Patagonia & Chilean Fjords

Board the ship in Puerto Montt, Chile, between 15:00 and 16:00. Following mandatory briefings, the vessel departs for the Gulf of Corcovado.

At the eastern end of the Chonos Archipelago, Kent Island features temperate rainforest and subantarctic coastal ecosystems. The island is sometimes associated with Isla Friendship and local stories, including UFO sightings, unusual healings, and other accounts that mix fact and legend.

After crossing the storied Golfo de Penas, discover Caleta Tortel, a coastal village nestled between the mouth of the Baker River and a quiet cove along the Baker Channel. Stretching for kilometers, the small town is made up of stilt houses in the traditional Chilotan style, perched above the shoreline. There are no conventional streets here. Instead, wooden walkways, built with Guaitecas cypress, wind through the village, giving it a remarkable look and a unique culture.

The expedition continues navigating south towards the Messier Channel. Sail through the dramatic 18-meter-wide (59-foot-wide) English Narrows on route to Pío XI glacier, to take a closer look at the Southern Icefield. Pío XI is the largest glacier in the Southern Hemisphere beyond Antarctica. Unlike most glaciers and despite global warming, Pío XI has experienced significant growth in recent decades, being the only one to expand steadily every year.

Today, you venture to Madre de Dios Island, a remote and rarely visited land in the Chilean fjords. Known for its spectacular limestone cliffs, caves, and glaciers, Madre de Dios Island reveals a striking landscape shaped by strong winds and the sea. Experience its rugged beauty and remoteness, where untouched nature and striking geology converge at the edge of Patagonia.

Sail through a breathtaking fjord in Chile’s Aysén Region, a 60-kilometer stretch framed by steep, snow-capped peaks of the Andes. Along the way, waterfalls cascade through lush temperat rainforests, and glaciers spill directly into the sea. If conditions permit, prepare to disembark for an up-close encounter with the majestic Bernal Glacier.

Step ashore and board a private bus that takes you into the heart of Patagonia’s most iconic landscapes, where granite towers pierce the sky, turquoise lakes shimmer, and a diverse array of wildlife roam freely amid the untamed wilderness.

While heading south along the Magellan Strait, the ship enters the secluded fjords of Tierra del Fuego and discovers the remote coastline of Francisco Coloane Marine Park, a vital feeding ground for whales in the southern hemisphere. Later during the day, the voyage aims to reach Seno de Agostini, a spectacular fjord framed by steep mountains and hanging glaciers cascading from the Darwin Range. If conditions allow, you disembark at the Aguila glacier.

The Beagle Channel, a narrow waterway shared by Chile and Argentina in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, is named after the fires seen in Indigenous settlements by early European explorers. Sailing through this remote passage, dramatic ice formations descend from the snow-capped Darwin Range into the sea. Along Glacier Alley, passing five majestic glaciers: Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania, and Romanche. Conditions permitting, you access the Garibaldi fjord, surrounded by hanging glaciers and waterfalls close enough to touch. Together with the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage, the Beagle Channel is one of only three routes connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in South America.

Once a private ranch, the remote and beautiful Yendegaia National Park now protects pristine forests, rivers, and fjords. Enjoy the striking contrast between the southern Andes and the island’s open plains, home to guanacos, foxes, and soaring condors.

After breakfast, bid farewell to your fellow travelers as you disembark today. Then, head to the airport for your flight home.