Falklands, South Georgia & Valdes Peninsula: in the Heart of the Wilderness

Meet and greet at the hotel and hospitality desk. You check in starting in the late morning. Lunch is on your own, allowing you to spend the afternoon at your leisure. You enjoy dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.



 

Arrive in Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego and the primary gateway to the South Pole. Known as "El fin del mundo," the city occupies a dramatic landscape where the Andes mountains meet the sea. Explore the sheltered mountains and fertile plains that serve as a natural sanctuary for regional wildlife in this remote destination.

Enjoy the diverse amenities and activities available on board during your time at sea. Visit the spa for relaxation or maintain your routine in the fitness center. When the weather allows, take a swim in the pool or lounge on the deck. These days provide the perfect opportunity to attend expert-led lectures and shows, browse the boutique, or consult with the photography team. Spend time on the upper deck to observe the ocean's surface for marine wildlife and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the open water.

Explore South Georgia, a rugged territory formed by an underwater mountain range stretching from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula. This subantarctic sanctuary supports a high concentration of wildlife, including king and Gentoo penguins, fur seals, and elephant seals. Weather permitting, explore the dramatic glaciers of Gold Harbour or the wide expanses of Fortuna Bay. At Salisbury Plain, you may witness one of nature's greatest spectacles: a colony of more than 300,000 king penguins, characterized by the distinctive orange plumage on their heads and necks.

During your journey at sea, you make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, you let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call is also an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As a lover of the open sea, you visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves, and perhaps you are lucky enough to observe marine species. This is a truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

Situated at the far eastern end of the Falklands' largest island, Port Stanley is the capital of this remote archipelago in the South Atlantic, composed of nearly 700 islands and islets. In 1764, Louis Antoine de Bougainville settled the first pioneers here, and the port grew rapidly. Placed under the Spanish crown in 1767, then under British sovereignty since 1833, the town retains some South American features fused with the Victorian style that punctuates the city, and the houses with their colorful roofs brighten the moorland landscapes with their windy and harsh climate reminiscent of the Scottish islands of Orkney or Shetland. In front of the Cathedral, built in 1933, an arch made of whale jaw bones reminds you that Port Stanley was once a whaling port.

You visit a peninsula located at the far northeast of the Falkland Islands, Volunteer Point, named after the ship The Volunteer, which called there in 1815, promising moving encounters in the heart of totally unspoiled nature. Due to its exceptional birdlife, the spot is identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) and is, above all, renowned as the home of the island’s largest king penguin colony. These elegant birds, which are expressive and not particularly timid, offer you moments of pure awe and the opportunity to take magnificent photos. You are certainly touched by the fledglings, dressed in their thick brown plumage.

The Neck is a narrow stretch of land connecting the two sides of Saunders Island, located on the northwestern edge of the Falklands. You safely enter these blustery surroundings with the assistance of your naturalist guides. And once there, a reward awaits you: a veritable paradise of endless shoreline lapped by turquoise waters. Several bird species, also attracted to this stunning location, settle here. At the other end of The Neck, you encounter Magellanic penguins, southern rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatross, and king penguins, all basking in the beauty of their surroundings.

Situated in the northwest of the Falklands, Carcass Island is named after the ship HMS Carcass, which visited the island in the late 18th century. Its landscapes, combining steep rocks, sheer cliffs, wild expanses, and white-sand beaches, form a rich and varied panorama that amateur or experienced bird watchers appreciate. On this island, one of the few where no predators are introduced, numerous species of birds live, breed, and are born in total serenity. Due to the fresh, windy, and humid subarctic oceanic climate, a fauna and flora similar to those of Patagonia, situated 460 km (286 miles) away, thrive here. You get the chance to observe royal or southern rockhopper penguins.

During your journey at sea, you make the most of the many services and activities on board. You treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, you let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call is also an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As a lover of the open sea, you visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps you are lucky enough to observe marine species. This is a truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

Camarones is a small town located in Chubut Province, in Southern Argentina, where you arrive. Chubut stretches from the Atlantic to the Andes, and you see the coast is marked by high cliffs and sandy beaches. Before the Spaniards arrived in the Americas, nomadic indigenous people inhabited the Patagonia region. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish missionaries settled. Camarones is the head town of the Florentino Ameghino department, which is noted for its wealth of geological and paleontological features. People are attracted to the region by its lengthy, unspoiled coastline and its fauna. Camarones means ‘shrimps’ in Spanish; once, the town was well-known for the abundance of shrimps in its bay.

On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Argentinian province of Chubut, you find the city of Puerto Madryn, nestling in the Golfo Nuevo and surrounded by wild and abundant nature. You follow the narrow strip of land formed by the isthmus for a few kilometers to reach the Valdes Peninsula nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its microclimate, protected from the extreme conditions of the Southern Atlantic, makes this an ideal breeding ground for southern right whales in winter, as well as southern elephant seals, southern sea lions, and orcas. You get the chance to spot numerous birds, Magellanic penguins, guanacos, and Patagonian maras living in this desert steppe.

During your journey at sea, you make the most of the many services and activities on board. You treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, you let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call is also an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, to do some shopping in the boutique, or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As a lover of the open sea, you visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves, and perhaps you are lucky enough to observe marine species. This is a truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

A port city built on the southwestern shore of the Rio de la Plata, between the Atlantic Ocean and the vast Argentine Pampas, Buenos Aires is a unique city in Latin America. Nicknamed “the Little Paris of South America,” the Argentine capital is a clever blend of architecture with European influences and a joyful Latin American atmosphere. Designed on an orthogonal grid plan, it has 48 districts, all of which are as charming as they are different, with a range of styles such as Belle Époque, Gothic, and Baroque. With its markets overflowing with treasures, its legendary cultural and architectural heritage, and tango providing its background music, the Argentine capital delights you on every street corner.