Patagonia and Chilean Fjords

Upon arrival in Puerto Montt, meet a representative for a transfer to the assigned pre-voyage hotel with fellow expeditioners. If already in the city, please proceed directly to the hotel. This afternoon, visit the hospitality desk in the lobby to collect luggage tags; ensure these are clearly labeled with your name and ship cabin number. The team confirms details regarding the embarkation day, answers questions, and offers recommendations for dining or purchasing last-minute items. The remainder of the time is at leisure, with all meals at personal expense.

Start the morning with breakfast and check-out. Ensure cabin luggage bears tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Please leave luggage at the hotel reception prior to or upon check-out; it is then stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance and placement in the cabin. Keep all valuables and personal items on your person throughout the day.

Spend the morning at leisure exploring Puerto Montt before meeting back at the hotel in the afternoon for the transfer to the port. Once onboard, settle into the cabin, designed with comfort in mind, and take time to explore the luxurious vessel. As the ship casts off, join the expedition team on deck, followed by a delicious dinner to toast the voyage ahead.

Start your journey by visiting Castro, the charming capital of Chiloé region. Here, you have a choice of one of the following two shore excursion options. 

Option 1 - Castro and Chonchi (5 hours) 

Discover the main attractions of Castro town including palafittes (houses on stilts), museums, churches and the handicraft market. Then, visit the beautiful renowned churches of the area recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Continue to Chonchi, nicknamed the “city of three floors” for its terraces, with important sites such as the Museum of Traditions, Accordion Museum and its attractive waterfront. For lunch, savor the taste of the region’s fresh produce before returning to Castro for some free time.

Option 2 - Chiloé National Park (6.5 hours) 

This excursion takes you through the pristine natural landscapes that amazed Charles Darwin during his explorations of the Huillinco and Cucao Lakes and Pacific Ocean. At Chiloé National Park visit the interpretation center, walk along lovely “Sendero el Tepual” a pathway that winds through Chiloé’s thick and humid forest. After the walk, it’s time to relax and enjoy lunch, where you can savor the flavors of the region’s produce, before returning to Castro for some free time.  

Spend the morning exploring the delightful and impressive coastline of Tic Toc Bay – either ship cruising or perhaps by Zodiac and kayak. This whole area has been recently recognized as one of the few marine parks of Chile famous not only for the seasonal presence of blue whales but also for the rich array of other cetaceans, marine mammals, and seabirds. In the Corcovado Gulf, enjoy spotting a good variety of seabirds including black-browed albatross, southern giant petrel, southern fulmar and long-distant migrants such as the migratory Arctic skua.  

Continue to keep watch for whales in the Corcovado Gulf as you sail into Chiloé, an archipelago of lush islands, a land of myths and legends, unique folklore and culinary traditions. It’s a region blessed with natural beauty and culture, cherished by Chileans. Explore this mythical island with its colorful timber churches, sixteen of which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. 

Spend the next couple of days navigating your way through Patagonia’s maze of fjords. Your team of experts will continue to deliver informative and entertaining presentations in the lecture theater or, you may choose to enjoy a book from the library or stay active in the fitness center. 

Spend time on the decks to scan for whales, dolphins and seabirds, while admiring the beautiful landscapes of the maze of channels and islands around. Sail along part of the 145 km / 90-mile long Moraleda Channel, which separates the mainland from the huge archipelagos of Chonos and Guaitecas. To the east, you can see magnificent Andes peaks such as the Mentolat, Melimoyu and the Maca volcanoes. Scan the waters for the occasional presence of pods of killer whale that predate on the numerous South American sea lion colonies located along the coast and forested islands.

This morning, a maze of fjords ultimately leads you to the entrance of Pío XI, named in honor of Pope Pius XI by Father Alberto de Agostini, an Italian missionary and explorer, who in 1931 was the first person to cross the Southern Ice Field. Of the 48 glaciers in the Southern Ice Field, nearly all are retreating, except Pío XI. Scientists have not been able to explain exactly why it has advanced so far and so fast over the past 80 years. In any case, Pío XI Glacier is an anomaly in a world where nearly all glaciers are retreating and being able to see it up close is a privilege.

In the early hours, you cross the Kirke Narrows to Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, world-renowned for its granite towers, which give the park its name. These gigantic spires were carved by glacial ice and upon entering the park, you can see a series of lakes with intense colors, mountains covered in ice, and an array of local fauna. In Patagonia, you can feel the immensity of nature and delight in feeling completely insignificant in its presence. The jaw-dropping landscapes of turquoise waters, glaciers and towering granite horns of the Torres del Paine National Park is a humbling experience. 

You have two days to experience the wonders of Torres del Paine National Park on various hikes suited to your fitness level. Pass several estancias (ranches) en route to the national park, and witness the landscape change from a steppe eco-region to deciduous forest. Along the way, pause amongst the mountains to admire views of the lakes called Amarga, Sarmiento, and Nordenskjold, and Salto Grande. You may be able to see some of the local fauna, including many species of birds including the majestic condor. Look out for foxes, huemul (Andean deer) and guanacos, which are wild camelids related to the llama. The reclusive difficult-to-spot puma has also been seen inside the national park where authorities are happy to report a healthy growing population.  

