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Tierra Del Fuego Fjord cruise
Destinations
Patagonia, Argentina, Chile
Activity
Cruise & Sailing, Family, Nature & Wildlife
Tour Type
Custom itinerary, Small group tour
Physical Level
Easy
Season Season
September - April

Good to know

  • Four days in a luxury cabin aboard the Ventus Australias
  • Flexible departure dates
  • Fully guided excursions
  • Hassle-free logistics and transfers

A once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise to the very ends of the earth. This unique voyage skirts the dramatic fjords of Tierra del Fuego, exploring its incredible natural beauty and visiting fascinating historical sites from the swashbuckling Age of Discovery. The four-day journey aboard the new Ventus Australis includes visits to wildlife rich Ainsworth Bay, Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley, as well as mystical Wulaia Bay and the legendary Cape Horn.

Contact Chimu Adventures now with any special requests or for information on how to customise this trip with additional destinations in Chile, Argentina, or beyond.

Suggested itinerary

All days can be adjusted as required

Choose your direction

This is a customisable trip

Use the following itinerary for inspiration. Send us your preferences and we'll connect you with a specialist tour operator who will be happy to advise: all days, hotels and activities can be altered.

Arrival to Punta Arenas

Arriving to Punta Arenas, deep in Chilean Patagonia, you'll transfer to the port to check-in and drop off your luggage. Spend the afternoon exploring the down, and return for 7:00pm to board the Ventus Australis.

After a welcome toast and introduction of captain and crew, the ship departs for one of the most remote corners of planet Earth. As you sit down to your first evening meal you'll be crossing the Strait of Magellan and entering the labyrinth of channels that define the southern extreme of Patagonia. The twinkling lights of Punta Arenas gradually fade into the distance as you enter the Whiteside Canal between Darwin Island and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

Includes: dinner
Where you'll stay
Ventus Australias

Ventus Australias

Ainsworth Bay - Tuckers Islets

By dawn the ship will be sailing up Admiralty Sound, a spectacular offshoot of the Strait of Magellan that stretches nearly halfway across Tierra del Fuego. The snowcapped peaks of Karukinka Natural Park stretch along the north side of the sound, while the south shore is defined by the deep fjords and broad bays of Alberto de Agostini National Park. You'll go ashore on Zodiak landing craft to see Ainsworth Bay's abundant bird life and a colony of southern elephant seals. Choose between a gentle walk and a more strenuous hike along the crest of a glacial moraine. Both afford views of Marinelli Glacier and the Darwin Mountains.

Back on board you'll sail west along the sound to the Tucker Islets. After lunch, you'll board the Zodiacs again for a close-up view of the 4,000 Magellan penguins that inhabit the tiny islands. Many other bird species also frequent the area including king cormorants, oystercatchers, Chilean skuas, kelp geese, dolphin gulls, eagles and even the occasional Andean condor.

Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Pia Glacier - Glacier Alley

Overnight you'll sail around the western end of Tierra del Fuego via the narrow Gabrial Channel, Magdalena Channel and Cockburn Channel. After rounding the remote Brecknock Peninsula, the ship tacks eastward and re-enters the Beagle Channel. By morning you'll be entering Pia Fjord and boarding the Zodiacs for a shore excursion to Pia Glacier. You'll choose between a short walk for a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, or a longer hike up a lateral moraine of the glacier.

Back onboard the ship, you'll continue east along the Beagle Channel through an area called Glacier Alley, which features a number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing down from the Darwin Mountains and Darwin Ice Sheet on the north shore.

Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Wulaia Bay - Cape Horn

During the early morning you'll navigate the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands and drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment.

Originally the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements, the bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages on the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for its mesmerising beauty and dramatic geography.

Once again you'll have a choice of excursions with three hikes of varying levels of difficulty, exploring enchanted forests of lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other endemic fauna to reach a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the bay.

That afternoon you'll cruise across Nassau Bay into the remote archipelago that includes Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, you'll land on the windswept and legendary Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos). Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition -- and named after the town of Hoorn in West Friesland -- Cape Horn is a sheer 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory overlooking the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic, and was often referred to as the "End of the Earth." The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Chilean navy maintains a permanent lighthouse on the island, staffed by a light keeper and his family, as well as the tiny Stella Maris Chapel and modern Cape Horn Monument.

Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner

On the final morning of the expedition you'll enjoy one last breakfast on the ship before docking in the Argentinian city of Ushuaia, the world's most southernmost city.

From Ushuaia you can continue your journey to Patagonia or beyond – contact a Chimu Adventures advisor now who will be happy to help.

Includes: breakfast

Tour inclusions

Get in touch now for more details

Included Accommodation

Four nights in a luxury cabin aboard the purpose-built Ventus Australis. All cabins include en-suite bathrooms and external views with oversized windows to allow unimpeded views of the spectacular scenery.

Included Guided excursions

Daily landings and expert guided shore excursions (landings via zodiak boats). Excursions are available with varying levels of difficulty for all abilities.

Included All meals

Three delicious, freshly-prepared meals per day prepared by the onboard chef. (Picnics provided during excursions.) Warming whisky and hot chocolate included during shore excursions.

Not included Ground transfers

Transfers to/from your arrival and departure points are not included but can be arranged on request.

Not included International flights

International airfare is not included but can be arranged on request.

Reviews

What people are saying

C
Christine Cowen
03/04/2018

I would have to say the trip was truly a "once in a life time" and certainly would go again given the opportunity. I was fortunate to be upgraded which was a very pleasant surprise. The captain and crew were excellent and being allowed on the bridge was a bonus. The cabin crew were wonderful and looked after us well and kept the boat clean. They were always friendly and smiling. The scientists were always very keen to share their knowledge and were a fun group. The boat was a very relaxed place to be.

Days

5

From only

$1,860 pp

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