Vuelta Sudamericana
In Depth
Over the past seven years, we've pedaled across diverse and exotic Africa, absorbed the romance and sophistication of Europe, and traveled along Asia's ancient Silk Route. Now we explore South America, with all its alluring cultural and natural wonders. Departing from Buenos Aires and finishing in Lima, the 2011 Vuelta will cover over 6,000 km through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru.
Our participants come from all over the world but share one thing: a passion for cycling. Traveling by bike allows you to immerse yourself in a foreign culture - to smell strange and wonderful foods cooking as you roll through a village, to share a home-made beer in a country inn, to feel the temperature drop as you relentlessly climb to the top of a mountain pass, and to observe how the culture and vegetation changes across landscapes. Such experiences create the Zen of long distance cycle touring.
From Darwin's exploration of the Galapagos to Che Guevara's "Motorcycle Diaries," the wonders of South America have changed the lives of travelers throughout time. The goal of this tour is not to travel the most efficient line between the opposite ends of a continent, but to explore it by bike. You will ride from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, and climb up and down ... and up and down ... the Andes. En route, you will visit some of South America's most renowned sites, including Mount Aconcagua, the Atacama Desert, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu.
This expedition will provide a complete range of cycling conditions: extreme temperatures, mountain passes over 4,200 m, open desert crossings, and every conceivable road surface. Whether you want to immerse yourself in the diversity of ancient cultures or simply enjoy the contrast between the salt plains and the altiplano, this will be a journey of a lifetime.
From the cosmopolitan appeal of football mad Buenos Aires to the chic sophistication of Santiago, all of the cities we visit have their own twist on architecture, food and art that contribute to the glorious mosaic of South American culture. Its peoples of the past, notably the Inca, also constructed magnificent civilizations, including mystical Machu Picchu. In the rural areas indigenous people live today in humble agricultural villages illuminated by the brilliant fabrics made of wool and cotton.
Our participants come from all over the world but share one thing: a passion for cycling. Traveling by bike allows you to immerse yourself in a foreign culture - to smell strange and wonderful foods cooking as you roll through a village, to share a home-made beer in a country inn, to feel the temperature drop as you relentlessly climb to the top of a mountain pass, and to observe how the culture and vegetation changes across landscapes. Such experiences create the Zen of long distance cycle touring.
From Darwin's exploration of the Galapagos to Che Guevara's "Motorcycle Diaries," the wonders of South America have changed the lives of travelers throughout time. The goal of this tour is not to travel the most efficient line between the opposite ends of a continent, but to explore it by bike. You will ride from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, and climb up and down ... and up and down ... the Andes. En route, you will visit some of South America's most renowned sites, including Mount Aconcagua, the Atacama Desert, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu.
This expedition will provide a complete range of cycling conditions: extreme temperatures, mountain passes over 4,200 m, open desert crossings, and every conceivable road surface. Whether you want to immerse yourself in the diversity of ancient cultures or simply enjoy the contrast between the salt plains and the altiplano, this will be a journey of a lifetime.
From the cosmopolitan appeal of football mad Buenos Aires to the chic sophistication of Santiago, all of the cities we visit have their own twist on architecture, food and art that contribute to the glorious mosaic of South American culture. Its peoples of the past, notably the Inca, also constructed magnificent civilizations, including mystical Machu Picchu. In the rural areas indigenous people live today in humble agricultural villages illuminated by the brilliant fabrics made of wool and cotton.
Design
The objective of this expedition, quite simply, is to explore the diversity of South America by bike. In keeping with the Tour d'Afrique mandate, it is a trans-continental journey. Meandering across the landscape and linking a variety of cultural and wilderness destinations, it has been designed to follow the most favourable patterns of wind, heat, precipitation and daylight. Part of the experience is to endure all these extremes. A tour of this magnitude will include days of scorching heat, intense cold, lashing rain, high winds, altitude, serious hills, long distances and sublime personal achievement and satisfaction.Support and Safety
The support staff on the Vuelta Sudamericana consists of experienced professionals and a support infrastructure designed to promote safety. However, given the nature of cycle expeditions, some accidents may be unpreventable. Every participant must willingly accept the inherent risks associated with cycling and traveling in foreign countries.Facts and Figures
The tour features 65 cycling days, averaging 100 km each, broken up by 15 rest days for a total of 80 days. The length of each day's ride will range from 60-80 km on really bad terrain to more than 180 km on good paved roads.Payments
- All entry fees are in Euros
- All participants must pay the registration fee of 100€. This fee is non-transferable and non-refundable. It may be paid online through PayPal on this website or by bank wire transfer, bank draft, certified cheque or money order payable to Tour d'Afrique Ltd. For a bank transfer, please contact our office for details. Registrants from South Africa may send payment to our office in Cape Town. Registrants from some other countries are not able to use the online payment system and must use one of the other payment options.
- The entry fee cannot be paid online. It may be paid by bank wire transfer, bank draft, certified cheque or money order payable to Tour d'Afrique Ltd. Banking details are provided in the registration package.
Discounts
- A discount of 250€ applies to the full Tour entry fee if full payment is received on or before March 25, 2011. This discount does not apply to sectional riders.
- If someone chooses to do two or more sections, they will receive a 10% discount on the combined section prices
- Previous Tour d'Afrique Ltd clients will receive a 5% discount
- A rider can choose to pay the full tour amount this year, but complete the full journey over a two or three year period, as long as the details of this arrangement are agreed upon at the time we receive the payment, and as long as the payment is received before the deadline.
Cancellations
Cancellation of a booking must be provided by written notice to the Company’s head office in Toronto, Canada. If the cancellation is made 120 days or more before the start of the Tour, 90% of the Entry Fee payment will be refunded to the Rider. If the cancellation is made 90 days or more before the start of the Tour, 50% of the Entry Fee payment will be refunded to the Rider. No refund of the Entry Fee will be made for cancellations made less than 90 days before the start of the Tour. Any refund amount will be based on the currency exchange rate at the time of the initial payment.Pricing*
All participants must first pay a non-refundable registration fee of 100€ to confirm their place on the Tour. Please click on the registration button above to register.Current Pricing
| Section | Destinations | Distance | Start | End | Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Tour | Buenos Aires to Lima | 6550km | Sep. 25 | Dec. 13 | €5,900 |
| Aconcagua Vistas | Buenos Aires to Santiago | 1750km | Sep. 25 | Oct. 14 | €1,850 |
| Atacama Aventura | Santiago to Antofagasta | 1350km | Oct. 17 | Oct. 31 | €1,500 |
| Sea & Salt | Antofogasta to La Paz | 1450km | Nov. 02 | Nov. 17 | €1,500 |
| Inca Highlands | La Paz to Cusco | 800km | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | €800 |
| Gringo Trail | Cusco to Lima | 1200km | Dec. 01 | Dec. 13 | €1,200 |
