Patagonia Antarctica Cruise Tour

Categories South America Travel Small Ship Cruises Antarctica Cruises Adventure & Eco Travel Escorted Tours Cruises

Images Tour Map

Trekking through Patagonia's Glacier National Park and Tores del Paine, witnessing thousands of penguins, the Tierra del Fuego and the Drake Passage, exploring the South Shetland Islands, setting foot on Antarctica.

Itinerary

Arrive in Ushuaia at any time, check into the hotel and enjoy the southernmost city in the world.

Sitting on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia actually means 'the bay facing westward' in the language of the original Yamna inhabitants. Once a penal colony (the presidio was disbanded in the 1940s) for political prisoners as well as hardened criminals, Ushuaia is now a major tourist attraction, particularly for people such as ourselves cruising to Antarctica. The town of 40,000 is also a major ski resort area for both alpine and cross-country skiers and offers magnificent hiking in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, the only coastal national park in Argentina.

A short flight takes us over the lofty peaks to El Calafate and the dynamic Moreno Glacier, within Glacier National Park. We may spot condors, eagles, flamingos and rheas in this beautiful landscape. Moreno Glacier is one of the few remaining advancing glaciers on the planet, and you will long remember the sound of ice crashing into the lake waters below.

Argentina is the second giant of South America, with a landscape nearly as varied as its people. Modern and sophisticated, cosmopolitan Argentina has much more in common with Europe than with the rest of its neighbours. If Buenos Aires is the heart of the country, Patagonia and the southern Pampas in Santa Cruz Province are its soul. This is the very region we explore, trekking within Glacier National Park for the grand rewards of the trail.

We start our land exploration in the province of Tierra del Fuego and the southern most city in the world, Ushuaia, with a flight to El Calafate, on the shores of Lago Argentino. The southern continental ice field, the second largest on the planet after that of Greenland, is the source of all the area's glaciers, including Moreno, Onelli, Viedma and Upsala. Moreno Glacier moves down from this massive river of frozen water, huge chunks of ice constantly crashing into the lake waters below. It is one of the most dynamic and only one of a few advancing glaciers left in the world. It is simply enormous: 1 km (half a mile) wide and 60m (196 ft) high, it occasionally chokes off the narrow Canal de los Tempanos (Channel of Ice Bergs), creating a dam of ice, through which the lake water eventually bursts in a spectacular display.

From our base in the town of El Chaltén, we take two full-day hikes within Glacier National Park’s northern end, where granite pinnacles spiral upward into the sky from the third largest ice field on earth. We hike to Laguna de Los Tres to fully appreciate majestic Cerro Fitzroy/Chaltén (3441m / 11286 ft) and to Laguna Torre for awe-inspiring views of the magical peaks and glaciers. A late afternoon bus returns us to El Calafate on day 5.

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares has some of the most spectacular natural sights you will see in your lifetime. The town of El Chaltén is located in the north end of the park. Hikers and climbers from around the globe congregate here, waiting for good weather, to undertake the challenges presented by nature. The atmosphere is laid back and the mountains and Beech forests here are very similar to Paine. The hikes to Laguna de Los Tres and Laguna Torre traverse spectacular glacial valleys to obtain awe-inspiring views of these peaks of ice and granite.

We travel south across the border into Chile to the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park. Hiking in this spectacular park is a real treat. The things that you may have heard about the rough beauty of Patagonia will be affirmed by the breathtaking views of the three pink granite “Towers,” French Valley and its glaciers, as well as the region’s unique wildlife, such as vicuña, rheas and Patagonian hares. Travel by boat on Lake Pehoe amongst the icebergs of Grey Glacier, one of the most beautiful glaciers of the Patagonia ice field. You can even hike on Grey Glacier with an optional lesson on ice hiking.

Encompassing a narrow strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the high peaks of the Andes, approximately 180 km (112 miles) wide, but with a coastline stretching over 4300 km (14104 ft), Chile’s “geografia loca” (as termed by Benjamin Subercasseaux) includes the driest desert, the Atacama in the north, the agriculturally-rich Central Valley, snow-covered volcanoes, forests and tranquil lakes of the near south, and the wild and windswept glaciers and fjords of the far south.

It is within this last region that you’ll discover magnificent trekking country, where guanacos, ñandues (rheas), condors, pink flamingos and magellanic penguins abound. The region also boasts some of the world's finest salmon and trout fishing, and the cuisine at times rivals the natural setting. Hikes are moderate to difficult, along clearly marked trails. Participants should be prepared for hikes ranging in duration from 5-8 hours per day with unpredictable weather. A gold mine of undiscovered destinations and surprises, this country and its friendly and hospitable people will no doubt make a mark on your memories and leave you with a smile.

The granite Towers of Paine National Park make a sudden and dramatic appearance on the horizon in the midst of a flat, dry, wind-swept plain. Despite the almost constant summer winds, this is some of the finest trekking country in Chile. Endowed with severe mountains, sparkling lakes, waterfalls and glaciers, as well as herds of guanacos, majestic condors, flocks of pink flamingos and large Patagonian hares, the park’s international attraction is immediately evident. Once a large sheep estancía, the park was established in 1959 as the Parque Nacional Lago Grey. Prior to this, baqueanos (cowboys) grazed their flocks here and fires occasionally burnt out of control. The devastation wrought near Lago Grey with large areas of burnt forest and charred logs remains visible to this day. More land was added to the park in 1962 and the name was changed to its present one. It is said that the Towers and Park were named after an early Welsh settler named Payne, although paine is also the Tehuelche word for blue. The Torre (Tower) Sur rises 2900m (9512 ft) above sea level, the Torre Central is 2850m (9348 ft) high and the Torre Norte measures 2600m (8528 ft). As spectacular as the towers themselves are the Cuernos (Horns) del Paine, massive blocks of various rock layers, visible from great distances.

All meals included on the two camping days only.

Return to Ushuaia for one more night on the town, and then prepare for Antarctica! Embarkation on the expedition ship begins in the afternoon on Day 11. Enjoy the sunset over the Beagle Channel as you head towards Cape Horn before crossing the Drake Passage. Enjoy daily lectures from your expedition team and keep an eye out for the first sightings of icebergs, whales, and albatross following in the ship's wake.

Experience some of the most unique wildlife viewing and inspiring scenery in the world as you set foot on the Antarctic continent. Attempt two shore landings per day (weather conditions permitting), and encounter gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguin rookeries, Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, and orca, humpback and minke whales in the cold Antarctic waters. The peninsula also has a remarkable human history. During the voyage we will learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions to this remote corner of the world.

Head back north across the Drake Passage to Ushuaia. Keep your eyes open on the observation deck for some final whale sightings! In between bird and whale watching and final lectures, relax and review the adventures of the past week.

Disembark after breakfast.

Notes