Falkland Islands, South Georgia Islands and Antarctica
from Port Stanley aboard the M/V Magellan Explorer

20 days - 19 nights

Day 1 - Port Stanley

Reception at Port Stanley airport. Brief visit to the town. Together with our expedition team we take a guided tour of Port Stanley. Another option is to walk the town on your own, having lunch at the local pub, visiting the maritime museum, the church, looking for souvenirs or walking along Ross Road, paying respects at the war memorials on the seafront. In the afternoon we board the M/V Magellan Explorer and begin our adventure around the Falkland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Islands.

Day 2 -Saunders & Carcass Islands: Falklands Archipelago

We enjoyed the long white sand beach during a morning visit to Saunders Island. A wilderness experience, the main attractions of which are rockhopper penguins, nesting black-browed albatrosses and subantarctic gentoo penguins. In the afternoon we visit Carcass Island. There is the option of taking an easy walk to the settlement, bird watching and having a typical English Falklands tea.

Saunders Island (Trinidad Island) is one of the islands of the Falkland archipelago, located northwest of Greater Malvina Island and north of San Francisco de Paula Bay. It has an area of 120 km² and is the fourth largest in the Falklands. It is currently used for sheep breeding. It is under the control of the United Kingdom, claimed by Argentina. Carcass Island (Isla del Rosario) is another of the islands of the Falklands archipelago. It is located north of San Francisco de Paula Bay, northwest of the Great Malvina Island.

Day 3 - Bleaker Island

In the morning I disembark at Bleaker Island, a nature reserve with a famous bird area that presents a wide variety of species. It is a very small island of volcanic origin that has large breakers when the sea is very rough. Like the rest of the region, Argentina claims the territory as belonging to the Island of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. In the afternoon we depart towards South Georgia Island.

Day 4 to 5 -At sea towards South Georgia Islands

We are heading towards the South Georgia Islands. We took advantage of sailing at sea to attend presentations about the history and fauna of the archipelago. In the company of expert guides, observe wildlife from the living room or from the outside terraces. You will be able to observe magnificent seabirds, such as albatrosses and petrels, as well as different species of whales.

Day 6 -Elsehul Bay

Depending on the sea conditions of the previous days, arrival is scheduled for the afternoon. Provided we receive approval from the South Georgia government, we plan to do a night sailing in Zodiac boats in Elsehul Bay. It is a small bath that is the breeding center for sea lions. Birds such as macaroni penguins, seabirds and albatrosses nest here

Day 7 - Grytviken, Fortuna Bay (Fortuna Bay)

Our first landing is in Grytviken. We passed through Customs and then visited the historical site with the museum and the grave of Ernest Shackleton. We disembark in Fortuna Bay and then go to Stromness in the afternoon to see king penguins. Here we learn more about Shackleton and his expedition. We can optionally take a “Shackleton walk”, which lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours.

Fortuna Bay is named after the whaling ship of Argentine origin that at the beginning of the 20th century collaborated in the creation of the first whaling station in Grytviken, on San Pedro Island, in 1905. Grytviken is also part of the Archipelago of the South Georgia Islands, as well as Fortuna Bay. It was the main site of industrial whaling production in the Atlantic Ocean in the early years of the 20th century. Despite two world wars, Grytviken never stopped operating. It was also the refuge of several scientific expeditions that came to Antarctica to carry out research. To date, there are no longer people living constantly, the Museum has only been operating since the months of October and March, opening its doors to world tourism that comes to these inhospitable areas. It is controlled by only 5 employees who come exclusively for the season.

Stromness was South Georgia's most famous whaling station. In this place, Ernest Shackleton and two of his companions, Tom Crean and Frank Worsley, managed to find the necessary support to begin the rescue of the rest of their companions who were stranded on Elephant Island, due to the ship Endurance being trapped. by ice in the Weddell Sea. Shackleton and his crew sailed in ordinary boats to Elephant Island about 1,300km. He leaves his crew on said island and continues with Crean and Worsley to Georgia. When they arrived they realized that they were on the south side of the island, having to cross it, from Haakon Bay to Stromness. That walk was called SHACKLETON'S WALK, for 36 hours they crossed the island from end to end

Day 8 - Gold Harbor, Cooper Bay

In the morning, we plan a landing in Gold Harbour, a spectacular place with king penguins, elephant seals and hanging glaciers. There are also black albatrosses. In the afternoon on Zodiac boats we visited Cooper Bay to see macaroni penguins.

