Sailing Tierra del Fuego & Cape Horn

(8 days / 7 nights)

During this journey we will sail through a significant part of the Straits of Magellan, learning about the fascinating history of the indigenous peoples, the explorers of the Fuegian fjörds and channels, and also following in the footsteps of Darwin in his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle in the 1830s. We shall explore the cultural remnants of the world's southernmost tribe, the Yamana, and learn how they survived and adapted to this extreme geography and climate. We will observe active breeding colonies of penguins and sea lions, and enjoy the elegant flight of the majestic albatross. Finally, we shall reach the southernmost part of our journey at the mysterious and feared Cape Horn. Sail with us in the wake of Cook, Darwin, Fitzroy and many other exploring mariners.

“Dr Kenney really enjoyed being with Enrique and had a very nice trip - he took 6000 images and 6 different penguins!”

 

- K Johnson, USA
Falklands trip Jan 2007

Punta Arenas, Chile - Ushuaia, Argentina Itinerary (5 days/4 nights)
Evening boarding Mare or via Australis

Option A: M/V Mare Australis (Saturday through Wednesday)
Option B: M/V Via Australis (Wednesday through Sunday)

DAY 1: After a welcome cocktail, headed by the Captain and crew, our expedition will begin as the ship leaves towards the remote Fuegian Channels and western Tierra del Fuego. M/V Mare or Via Australis

DAY 2
Ainsworth Bay • Brookes Glacier

 By morning, we will be in a totally different landscape as we sail the Almirantazgo Sound, with its dramatic mountains and desolate islands, the mirrored surface of the sea barely disturbed by the ship's wake. Flocks of seabirds, including Black-browed Albatross and Southern Giant Petrel, will glide across our wake and groups of Peale's Dolphin may pursue our boat.

Then we will move to Ainsworth Bay, where we will study a breeding colony of the largest pinniped in the world, the Southern Elephant Seal. Later during the day we will sail through narrow fjords and channels as we admire the summits of the Fuegian Andes to visit Brookes Glacier. With the help of our zodiacs, we will land near these beautiful glaciers to appreciate the incredible forces exerted by the ice in modifying the landscape and to witness the characteristics of retreating glaciers, listening to their grumbling and groaning and startled by the sharp reports as large "growlers" break off and crash into the water below.

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Day 3: Pia Glacier
Day 4: Cape horn

Day 3: Pia Glacier "Avenue of Glaciers"

Early in the morning we will disembark in the sheltered bay of the Pia Glacier to admire its impressive and active front while we also study the miniature plant and lichen community growing on the recently exposed rocks. Later, we will be amazed by the incredible spectacle presented by the many glaciers along the Beagle Channel as we steam eastward. Each of these giants has a different beauty as they descend from Darwin's Mountain Range, a frozen massif rising over 6,000 feet (2,000 m) above us.

Day 4: Cape Horn • Puerto Williams

Today is the Big Day! With due respect to the prevailing climatic conditions we shall depart to Cape Horn. Making a voyage around this large mountain that signals the extreme southern limit of the South American continent is the most uplifting moment in the life of any sailor. We will intend to make a landing here and to visit the famous monument to the Cap Horniers, that takes the form of a flying albatross. In the afternoon we will visit the southernmost town in the world, Puerto Williams. There we will explore the coasts, forests and ponds looking for new birds, and visit the local museum, which illustrate the hard life of the Fuegians that originally inhabited these latitudes and their unfortunate fate.

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Day 5
Ushuaia

Today we will land at the picturesque town of Ushuaia, Argentina, where our trip ends.

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Ushuaia, Argentina - Punta Arenas, Chile Itinerary (4 days / 3 nights)
Evening boarding Mare or Via Australis

After a welcome cocktail, headed by the Captain and crew, our expedition will begin as the ship leaves towards the remote Fuegian Channels and western Tierra del Fuego.

After visiting Cape Horn, we head to Wulaia Bay, where sub-Antarctic forests and beautiful hills offer a unique landscape and good opportunity to see many land birds. This sheltered bay is an archaeological site of great interest.

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Day 3: Günter Plushow Glacier
Day 4: Magdalena Island, Punta ARenas

Early in the morning we visit the the Bay of the Günter Plushow Glacier, and later we will continue navigating through the western channels of Tierra del Fuego, including O'Brien and Ballenero, Bahía Desolada, Paso Aguirre and Cockburn Channel.