Spend the night at a comfortable hotel located just outside of the national park offering superb mountain and river views. Here, enjoy local cuisine and Chilean wine and hear about the various hiking options available to you and suited to your individual interests and fitness level.

On your first day in Torres del Paine National Park, you can choose from three itinerary options designed to match different fitness levels: Easy, Medium, or Difficult. The Easy option involves minimal walking with visits to some of the park’s most scenic lookouts, including Sarmiento Lake, Laguna Amarga, Nordenskjold Lake, and Salto Grande, with lunch at Pehoe Lake before ending the day at Villa Serrano to check in to your hotel. The Medium option features a full-day Lazo-Weber trek, covering up to 14 km (8.7 mi), with a lunch stop along the way. While not technically difficult, the distance makes it a longer trek, and walking poles are recommended. The Difficult option offers a more strenuous day, with treks covering up to 22 km (13.7 mi), including the Fauna Trail from Sarmiento to Amarga, Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernos, lunch at Pehoe Lake, and the Cóndor lookout. This challenging program combines three short treks into a long, rewarding day before returning to Villa Serrano to check in to your hotel.

On your second day in Torres del Paine National Park, you may select from three options based on your preferred activity level. The Easy option departs from Villa Serrano and includes visits to Cascada del Río Paine and Laguna Azul, with a stop at Cerro Castillo en route back to Puerto Natales to rejoin the ship. The Medium option features two short treks of up to 6 km (3.7 mi) each, with highlights such as Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernos, Nordenskjold Lake lookout, the Fauna Trail from Sarmiento to Amarga, and Laguna Amarga lookout, before returning to Puerto Natales. The Difficult option offers the iconic Las Torres Base trek, covering up to 20 km (12.5 mi) through the Ascencio Valley. This challenging route takes you across streams, glacier moraines, and a Lenga forest, culminating at the breathtaking Torres del Paine viewpoint.

On the afternoon of your second day in Torres del Paine National Park, you are transported back to the vessel in time for dinner, swapping stories on the drive back, of your exploration of the park.  

At low tide this evening, cross the White Narrows – a narrow channel of water approximately 80 meters wide. Find a spot on one of many observation areas and appreciate the masterful skills of your Captain as they navigate you through this difficult channel.  

At the heart of Chilean Patagonia lies Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. More than 320 kilometers (200 miles) from one end to the other, the park encompasses Patagonia's Southern Ice Field, which in combination with its northern counterpart forms one of the largest expanses of glacial ice outside the Polar Regions. You may sail through Montañas Fjord, a long fjord flanked by rugged mountains and a number of glaciers including Herman, Bernal, and Paredes.

Established in 2003 as Chile’s first marine reserve, Francisco Coloane was the first known feeding ground for humpback whales along the Pacific coast of South America. The park honors Francisco Coloane, a celebrated Chilean author who wrote many stories of ocean adventures about Patagonia and Antarctica. Coloane was himself an adventurer, explorer and son of a whaler. Around the southern area of Santa Ines Island, surrounded by spectacular views including the tidewater glacier pushing down the rugged mountainous island, spend time kayaking and Zodiac cruising, getting a close look at Magellanic penguins, imperial cormorants, flightless steamer ducks, and southern fur seals. Around Carlos III Island, a known feeding ground for the humpback whales, you hope to see the majestic creatures from the comfort of your ship, or if conditions permit, from your kayaks or Zodiacs.  

As you enter the Beagle Channel, an important waterway that allowed ships to avoid the notoriously rough waters around Cape Horn, you follow the route that a young Charles Darwin took on board the famous HMS Beagle back in 1831, a five-year expedition that forever changed his life and which led him to develop his seminal theory of evolution.  

Sailing west past Ushuaia, you travel through a dazzling stretch of the 240-kilometer (150 mile) long Beagle Channel called Glacier Alley or ‘Avenue of the Glaciers’ as it’s more elegantly known. You can marvel at this string of tidewater glaciers pushing down to the edge of the sea from the enormous Darwin Ice Field. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, most of the glaciers were named after European countries or the explorers who discovered them: Holland, Italy, Romanche, Spain, Garibaldi. Weather permitting, board your Zodiacs for a closer look at the impressive Romanche Glacier. Even if fog obscures the view, the sound of the cracking ice as it calves into the water is sure to impress. Apart from the spectacular scenery, Glacier Alley offers opportunities to spot wildlife such as penguin rookeries and South American fur seals.  

Located on Hornos Island in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago lies Cape Horn, near the southernmost point in South America. Until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, ships had to sail round Cape Horn to travel between the east and west coast of South America—a hazardous endeavor due to the strong winds and current, large powerful waves and occasional icebergs. These days, Cape Horn attracts adventurous travelers—mostly from expedition cruise ships, who go ashore and hike to the landmark lighthouse known as ‘Stella Maris Chapel.’ At the top of the hill, you can enjoy panoramic views of where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet and feel the incredible power of nature as these two mighty oceans squeeze through the Drake Passage.  

During the early morning, cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where you are free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as you all continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.  

Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30 pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with flights after 12:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation. 

Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, it is not recommended to book flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.