If your flight home departs that evening, we'll take you to the airport. Otherwise, you can stay a few more nights in Santiago and explore one of South America's most beautiful cities - the shuttle will stop at our hotel after going to the airport.
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