Custom travel specialist Avanti Destinations has issued its latest advisor reference guide on independent travel options in twelve Central and South American countries, with descriptions of 38 vacation packages, 386 hotels and resorts, and 323 tours and experiences, which advisors can select from to create unique personalized itineraries. Avanti sells exclusively through travel advisors, not directly to consumers.
In addition to product descriptions, the reference guide has: useful maps showing the location of hotels in cities and towns; information on seasonality; travel times between destinations within countries; sections on small ship cruises in the Galapagos, Amazon and Patagonia, as well as jungle lodges and other distinctive accommodations; and “insider tips” on a range of topics, such as acclimating to high elevations, nearby attractions, suggested side trips, how to avoid tight connections, and best months for stargazing in the Atacama Desert.
The reference guide represents a sample of Avanti’s complete offering in Latin America, which numbers more than 1,100 hotels and more than 800 tours and experiences. In the past two years, the company has added 13 new packages, more than 50 hotels and resorts, and more than 60 new tours and experiences in Central and South America.
Avanti vacations may be booked three ways: from scratch; by customizing a suggested “crafted” itinerary; or as a non-customizable, fixed price package, where the price depends on hotel star rating, type and number of rooms, and dates of travel. The non-customizable packages can serve as a starting point or inspiration for an advisor unfamiliar with the region or country. All non-customizable Latin American packages can be found on Avanti’s regional website, https://latinamerica.avantidestinations.com
Tours are led by English-speaking guides. The majority of tours and experiences described in the reference guide are private, although many small group and shared tours are also available. Accommodations range from three- to five-star, with most in the four-star category. Unique accommodations include former manor houses, haciendas, eco-hotels and jungle lodges, restored convents and monasteries, even a hotel on the Bolivian salt flats built entirely out of salt blocks. Many specialty hotels and resorts offer full-board packages (food and excursions). Private transfers are included on most tours and packages.
Trends: Families, Nature, Wildlife, Food, Culture
“Big trends we’re seeing in Latin American bookings for this year and next are small family groups of six to eight passengers, with a focus on nature, soft adventure, and wildlife,” said Andrea Fournier-Courtney, Avanti’s product manager for Latin America. “There are also an increasing number of bookings for experiences related to food and drink, cooking, and learning about the culture of indigenous peoples. The average length of our Latin American vacations is seven nights, and the best-selling countries for most of the 35 years we have been selling the region are Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, Belize, and Chile.
“It’s interesting to note that there has been more growth in advisor bookings in 2026 for Guatemala, Ecuador, and Panama compared with 2025. Advance bookings for 2027 show significant increases in Brazil and again, Ecuador,” said Fournier-Courtney.
To meet rising demand, Avanti has been adding more hotels and experiences in Costa Rica, Ecuador – particularly Galapagos cruises, Chile, and Argentina. Many new products are in “off-the-beaten-path” towns and regions, such as Dominical, Uvita, and Boca Tapada in Costa Rica.
New Tour and Hotel Highlights by Country
Costa Rica: shared three-hour Afro-Caribbean cooking class (Puerto Viejo); private three-hour sustainable agrotourism tour where clients learn to milk a cow (Monteverde); small group three hour Trapiche cultural tour, where clients ride an oxcart, learn how sugarcane, coffee, and chocolate are produced, and make their own candy (Monteverde); the 4-star adults-only Oxygen Jungle Villas boutique resort with ocean views, ideal for honeymoons (Dominical/Uvita); Maquenque Lodge treehouses in the area where endangered green Macaws live (Boca Tapada).
Ecuador: three-, four- and seven-night full-board (food and excursions/activities) Galapagos cruises aboard the 55-cabin, 4-star M/V Legend or four- and five-night cruises aboard the nine-cabin, 4.5-star M/V Galapagos Sea Star. For four-night suite bookings on Sea Star, clients receive transfers to and from airport, two pre-cruise hotel nights in Quito or Guayaquil and $50 onboard credit. For four-night balcony suite bookings on Legend, clients receive two pre-cruise hotel nights and WiFi package.
Brazil: four-night full-board (food and excursions) stay at Araras Lodge in the Pantanal, best place to see the elusive jaguar.
Panama: private six-hour hike and organic farm-to-table experience at Hacienda Mamecillos (Boquete); private two-hour sunset cruise in a clear boat (Bocas del Toro).
Chile: private eight-hour Become a Street Artist experience (in Valparaiso from Santiago); private four-hour family-friendly horseback riding (for the children) and shared winery tour (for the adults) from Santiago.
Peru: private four-hour native potato experience with agronomist/gourmet and tuber wine tasting (from Cusco); small group 11-hour Hiking Humantay Lake tour including four-hour hike to turquoise lake at 13,780 feet, visits to Inca ruins; private eight-hour experience visiting Misminay community and Andean distillery with traditional Pachamanca lunch, where food is cooked underground with hot stones (Sacred Valley); three-star Ikam Riverview Amazon Lodge (full board – includes food and excursions) with riverfront pool and children’s area (Puerto Maldonado).
Argentina: five-star boutique hotel in the famous Recoleta neighborhood (Buenos Aires); two- night suite package in 4.5-star Pristine Iguazu Luxury Camp within a natural reserve on the Parana River, 45 minutes from Iguazu Falls.
New Customizable Vacation Packages
Ecuador’s Natural Wonders- 12 days/11 nights in Quito, the Amazon region, Galapagos Islands.
- Includes: all ground and air transfers; private 6-hour Quito city tour plus lunch and chocolate tasting; three nights stay in full-board Amazon lodge; gourmet dinner in Quito restaurant; private eight-hour Cotopaxi National Park tour; four-night full-board Galapagos cruise (M/S Legend) or island-based stay; daily breakfast; choice of accommodations.
Ultimate Chile– 12 days/11 nights in Santiago, Torres Del Paine, Chile’s wine country, Atacama Desert.
- Includes: private arrival/departure transfers per city; private 4-hour Santiago city tour; private 8-hour Become a Street Artist tour (Valparaiso); four nights all-inclusive luxury glamping in a yurt at Patatonia Camp resort in Torres del Paine; two-night stay in restored colonial manor house at Casablanca Valley vineyard; three-night stay in Atacama; small group 4-hour tour of Cejar and Tebenquiche salt lagoons where guests float in turquoise waters; small group 2-hour Andean astronomy tour with telescope; small group 7-hour Tatio Geyser tour at sunrise with breakfast; daily breakfast; choice of accommodations in Santiago.
To book customized, multi-destination independent vacations to Central and South America, as well as Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, North Africa, and the Middle East for clients with interests in nature, wildlife, family travel, soft adventure, culture, history, food, wine, cooking, romance, and other themes, call 1-800-422-5053 to speak with an expert destination specialist or log onto www.avantidestinations.com.
Click here to order Avanti Destination's new print reference guide
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