Patagonia & Chilean Fjords (9-11 Days)

Su viaje comienza en Puerto Montt, Chile, con el embarque entre las 15:00 y las 16:00 hrs. Después de todas las sesiones informativas obligatorias, el barco zarpa hacia el Golfo de Corcovado.

Continuamos hacia el sur para visitar los alrededores de Puerto Aysén y Puyuhuapi en la región de Aysén. Mientras navegamos y exploramos la zona, vemos cómo se despliega el paisaje con sus numerosos fiordos, islas y canales. Esperamos visitar Puerto Cisnes, Puyuhuapi o Isla Magdalena, con la posibilidad de ver delfines, ballenas, cormoranes, lobos marinos y nutrias de río.

Hoy, el barco llega al Archipiélago de los Chonos. En dirección al Canal de Moraleda, el buque navega por la zona del Parque Nacional de San Rafael, reserva de la biosfera, si el tiempo lo permite. El parque es el principal punto de entrada al Campo de Hielo Patagónico Norte de Chile. También exploraremos los fiordos, canales, islas y caletas de los alrededores.

Mientras navegamos hacia el sur, cruzamos el Golfo de Penas, disfrutando de hermosas vistas de las cordilleras circundantes. El equipo de la expedición nos habla de los habitantes indígenas de estas tierras australes, de los primeros colonizadores españoles y de exploradores famosos como Charles Darwin, Fitz Roy y Alberto de Agostini. También aprendemos sobre la biodiversidad de la región a través de presentaciones sobre la fauna y flora marina local.

Si el tiempo lo permite, por la mañana está prevista una visita a Caleta Tortel o a la región circundante. Ubicada entre la desembocadura del río Baker y una pequeña caleta dentro del canal Baker, Caleta Tortel es un pequeño pueblo formado principalmente por casas sobre pilotes, típicas de la arquitectura chilota, construidas a lo largo de la costa por varios kilómetros. Las pasarelas de madera construidas con ciprés de las Guaitecas, conectan las casas y dan al pueblo su aspecto distintivo y cultura única. Continuamos navegando hacia el sur, hacia el Canal Messier y navegamos a través del dramático Estrecho Inglés de 18 metros de ancho (59 pies) para una vista privilegiada de los glaciares del Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur. Fuera de la Antártida, aquí se encuentran algunos de los glaciares más grandes del hemisferio sur.

Embarcamos en una excursión en zodiac a la zona del glaciar Amalia o a los glaciares circundantes a lo largo del fiordo Peel, en el Parque Nacional Bernardo O'Higgins. Nos deleitaremos con la belleza azul hielo del glaciar y navegaremos por el mar y entre sus témpanos de hielo para descubrir parte de la mística natural de Chile. Mientras navegamos entre picos nevados para ver más de cerca el glaciar y sus brillantes y escarpadas texturas, podremos avistar delfines nadando a lo lejos, cormoranes o cóndores sobrevolando, y nutrias.

Mientras nos dirigimos hacia el sur por el Estrecho de Magallanes, exploramos las aguas de los fiordos que se ramifican desde Tierra del Fuego. Seguiremos la remota costa alrededor del Parque Marino Francisco Coloane, una zona protegida del hemisferio sur donde se alimentan las ballenas. Si tenemos suerte, podremos avistar a lo lejos ballenas jorobadas o sei brincando. También podremos ver delfines, leones marinos, focas, pingüinos, albatros y petreles.

El Canal de Beagle es un estrecho y sorprendente paso en el archipiélago de Tierra del Fuego, una región que originalmente recibió su nombre de los fuegos que ardían en los asentamientos nativos locales cuando llegaron los primeros exploradores europeos. Dividiendo Chile y Argentina, el paso muestra formaciones de hielo a lo largo de la nevada cordillera Darwin. Navegaremos por el Callejón de los Glaciares, donde se encuentran los glaciares Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania y Romanche, con el objetivo de explorar el fiordo Garibaldi.

Por la mañana llegada a Ushuaia y desembarque.

Your journey begins in Ushuaia with boarding at the port between 3 and 4 PM (15:00 and 16:00 hrs). We will make a brief technical stop in Port Williams to comply with Chilean customs and immigration requirements before proceeding along the Beagle Channel.

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. As we sail through this remote passage, dramatic ice formations descend from the snow-capped Darwin Range into the sea. Along Glacier Alley and Yendegaia National Park, we pass five majestic glaciers: Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania, and Romanche. Conditions permitting, we 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.

While heading north along the Magellan Strait, we enter the secluded fjords of Tierra del Fuego and visit Seno de Agostini, a spectacular fjord framed by steep mountains and hanging glaciers cascading from the Darwin Range. If conditions allow, we disembark at the Aguila glacier. Later during the day, we sail through the coastline of Francisco Coloane Marine Park, a vital feeding ground for whales in the southern hemisphere aim to reach.

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 temperate 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 will take 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.

Today, we 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.

The expedition continues to navigate north towards the Messier Channel on our 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. In the afternoon, we sail through the dramatic 18-meter-wide (59-foot-wide) English Narrows.

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.

At the far east of the Chonos Archipelago, weather-dependent, explore a temperate rainforest and subantarctic coastal ecosystems on Kent Island. Often linked to the mysterious Isla Friendship, the island combines natural beauty with local lore, including UFO sightings, miraculous healings, and stories that blur the line between myth and reality.

Por la mañana llegada a Puerto Montt y desembarque.

Your journey begins in Puerto Montt, Chile, with boarding at the port between 15:00 and 16:00 hrs. After all mandatory briefings, the ship sets sail towards the Gulf of Corcovado.

At the far east of the Chonos Archipelago, explore a temperate rainforest and subantarctic coastal ecosystems on Kent Island. Often linked to the mysterious Isla Friendship, the island combines natural beauty with local lore, including UFO sightings, miraculous healings, and stories that blur the line between myth and reality.

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. We sail through the dramatic 18-meter-wide (59-foot-wide) English Narrows on our 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, we 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 will take 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, we enter the secluded fjords of Tierra del Fuego and discover the remote coastline of Francisco Coloane Marine Park, a vital feeding ground for whales in the southern hemisphere. Later during the day, we aim to reach Seno de Agostini, a spectacular fjord framed by steep mountains and hanging glaciers cascading from the Darwin Range. If conditions allow, we 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. As we sail through this remote passage, dramatic ice formations descend from the snow-capped Darwin Range into the sea. Along Glacier Alley, we pass five majestic glaciers: Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania, and Romanche. Conditions permitting, we 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.

Ushuaia, Argentina, Disembarkation