Exploration of Antarctica, Chilean Fjords and Patagonia

The voyage starts in the port city of Valparaíso. It is the third-largest city in Chile with charming cobbled alleys, colorful buildings, regular festivals, and street artists and musicians. Guests will be given the address and times for embarkation.

While at sea, guests may be able to sight whales, dolphins, and sea birds such as albatrosses and petrels. Join lectures about the upcoming destination in the Science Center or spend time enjoying the ship’s hot tubs, sauna, and gym.

Castro has colorful 'palafitos’ wooden houses mounted on stilts along the water's edge. Other highlights include Iglesia San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage church with wood interiors and stained-glass windows, and Feria Campesina Yumbel, a bustling food market. Most of the restaurants in Castro are concentrated along Calle Blanco, which is where guests can get a taste of curanto, a local meat, potato, and seafood stew. 
 
Close to the town is Chiloé National Park and its wide beaches and rugged coastline are home to dozens of seabird species, penguins, and sea lions. The waters here are also visited by a number of whale species such as humpbacks, finbacks, seis, and the much rarer pygmy blue whales and southern right whales. 

Included activity:
Castro Walking Tour (2 hrs)
Explore landmarks and cultural sights on a city walk through Castro, the capital of Chile’s Chiloé Island. Castro is famous for its ornate church, Iglesia de San Francisco, and the nearby districts of Rilán, Nercón and Chelín are known for their unique wooden churches, designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Castro and Chiloé are also famous for palafitos, traditional wooden stilt houses.

While at sea, guests may be able to sight whales, dolphins, and sea birds such as albatrosses and petrels. Join lectures about the upcoming destination in the Science Center or spend time enjoying the ship’s hot tubs, sauna, and gym.

The sleepy village of Puerto Edén sits at the end of a deep fjord surrounded by mountains in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. Its tiny population of 250 includes the 15 remaining members of the Kawéskar people, an indigenous Patagonian tribe. Guests can buy traditional Kawéskar crafts as souvenirs, such as wicker baskets and toy boats made from sea lion skins and tree bark. Birdwatchers should keep on the look-out for Magellan hummingbirds which are local to the area.

Additional optional activities may include:
 
·  Kayaking in small groups with a guide
·  Longer small boat cruises to explore hard-to-reach areas
·  Guided longer hikes to scenic viewpoints and wildlife habitats

Puerto Natales is situated at the picturesque opening of Última Esperanza Sound and acts as the gateway to the world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park. Guests can wander the boutique shops and corrugated-tin houses, or sample some local Chilean cuisine. Visit the ancient Milodón Cave which is 100 ft high and 656 ft deep and made up of interesting rock formations. 
 
A UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Torres del Paine National Park features towering mountain peaks, azure lakes, emerald forests, roaring rivers, one big, radiant blue glacier, and the third-largest ice field on the planet. Guests might see llamas, pumas, chilla foxes, and skunks in addition to more than a hundred species of birds such as the Andean condor and black-chested buzzard eagle.  
 
Included activity:
Scenes of Puerto Natales (3 hrs)
Explore the small city of Puerto Natales and its scenic surroundings. Visit Plaza de Armas, a tree-lined square in the town center, and then go to a large cave where the bones of a prehistoric ground sloth called a Milodón were found in 1896. The cave attracts many visitors and features a historical display of the tribes who inhabited the area as far back as 12,000 years ago.

Guests will be able to admire the stunning scenery as we sail past a maze of islands, mountains, and fjords. They may also be able to spot colonies of Magellanic penguins on the beaches together with lounging elephant seals. In the water, migrating blue, grey, and humpback whales, orcas, and playful dolphins may also be seen.

The ship journeys the scenic Beagle Channel before turning due south towards Antarctica. We pass iconic Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America. Before the Panama Canal, ships had to pass this infamous rocky island in order to cross between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Depending on sea and weather conditions, we will attempt to make a landing on Cape Horn, at the Captain’s discretion.
 
The Drake Passage connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans and is the shortest crossing to Antarctica. It is also nicknamed the ‘Drake Shake’ when the seas are stormy or the ‘Drake Lake’ when the waters are still. 
 
While at sea, and provided conditions are calm, guests may be able to sight whales, dolphins, and sea birds such as albatrosses and petrels. Join lectures and watch films about Antarctica in the Science Center or spend time enjoying the ship’s hot tubs, sauna, and gym.

As guests are limited to just 200 people on MS Fram, we have a much wider choice of 45 possible sites on the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula to go cruising in small boats and to make landings. Each site offers opportunities to observe penguin colonies, seals, whales, glaciers, and icebergs up close.
 
All aboard are invited to participate in lectures on glaciology, climate change, and marine biology. Guests can also engage in Citizen Science programs like photographing leopard seals and spotting whale tails that contribute directly to scientific research.
 
Included: 
·  Daily landings with short hikes to scenic or wildlife spots 
·  Small boat cruises near the ship and landing site
·  Lectures on a wide range of scientific topics
 
Additional optional activities may include:
 
·  Kayaking near icebergs, and possibly seals and penguins
·  Longer small boat cruises to explore hard-to-reach areas
·  Guided longer hikes to scenic viewpoints
·  Camping ashore possibly with penguins
·  Snowshoeing through pristine snowfields
·  In-depth photography lessons

Return to open water, guests will have time to learn more in the Science Center, attend lectures, enjoy the ship’s infinity pool, hot tubs, gym, and Wellness Center, or just relax while bird and whale watching out on deck.

Arrive in Ushuaia, disembark the ship, and fly back to Buenos Aires
It’s time to return via Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world, and Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina and home of Tango. Guests can extend their trip with a choice of excursions or a post-voyage program.
 
Included transfers and flight:
 
•      Transfer from the ship to Ushuaia airport
•      Flight in coach class from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires