The Antarctic, in the wake of the Belgica

Fly from Buenos Aires and arrive at Ushuaia, the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province which lies in a bay opening into the Beagle Channel at the country's southernmost tip. Its colorful houses are framed against towering mountains, snow-capped in winter and summer alike. Downtown, the End of the World Museum showcases Tierra del Fuego's natural and indigenous history. A ride on the heritage railway is an exciting excursion into the Tierra del Fuego National Park, while a cruise on Ushuaia Bay is the perfect way to spot sea lions and Magellanic penguins.

Depending on your choice made when booking your cruise (options not combinable): You will be transferred to Arakur Hotel, one of the newest hotels built in Ushuaia. After lunch at the Arakur Hotel, you will have some time at leisure and/or will be invited to join a walk through the Natural Reserve of the Cerro Alarken. OR When booking the cruise, guests willing to visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park will be able to sign up for an optional group excursion, with extra cost. If you decide to do so, please note that immediately upon arrival at Ushuaia airport, you will leave towards the Park where you will have lunch before starting the tour.
 

To reach the mythical White Continent you must first cross the notorious Drake Passage, named after the famous explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed in these waters way back in 1578. The start of your cruise will be marked by the crossing of the mythical Drake Passage, during which you will probably be escorted by several albatrosses and Cape petrels, the sentinels of these often-choppy waters.

Your ship will then reach the White Continent, land of the unexpected, as was the 13-month overwintering of the Belgica, which found itself trapped in the ice from March 1898 to March 1899. For the very first time in history, men were going to brave the Antarctic winter and discover its mysteries.

Weather and ice conditions permitting, this extreme environment where nature reigns supreme will reveal to you its most beautiful secrets through numerous discoveries, like the ones made by Adrien de Gerlache and his crew, who carried out some remarkable cartography, geology, climatology, and zoology work.

On this uninhabited land, your encounters with the wildlife will no doubt be one of the highlights of your experience. The Gentoo, Adelie and chinstrap penguins, humpback whales, seals, and seabirds will provide you with cherished lifelong memories.

Each day, whether on land, aboard your ship or during a Zodiac outing, you will be surrounded by a grandiose decor ranging from icebergs to ice floe and ancient glaciers.

If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly the Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to Antarctica. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbors a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the “Great White“ and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del Mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seems to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible.

Disembark at Ushuaia after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires.