Sporting Holidays

Northern Patagonia offers some of the best freshwater fly-fishing in the Americas. We recommend starting at the Puelo River in the Andean zone of the Lake District. Tagua Tagua Lake is an angler’s haven where resident Brown and Rainbow Trout reach up to 6kg. Hit the Futaleufú River and Espolón Lake for plentiful salmon between March and May and a surge in trout from November to April.

Few activities render access to such remote wilderness as heli-skiing, and the Andes present some of the most dramatic scenery for this kind of adventure. Dive into exceptional snowcat skiing and back-country expeditions with expert guides, and Andean Condors overhead. Weather systems from Antarctica bring plenty of dry powder. Portillo offers some of the best terrain from July to September. Unpredictable weather means the season’s actual dates are subject to change.

Don your crampons to clamber atop the Perito Moreno Glacier, navigating its deep-blue millenary crevices and ice tunnels 70 metres above Lago Argentino. Begin the adventure with a scenic boat ride, drink from fresh meltwater streams, and learn about the glacier’s ecosystem from a local guide. If lucky, you might witness 100-tonne chunks break away from the glacier and crash into the freezing waters below. This group trek offers a glimpse into Argentina’s glacial wilderness.

Situated at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galapagos islands are a haven for marine life with sea lions, whale sharks, and manta rays calling these waters home. Hammerhead schools create their own spectacle here. Dive sites like Wolf and Darwin Islands are favourites. As well as the abundant aquatic life, underwater volcanic crevices and caves make these dives all the more exhilarating.

Every September, anglers from various locales gather in San Carlos at the Rio San Juan to compete for the biggest catch in Nicaragua’s premier fishing tournament. This annual event not only attracts sport fishing enthusiasts but celebrates the ecological significance of the river, encouraging conservation and education. San Carlos plays host to various events relating to the competition at this time, with a gastronomical fair and craft stalls taking over the boardwalk, as well as beauty pageants, parties, and exhibitions hitting the city.

In the western imagination, they may be the stuff of scary movies, however in the Amazon, piranhas are a valued food source for many communities. Head out on a small boat with your rod, skewered with chicken, at the ready, and watch as the red-bellied fish latch onto the bait. Just don’t forget to keep fingers and toes well out of the way!