Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords

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

We continue south to visit the area around Puerto Aysen and Puyuhuapi in the Aysén region. As we cruise and explore the area, we see the landscape unfold with its many fjords, islands, and channels. We hope to visit either Puerto Cisnes, Puyuhuapi, or Magdalena Island, with the possibility to see dolphins, whales, cormorants, sea lions, and river otters.

The voyage continues with an expedition day in the Chonos Archipelago. Aiming towards the Moraleda Channel, we cruise around the area of San Rafael National Park, a Biosphere Reserve, if the weather allows. The park is the main entry point to Chile’s Northern Icefields. Enjoy exploring the surrounding fjords, channels, islands, and coves.

As we sail south, we cross the Gulf of Penas, enjoying beautiful views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The expedition team tells us about the indigenous inhabitants of these southern lands, the early Spanish colonizers, and famous explorers such as Charles Darwin, Fitz Roy, and Alberto de Agostini. We also learn about the region’s biodiversity through presentations about the local marine fauna and flora. If weather permits, a visit to Caleta Tortel or the surrounding region is planned for the afternoon. Located between the mouth of the Baker River and a small cove within the Baker Channel, Caleta Tortel is a small village consisting mainly of stilt houses, typical of Chilotan architecture, built along the coast for several kilometers. Wooden walkways are built with Guaitecas cypress; they connect houses and give the village its distinctive look and unique culture.

We continue sailing south towards Messier Channel and navigate through the dramatic 18-meter-wide (59 feet) English Narrows for a privileged view of the glaciers of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. In the afternoon we aim to visit Pío XI Glacier or another nearby glacier. Brüggen Glacier, also known as Pío XI Glacier named by Spanish explorers after a Pope, is the largest western outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It is also the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside Antarctica.

We embark on a Zodiac excursion to the El Brujo or Amalia Glacier or the surrounding glaciers along the Peel Fjord in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. We bask in the glacier’s icy-blue beauty and cruise across the sea and among its ice floes to uncover part of Chile’s natural mystique. As we sail between snow-capped peaks to get a closer look at the glacier and its brilliant and rugged textures, we may spot dolphins swimming at a distance, cormorants or condors flying above, and otters.

While heading south along the Strait of Magellan, we explore the waters of the fjords that branch out from Tierra del Fuego. We follow the remote coast around the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, a protected area in the southern hemisphere where whales feed. If we are lucky, we may be able to spot humpback or sei whales breaching in the distance. We may also see dolphins, sea lions, seals, penguins, albatrosses, and petrels.

The Beagle Channel is a striking narrow passage in the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, a region originally named after the fires that burned in local native settlements when the first European explorers arrived. Dividing Chile and Argentina, the passage showcases ice formations along the snow-dusted Darwin Range. We will sail along Glacier Alley, home to the Holanda, Italia, Francia, Alemania, and Romanche glaciers, aiming to explore the Garibaldi Fjord.

Morning arrival in Ushuaia and disembarkation.