At dawn, we will spend our final hours sailing the Straits of Magellan and finish our expedition by visiting an impressive colony of Magellanic Penguins comprising approximately 60,000 pairs of breeding penguins. On Magdalena, a clearly defined path protects the nesting sites while allowing excellent photographic opportunities. During our visit we will learn about the natural history and population dynamics of these charismatic seabirds. We will then dock in Punta Arenas, ending our journey to the end of the world.

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Extensions

Sailing Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn Journey can be combined with the following optional extension:

. Torres del Paine Photo Safari or TDP Explorer (4 days/3 nights from US$ 1,270 / £ 650 per person); adventure and natural history trip to Patagonia's premier mountain and wildlife destination. Leaving from Punta Arenas, Chile.

Dates & Prices

Departures from Punta Arenas, Chile: Every Saturday and Wednesday, from September 29, 2007 until April 16, 2008
Departures from Ushuaia, Argentina: Every Wednesday and Sunday, from October 3, 2007 until April 20, 2008

Meet/Depart: Punta Arenas, Chile / Ushuaia, Argentina (5 days / 4 nights cruise).
Ushuaia, Argentina / Punta Arenas, Chile (4 days / 3 nights cruise).

Trip Prices:
Punta Arenas, Chile / Ushuaia, Argentina (5 days / 4 nights cruise)
Low Season (September and October 2007; second half of March and April 2008)
B twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,150 / £ 585 per person, in double occupancy.
A twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,540 / £ 785 per person, in double occupancy.
AA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,620 / £ 825 per person, in double occupancy.
AAA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,700 / £ 865 per person, in double occupancy.
Single Cabin @ US$ 2,040 / £ 1,040

High Season Season (November and December 2007; January, February and first half of March 2008)
B twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,440 / £ 735 per person, in double occupancy.
A twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,960 / £ 999 per person, in double occupancy.
AA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 2,070 / £ 1,055 per person, in double occupancy.
AAA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 2,160 / £ 1,099 per person, in double occupancy.
Single Cabin @ US$ 2,540 / £ 1,295
NOTE: Special rates for New Year's cruise

Ushuaia, Argentina / Punta Arenas, Chile (4 days / 3 nights cruise)
Low Season (September and October 2007; second half of March and April 2008)
B twin/double Cabin @ US$ 990 / £ 505 per person, in double occupancy.
A twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,330 / £ 680 per person, in double occupancy.
AA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,400 / £ 715 per person, in double occupancy.
AAA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,470 / £ 750 per person, in double occupancy.
Single Cabin @ US$ 1,780 / £ 905

High Season Season (November and December 2007; January, February and first half of March 2008)
B twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,250 / £ 635 per person, in double occupancy.
A twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,690 / £ 860 per person, in double occupancy.
AA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,780 / £ 905 per person, in double occupancy.
AAA twin/double Cabin @ US$ 1,860 / £ 945 per person, in double occupancy.
Single Cabin @ US$ 2,200 / £ 1,120
NOTE: Special rates for New Year's cruise

What the trip includes/excludes
The above price is per person in US$/£, based on double occupancy.
Single supplement will be added if single accommodations are requested or forced.

The trip price includes:
Welcome cocktail, expedition cruise accommodations and activities on full-board basis, drinks, shore excursions in zodiac boats, lectures, shipboard entertainment and expedition guide services.

The trip price excludes:
Tipping, visa and/or passport expenses, arrival and departure taxes, lodging and meals other than those offered in the program, personal insurance, extra baggage charges, additional expenses, such as: laundry service, telephone calls, use of Internet or other means of communication, etc.

Do you want us to arrange your flights from Santiago to Punta Arenas?
Domestic flight tickets Santiago - Punta Arenas - Santiago, approximately US$ XXX to US$ XXX, per person respectively / £ XXX to XXX).
Duration of the flight: 4 hours approximately.



TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for this tour, complete the FANTASTICO SUR registration form and return it (by fax or email) with a deposit of US$ 700 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 90 days prior to tour departure.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Notice of cancellation can only be accepted IN WRITING from the person who signed the booking form and takes effect on the day such noticed is received by us.
Refunds are made according to the following schedule:
If cancellation is made 120 days or more before departure date, the deposit less US$ 300 / £ 155 is refundable. If cancellation is made between 120 and 90 days before departure, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded. If cancellation is made fewer than 90 days before departure date, no refund is available. This policy and fee schedule also applies to pre-trip and post trip extensions, as well as any transfers from one tour to another. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.