Punta Arenas – Ushuaia Route (4 nights)
Explore the Ushuaia route where you will enjoy the stunning, natural beauty of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. You will experience a great adventure to the “uttermost End of the Earth”, with accommodations aboard an amazingly comfortable ship accompanied by expert crew and guides. Their mission in addition to safety is to make sure your journey is remarkable and unforgettable.
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Day 1 – Punta Arenas
Check in at Magallanes 990, Punta Arenas, between 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., with cruise ship boarding scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board and afterwards the ship departs on your great adventure!
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Day 2 – Ainsworth Bay & Tuckers Islet
At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving at Ainsworth Bay, inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park. From a distance we may see the Marinelli Glacier which descends from the Darwin Mountain Range, and we will learn how life begins after the retreat of the ice. We will also take a walk to discover a beaver dam in the marvelous subpolar Magellanic forest. On the beach, we will try to see elephant seals, but we cannot guarantee this as the precise location of the colony is unpredictable. Later, we sail to Tuckers Islets, and after lunch we board the Zodiac boats to view Magellanic Penguins (which only live in the Southern Hemisphere), and Cormorants. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay where we land for a short walk to approach a glacier.
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Day 3 – Pia Glacier & Glacier Alley
We navigate along the main part of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a look-out 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 continue sailing along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”
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Day 4 – Cape Horn & Wulaia Bay
We sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, and it is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and it is known as the “End of the Earth”. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, we go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.
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Day 5 – Ushuaia
Arrive at Ushuaia, Argentina’s most important and southernmost city in the world on Tierra del Fuego. Disembark at 8:00 a.m.
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NOTE: The excursions/day trips described in the itineraries can normally be, and are frequently, carried out. Without prejudice to the aforesaid,Transportes Marítimos Terra Australis S.A.,Transportes Marítimos Via Australis S.A.,and Transportes Marítimos Geo Australis S.A. reserve the right to reschedule shorten or alter all or part of itineraries and/or excursions without previous notice, in order to safeguard the well being and safety of passengers, preserve the environment or due to the extraordinary circumstances, acts of god or force majeure. For the same reasons, the hours of departure or arrival of the vessels may be subject to change.
Ushuaia – Punta Arenas Route (3 nights)
Cruceros Australis will take you on an amazing journey to the “uttermost end of the earth”. On the Ushuaia – Punta Arenas route, you will enjoy the splendor and beauty of unique natural scenery and wildlife. You will travel on one of the industry’s most comfortable ships designed to make your trip as pleasant and remarkable as possible through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel.
Day 1 – Ushuaia
Check in at San Martin 409, Ushuaia, between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., with cruise ship boarding from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board, and afterwards the ship departs for the journey through one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world.
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Day 2 – Cape Horn – Wulaia Bay
We sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, and it is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and it is known as the “End of the Earth”. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, we go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.
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Day 3 – Piloto & Nena Glaciers (Via) /Agostini Sound & Águila Glacier (Stella)
Via Australis: In the morning we will sail through the desolate Brecknock and Ocasión Channels and in the afternoon through the Cockburn Channel to anchor in Chico Sound after lunch. Our adventure begins in the Zodiac boats. We will ride up the Alakalufe Fjord where we will be able to see lovely waterfalls and the Piloto and Nena Glaciers from the boats. The intense blue color of the Piloto glacier, due to its age and compression, is amazing. We will learn about the formation of the glaciers and their influence on the abrupt geography of the Patagonia- Tierra del Fuego channels.Stella Australis: We will sail through the Brecknock, Ocasión, Cockburn, and Magdalena Channels to enter the spectacular Agostini Sound, In the heart of the Darwin Cordillera, in Tierra del Fuego. Here you can see the glaciers flowing down the mountainside, often all the way to the sea. In the afternoon we will get into the Zodiac boats and head to the Águila Glacier where we will take an easy walk on the shore of a lagoon surroun- ded by mountains until we reach the base of the glacier. We will learn about Patagonia’s cold rainforest and the forces that molded the landscape.
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Day 4 – Magdalena Island – Punta Arenas
Early in the morning, we go ashore on Magdalena Island (weather permitting). Located in the Strait of Magellan, it was an essential source of supplies for navigators and explorers in the past. The island is inhabited by an immense colony of Magellanic Penguins which can be sighted during our walk to a lighthouse, which guides ships on their way through the strait. In September and April this excursion is replaced by a Zodiac boat ride at Marta Island to observe sea lions. After our visit, we sail to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 a.m.
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NOTE: The excursions/day trips described in the itineraries can normally be, and are frequently, carried out. Without prejudice to the aforesaid,Transportes Marítimos Terra Australis S.A.,Transportes Marítimos Via Australis S.A.,and Transportes Marítimos Geo Australis S.A. reserve the right to reschedule shorten or alter all or part of itineraries and/or excursions without previous notice, in order to safeguard the well being and safety of passengers, preserve the environment or due to the extraordinary circumstances, acts of god or force majeure. For the same reasons, the hours of departure or arrival of the vessels may be subject to change.
