Patagonia Cruise

Categories Winter & Spring Cruises South America Travel Small Ship Cruises Patagonia Cruises

During the cruise, there will be daily inland tours lasting approximately two hours. These tours are organized and managed by the Mare Australis Expedition Group and consist of walks through trails in the native forest and visits to glaciers. The tours include talks on the flora and fauna of the area. A delicious whiskey with the millenary ice, or a cup of hot chocolate will be served at the end of the excursions.

During the cruise there will be interesting lectures on the wildlife, history and geography of this legendary region given by the Mare Australis and Via Australis Expedition Group. The lectures will take place both on board (with audio-visual support) and on land.

Itinerary

Check in at Magallanes 990, Punta Arenas, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cruise ship boarding at 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship departs for the uttermost part of the earth. Our excursion will take us through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!

At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound until finally arriving near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where we enjoy a walk to discover a beaver dam in the midst of a marvelous Magellanic forest. On the beach we observe a colony of elephant seals. Later we visit Tucker Islet, where we view colonies of Magellanic Penguins and Cormorants from the Zodiac boats. The islets penguins migrate in April; as a replacement we visit Brookes Bay, for a short walk to see a glacier.

We navigate through the main part of Beagle Channel to reach Pia Bay, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a lookout point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we sail again along the northwest arm of Beagle Channel through majestic Glacier Alley: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland glaciers.

We sail through Beagle and Murray channels to reach and disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting). Cape Horn, on Hornos Island, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory at the point where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans merge. This mythical place is known as the End of the Earth; a visit is a singular privilege. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.

In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the regions largest aboriginal settlements. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coigües, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a lookout point.

Arrival to Ushuaia, Argentinas most important city on Tierra de Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We disembark at 8:00 a.m., enabling you to get an early start on visiting the city and national parks, and on continuing your trip through Patagonia.

Notes