Beyond Borders: Discovering North and South America's Most Breathtaking Treks

We explore eight spectacular hiking trails across North and South America, from Panama's bird-filled cloud forests to Chile's iconic Patagonian peaks. Each trail offers unique experiences during winter months when Canadians are seeking warmer destinations for outdoor adventures.

• Sendero Los Quetzales in Panama - a moderate 9km one-way trail through lush cloud forest with stunning volcano views
• Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala - experience nighttime eruptions from a neighboring active volcano
• Pico Duarte in Dominican Republic - the Caribbean's highest peak featuring diverse ecosystems from tropical to alpine forests
• Torres del Paine West Trek in Chile - iconic Patagonian 80km loop with granite peaks and glaciers
• Huayna Potosí in Bolivia - one of the "easiest" 6,000-meter peaks requiring basic mountaineering skills
• Laguna 69 in Peru - trek to a stunning turquoise glacial lake at 4,500m elevation
• Roraima Trek in Venezuela - climb one of the world's oldest tabletop mountains with bizarre rock formations
• The O Circuit in Chile - a challenging 130km alternative to the West Trek with more remote landscapes

Please reach out to us anytime at hi@supergoodcamping.com. Like, subscribe, share and we will talk to you again soon.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Americas Hiking Series

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and good day. Welcome to the Super Good Camping podcast. My name is Pamela, I'm Tim.

Speaker 1: 0:05

And we are from supergoodcampingcom. We're here because we're on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy camping adventures such as we have as a family. Today's episode is the third in our series of the top hikes. This time we're going to do North and South America. We're excluding the United States at this time just because it's not. We are excluding the United States at this time just because it's not safe for some of us to travel there. And we just wanted to give a shout out to Tim's T-shirt today. So the elbows up is helping in terms of Canadians for trying to encourage more people to travel in Canada and or support Canada. The T-shirt he's wearing is from Brittle Stars Peace, love Canada selection. So peacelovecanadaca, if you want your very own. And so the first on our list for hikes is Sendro, los Quetzales in Panama, and we apologize in advance for butchering any of the names in this particular podcast.

Speaker 2: 1:02

She will butcher less than I butcher, but I will absolutely make up for the fix that she gets right.

Speaker 1: 1:07

It's between Bouquet and Serra Punta, panama. The trailheads in Bouquet and or Bouquet in Serra Punta is accessible by car or bus. The distance is a nine kilometer one way and it's moderate. Best time to go is in their dry season, which is December to April. So if you're looking for something to do in our winter months here and it's moderate Best time to go is in their dry season, which is December to April. So if you're looking for something to do in our winter months here in Canada, this sounds like a good place to go. Why you would hike it? It's a lush cloud forest trail known for quetzal bird sightings and stunning views of Volcan Baru Features, dense jungles, fair rivers and mist-covered mountains Misty mountains.

Speaker 2: 1:44

Let the butchering begin.

Speaker 1: 1:48

A catanango.

Speaker 2: 1:51

Okay, a catanango volcano in Guatemala. It's near Antigua Trailhead, is in La Soledad, la Soledad, la Soledad, one hour drive from Antigua. It's a 15-kilometer round trip. It is a difficult hike. November to April, in the dry season, is the best time to go, and it offers a breathtaking view of the active Volcano de Fuego. I got that one right. I'm sure it is when you can see and hear eruptions at night. The summit provides panoramic views over Guatemala's volcanic landscape. Wow, volcanoes.

Speaker 1: 2:28

They're erupting right near you, I think.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Diana mentioned something about hiking a volcano. It's like yeah, no.

Speaker 1: 2:35

Next on the list is Pico Duarte. It's in the Dominican Republic. The location is Jose Armando Bermúdez National Park in Dominican. The trailhead is La Cienaga, near Yarabacoa. The distance is 46 kilometer round trip. It is difficult. This time is again dry season, december to March. The highest peak in the Caribbean is on this hike, with diverse ecosystems from tropical forests to alpine pine forests, it offers incredible sunrises and a sense of accomplishment.

Speaker 2: 3:11

That's at the end of a hike. That's always a good thing to have. The next one we have is the Torres del Paine West Trek in Chile. It's in the Torres del Paine National Park on the Chilean Patagonia. The access is from Puerto Natales, all right. You take a bus to the park entrance. It's an 80 kilometer loop. It's moderate to difficult. Again, october through April. Patagonia in summer. It features granite peaks, massive glaciers, turquoise lakes and the famous Torres del Towers. One of the most famous multi-day treks in the world. Wow, cool.

Speaker 1: 3:54

Next is in Bolivia. It's Huayna Potosi, cordillera Real, near La Paz, bolivia. That's where it's located. The access is a one and a half hour drive from La Paz to the trailhead at Base Camp and the distance is an 18 kilometer round trip. It's a three-day climb. The difficulty is very difficult. Best time is may to september in the dry season. And why you would hike. This is one of the easiest 6 000 meter peaks to climb. It doesn't sound so easy, with breathtaking views over la paz and the andean, requires glacier travel and basic mountaineering skills. Six kilometers, but it's one of the easiest six kilometer peaks.

Speaker 2: 4:41

That's wonderful. Next on the list is Laguna 69 in Peru. It's in the Huascaran.

Speaker 1: 4:49

National.

Speaker 2: 4:50

Park. There you go. It's a three hour drive from Juarez to the trailhead at Cebollapampa. Okay, that's a 13 kilometer round trip. It's a moderate to difficult because of the high altitude Again, dry season May to September is the best time to do it and it's a stunning turquoise glacial lake at four and a half kilometers up, surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Very cool Must do in the Cordillera Blanca region.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Blanca region. Next on the list, number seven, is the Roraima Trek, which is in Venezuela. It's located in the Canaima National Park. You would fly to Santa Elena de Juan, then drive to Paraitapui. The distance is a 90 kilometer round trip. It is difficult December to April when we're looking for something to do here in Canada in our off season, where it's not, where there's hard water. Then this might be good times to go somewhere else where it's nice and warm and sunny and do these While you would hike it. This trek takes you to the top of Mount Roraima, one of the world's oldest tabletop mountains. It features bizarre rock formations, endemic plants and incredible panoramic views. I just wonder who determines that they're bizarre, like just rocks are rocks. I don't know what is bizarre about these rocks.

Speaker 2: 6:28

I don't know. Every reason is entitled to their opinion, I guess, just for the record, other than dos cerveza, por favor. I don't speak Spanish, so we shouldn't do this. Last on our list is the O Circuit in Chile. It's in the. Oh, we've done this, oh, no, we didn't. It's a different loop in the Torres del Pino National Park.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Yeah, on the Chilean.

Speaker 2: 6:55

Patagonia. So access is oh same deal from Puerto Natales. Take a bus to the park entrance. It's a 130-kilometer loop. It's very difficult, Same in the Patagonian summer is the best time to do it October to April. Why? Because it's a more challenging and remote alternative to the West Trek, offering even more glaciers, mountains and solitude in one of the world's most stunning landscapes.

Speaker 1: 7:26

Cool. So just as a word of caution many of these treks are difficult or very difficult, so make sure that you know what you're doing before you even attempt any of this. We don't want to lose any of you.

Speaker 2: 7:40

Don't be old and out of shape like this.

Speaker 1: 7:41

Yes, Know your limits, play within it. That's it for us for today. Please do check us out on all the social media and reach out to us anytime. We are at hi at supergoodcampingcom. That's hi at supergoodcampingcom. Like, subscribe, share and we will talk to you again soon, bye, bye.