Cliffs, Curves and Carmenere - Central Valley and Apalta
Three days out of Santiago through the vineyards of the Central Valley to the Pacific at Pichilemu.
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Cliffs, Curves and Carmenere – Central Valley and Apalta
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2 nights through Chile
The short one, and the only Wild Tracks journey under a week. Three days out of Santiago, built around wine and the Pacific, and the easiest entry point into their range.
The route runs from Santiago through the vineyards of the Central Valley, out to the coast at Pichilemu, then back inland through the Apalta wine region, past Rapel Lake and the pottery village of Pomaire before returning to the city on the third day. Apalta is Carmenere country, the grape Chile thought it had lost altogether until it was identified growing there under another name in the 1990s, and the valley’s wineries are the reason the route bends the way it does.
Pichilemu is the other half of the proposition. It is Chile’s surf town, and Punta de Lobos is one of the better-known left-hand point breaks anywhere in South America, which makes for an unusual overnight stop in the middle of a wine trip.
The riding is on classic Royal Enfields and the roads are paved and curving rather than demanding, so no particular off-road experience is needed to enjoy it. Groups run to three riders plus three pillions, which is close to a private tour, and departures run through the Chilean spring, summer and autumn. For anyone already going to Santiago, or wanting to find out whether a vintage Enfield suits them before committing to two weeks in Patagonia, three days is a sensible way to test the idea, and a thoroughly enjoyable one in its own right.
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Photography and film: the operator
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2 days, from £825pp