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Patagonia Visited Sites

Cape Horn

Cape Horn, an island featuring cliffs of almost 425 meters high, was discovered on January 30 , 1616 by a Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac LeMaire and under the command of Captain Wilhem Schouten. The Cape owes its name to the Port of Hoorn from where the expedition departed on June 14, 1615.


D'Angostini Fjord
In the morning, a number of blue-tinted floating masses of ice announce that we are sailing through the D'Agostini Fjord, a sea route which passes several glaciers. In a memorable awakening, and surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, we can watch the dance of light at dawn in front of the Serrano Glacier, where we will clearly see the central moraine. The myrtleberry, chaura (wild olives), ñirre (nothofagus pumilio, known as Antarctic beech), and wild strawberry together with other native species, thrive in these surroundings.

Then, we will proceed towards D'Agostini Glacier to enjoy its magnitude and to listen to its internal sounds, produced by the breaking and cracking of large masses of ice, a natural scene that has been repeated every year for thousands of years.

Finally we will navigate towards the Condor Bay where we will enjoy a Zodiac ride that will get us closer to the glacier that shares the same name. Later, we will disembark in a beach nearby the glacier to enjoy short trek in the surroundings.


Garibaldi Islet

When the ship enters the Garibaldi Inlet, our aim will be to come as near as possible to one of the most beautiful glaciers of our cruise to be able to observe the breathtaking mass of blue ice. During the route we will stop for a moment to admire the sea-lions and wild duck that herald our arrival.

We will continue cruising through floating ice towards land and will disembark, in the middle of silence, in one of the solitary beaches of the Garibaldi Inlet, from where we will penetrate one of the wildest and thickest forests of Patagonia, as our guides tell us about its flora, fauna and geography.


Magdalena Island

Located 25 miles north of Punta Arenas, in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, Magdalena Island is a natural reserve of Magellan penguins, cormorants, and other birds which peacefully coexist with sea-lions. Here we will discover a "rookery" of more than 60 thousand couples of penguins that come back year after year to nest in the same burrows built by them. Between October and March they occupy almost the entire island, and are a unique sight.

One can walk through the island along a marked path leading to a lighthouse where there is an exhibition of photographs and information on the marine life in the Strait of Magellan.


Marinelli Glacier

Located in Ainsworth Bay, in the midst of the Darwin Range, in the distance, one can see the enormous wall of this ice giant of more than 40 meters high. Here we land on the beach to start a 20 minute walk through quiet trails in the native woods towards the beaver dam. The Australis Cruises Expedition Group will give us a brief talk about the ecosystem and geography. We will then head towards the colony of sea-elephants living nearby in the company of a great variety of birds


Pia Glacier

On the north-west arm of the Beagle Channel, in the center of the "Avenue of Glaciers", Pia Glacier is embedded in the Darwin Range, and it gradually runs down into the waters of Pia Bay. We will head towards an observation point that offers excellent conditions to view the mountain range where the glacier originates, and its progress until it falls into the sea. Here we will listen to the thunderous noises caused by the large masses of ice cracking and dropping into the bay.


Puerto Williams

Located at the northern end of Navarino Island and on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Puerto Williams- with no more than two-thousand inhabitants- is proud to be the farthest southern town of the world.
Currently it is a Naval Base of the Chilean Navy. It is named after the British Commander, John Williams who, in the service of the Chilean Government, took possession of the Strait of Magellan on September 21st 1843. In the woods that surround this outpost, we will discover splendid waterfalls, lakes and rivers very apt for fishing. We will learn about the place where the last direct surviving descendants of the Yagan Indians still live.

Another attraction is the Martin Gusinde Museum, which houses the history of the native cultures of the region. There are optional tours of the area.


Tucker Islet
As we approach this little island, if we are lucky, we will be able to see the dolphins that meet our boat and escort us toward this beautiful place, where we will come into contact with the southernmost wildlife of the world. On the islet, a colony of Magellan penguins - visible from October to March - nest among the vegetation in burrows made by themselves, accompanied by the assailant skua galls (predator birds) diving around. At the other end of the islet we will find a large flock of cormorants. Only 15 minutes after leaving the islet and its peculiar inhabitants, we will see a rocky promontory inhabited by a colony of sea-lions.
Ushuaia

Located on the border of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains, the port of Ushuaia, originally a penal colony, is now the capital of the Argentinean province of Tierra del Fuego.
Ushuaia is the threshold to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here, we will enjoy the wonders of this landscape where the sea meets the forests and mountains.

This southern Argentinean town is the embarking and disembarking port for those passengers who take the 3 or 4-night tour between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas or vice-versa.

There are optional tours available to visit the area.


Wulaia Bay

One of the most important indigenous sites of the region.