DAY
1: Arrive Ushuaia, CHILE & Embark Cruise
Welcome to Ushuaia. You are met and transferred to the San Martin
boarding dock. (Check-in from 9:00 am to 4pm; board at 6:00pm.) Board
the Stella Austalis, and depart on your cruise to “the uttermost part of
the earth.” The Captain and crew host a welcome cocktail reception
before the ship sets sail. Your excursion takes you through the Beagle
Channel and the Strait of Magellan to explore one of the most
captivating wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and
Tierra del Fuego.
The Stella Australis, constructed in 2010, has five decks with 100
cabins and a capacity of 210 passengers. There are 3 lounges, an
exercise room, large open terrace and dining room. The cruise is
‘all-inclusive:’ 3 meals a day and an open bar with Chilean & Argentine
wine, beer and other alcoholic and soft beverages. Your cabin has a
picture window, individual temperature control, and a private bathroom.
Also included are daily excursions in Zodiac boats, led by the
multilingual expedition team, and lectures on the natural surroundings
and local culture. Stella Australis in AA Cabin on Tierra del Fuego Deck
DAY 2: Cruise: Cape Horn to Wulaia Bay, CHILE
Today, sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn
National Park, where you disembark for a shore excursion. Cape Horn, is
a sheer, 1,394- foot high rocky promontory, known as the “End of the
Earth” as it is last territory before Antarctica. Explore the park – a
UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Continue cruising, and in the afternoon,
go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay. Charles Darwin landed here in 1833
during the voyage of the HMS Beagle, and it was once home to large
Yamana aboriginal settlements, The area is renowned for the mesmerizing
beauty of its vegetation and geography. Walk through a Magellanic forest
of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach
a lookout point. Stella Australis in AA Cabin on Tierra del Fuego Deck
DAY 3: Cruise: Piloto & Nena Glaciers, CHILE
Enjoy the morning sailing through the desolate Brecknock and Ocasión
channels, before reaching the Cockburn Channel in the afternoon. After
lunch, arrive at Chico Sound where you disembark in a Zodiac boat to
explore Alakaluf Fjord. Gaze at the beautiful waterfalls, and observe
the Piloto and Nena glaciers from the sea. Learn about the formation of
glaciers and their influence in the abrupt geography of the region’s
channels. Stella Australis in AA Cabin on Tierra del Fuego Deck
DAY 4: Magdalena Island & Disembark at Punta Arenas, CHILE
Early in the morning, go ashore onto Magdalena Island. Located in the
Strait of Magellan, it was an essential source of supplies for
navigators and explorers. It is easy to see that today the island is
inhabited by an immense colony of 120,000 Magellanic Penguins. Enjoy a
walking tour to the lighthouse, which still guides ships on their way
through the strait. (In September and April, this excursion is replaced
by a Zodiac boat ride at Isla Marta to observe sea lions.) Re-board the
ship and continue on to Punta Arenas, where you disembarking (at 11:30
a.m.) and your cruise journey ends. You are taken to the airport for
your departing flight home or on to your next destination.
DAY
1: Arrive Ushuaia, CHILE & Embark Cruise