ON LOCATION WAY DOWN SOUTH PATAGONIA ISTOCK Located in the foothills of the Andes, Aviador Carlos Campos and San Carlos de Bariloche airports are gateways to the majestic wild land that is Patagonia, the remarkably diverse geographical region shared between Chile and Argentina at the southern tip of South America. Setting out south from these portals is to embark on a journey of discovery, and one Chilean company has raised the bar in opening up Patagonia to a wider audience. Explora (explora.com) has new highend properties on both sides of the border: El Chaltén, positioned at the heart of Argentina’s Los Huemules Conservation Reserve, is a remotely built chalet that boasts 20 rooms and suites with jaw-dropping panoramas of Marconi Glacier and the Eléctrico river valley; in Chile’s Patagonia National Park, a 13-key private lodge in Chacabuco Valley has been built using recycled and locally sourced materials from old farms in southern Chile. The brand’s ethos is to combine accessibility to this most beautiful region with conservation efforts designed to protect its precious ecosystem. 60 NetJets
GREEN AND PLEASANT CAPE VERDE STANISLAUS FAUTRE / LE FIGARO MAGAZINE / LAIF Comprising ten volcanic islands off the west coast of Africa, Cape Verde is an under-the-radar destination that is gaining ever more attention. Beautiful beaches and all-year-round good weather are just the start of the island nation’s attractions. There is rich culture to explore, including discovering morna, a genre of music originating in Cape Verde that is known for its distinctive rhythmic structure and languid melodies. Most of the major resorts are based on the larger islands of Sal (where Amílcar Cabral International Airport is located) and Boa Vista, but from here it is easy to hop around the archipelago, discovering hiking opportunities through forests and up mountains, as well as plentiful watersports. The hotel scene is still very much in development but there is variety here, too, from the sprawling Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria (riu.com) resort on Sal to smaller boutique hotels dotted around the islands. NetJets 61
