About Us

Our Founder

When at 5 years old Argentine-native Alejandro Varrente received stitches in a tiny Patagonian town for trying to cross a mountain stream with his brother, little did he know that he would return to the region time and again, haunted by the beauty of its wilderness and that same desire to explore the vastness of the area. After spending some time living in the U.S. and working in the travel industry, Alejandro has over 15 years of experience exploring the subcontinent – from the Pacific to the Andes, from the Atlantic coast to the southern tip of Patagonia, where he owns a second home. With this wealth of knowledge, he decided to found Breaking Trails and share his experiences with discerning travelers eager to explore South America.

“My goal is for travelers to visit South America beyond the usual tourist traps, immersing themselves in meaningful local experiences and meeting authentic people. By being on-site, we have the opportunity to try-out every hotel, sample every meal, and taste every wine we recommend, ensuring that our travelers enjoy a truly enhanced and unforgettable experience.”

Alejandro is a passionate nature and wildlife enthusiast, having visited Europe, Asia and Africa many times. His wife, Lucila, and children, Catalina and Benjamin, are now part of the Breaking Trails Testing Team, trying out new lodgings, restaurants, and finding hidden gems to share with the world. Breaking Trails has been recently awarded the Top Zicasso Travel Specialist Award for the second time since 2012.

In mountaineering, to “break a trail” means to lead a party along new unchartered paths – whether through dense forests, up rugged mountains, or across untouched deep snow. At Breaking Trails, we believe that everyone should experience the feeling of being the first to gaze upon a stunning landscape or feel the wind on their face when reaching a lake shore. So we made it our goal to help travelers feel as though every sight they see, every
path they walk, and every forest they breathe and smell, is an experience that they’re having for the first time – as if they’re the first to discover it.

Breaking Trails specialises in highly personalised journeys to South America, created for discerning travelers who expect the highest level of service and attention to detail, tailored to their interests, schedule and preferences, while providing true insider access to meaningful local experiences with a focus on nature, wildlife, art, and culture.

We provide a varied portfolio of unforgettable tours, walks, treks and expeditionary voyages to some of most breathtaking destinations in the region. From the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the most remote corners of Patagonia, from the hot and humid rainforest surrounding Iguazu Falls to frozen perennial glaciers, our journeys showcase the very best of South America’s natural and cultural wonders., ski the high Andes in Mendoza and Portillo and enjoy an après ski Malbec, meet the penguins on an expedition cruise to Antarctica or get to know the private art collections (and the artists themselves) in Buenos Aires along with its remarkable museums and European heritage while riding a bike along the city’s bike paths, dance with the locals at a samba concert in Rio and enjoy its unique nightlife sharing a few caipirinhas.

We understand that a good night’s sleep, a warm bed and a succulent breakfast are the key to fuelling the day’s activities. For that reason, we only work with a few handpicked properties with character and soul and try to avoid large impersonal hotels.

We use a mix of luxury accommodations and boutique hotels, and depending on the destination, even luxury tents similar to the ones on African safari tours.