GOLD HARBOR: Formerly called Anna Bay or Golden Bay. It is a small bay of just 7.7km south of Cape Carlota, whose main head is the Bertrab Glacier, where the east of San Pedro Island, in the South Georgia Islands archipelago. Its name is due to the fact that the sun's rays shine on the cliffs in the early morning and at dusk. It is a breeding area for king penguins, gentoo penguins, elephant seals and albatrosses.

COOPER BAY: Cooper Bay is very small and is located southwest of Cape Vahsel and is separated from Cooper Island by the strait of the same name. Black-browed albatrosses, Antarctic prions and other seabirds can be seen, as well as numerous Antarctic fur seals. Tussock grasses grow abundantly, providing excellent habitat for seabirds.

Day 9 - St Andrews Bay, Ocean Harbor: King Penguin

St Andrews Bay is the destination of our morning excursion. The highlights here are a shipwreck and the remains of the whaling industry. We see the largest colony of king penguins and bull elephant seals. We plan to sail Zodiac boats in the afternoon and will disembark in Ocean Harbor.

St Andrews Bay is 30km south of Gryviken, its landscape is unique, an extensive plain of grasses and bushes protected by snow-capped mountains, such as the Nordenskjold, Root, Kling and Brooker mountains and fed by glaciers. It is the favorite place of the king penguin. The sound they emit is impressive due to the large number there are, it seems like a real concert, it is estimated that more than 150,000 pairs are played. It is believed to be the world's largest king penguin reserve. The sounds can be clearly distinguished: The whistle of the babies demanding their food, the roars of the adults who arrive from the sea with squid and the discomfort of those who are forced to fast because they are changing their plumage.

Day 10 - Prion Island, Salisbury Plain

In the morning, we plan to visit Prion Island to see the nesting wandering albatrosses. In the afternoon, we head to Salisbury Plain to see more king penguins and stunning scenery.

PRION ISLAND: Located in the Bay of Islands, it is famous for the presence of petrels. It is a protected area by the Government of South Georgia as it is a breeding area for wandering albatrosses and free of rats. It must be accessed with special permission. There is a boardwalk that prevents the access ravine from eroding and prion burrows from being stepped on. We found cachilas because there are no rats.

SALISBURY PLAIN: This is a large coastal subglacial plain located in the Bay of Islands on the northern coast of San Pedro Island, in the South Georgia Islands archipelago. It is the favorite place of the king penguins, there is a colony of 500,000 penguins, on its beaches we find elephant seals. Its coasts are black sand. There are two docks for tourists to disembark.

Day 11 to 12 - At sea towards the Antarctic Peninsula

We are heading towards the Antarctic Peninsula. We took advantage of sailing at sea to attend presentations on the history and fauna of Antarctica. In the company of expert guides, observe wildlife from the living room or from the outside terraces. You will be able to observe magnificent seabirds, such as albatrosses and petrels, as well as different species of whales.

Day 13 - Elephant Island (Isla Elefante)

In the afternoon we will see Elephant Island. Although it is very unlikely that you will disembark here, we will see the island from the boat or, if sea conditions allow, from a zodiac boat.

Elephant Island is famous for being a refuge for the British expedition of the ship Endurance under the command of Ernest Shackleton in 1916. The island is made up of glaciers and its highest point is close to 900 meters. It is poor in flora and fauna, although you can see Antarctic gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and seals. Its coasts are extremely rugged and it is practically impossible to disembark; generally, the ships that visit it can only be approached by Zodiac boats. There is no permanent human settlement due to the hostility of the area.

Day 14 to 17 - Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands

Cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula and between the South Shetland Islands, visiting sites in the Antarctic Strait and the Gerlache Strait. The trip may include visits to places such as Gourdin Island, Brown Bluff, Half Moon Island, Deception Island, Wilhelmina Bay, Lemaire Channel, Cuverville Island, Melchior Islands or other magnificent places.

The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost region of Antarctica, it is the first contact with the white continent due to its northern position. The best Antarctic climate is found here, the vast majority of research bases are concentrated and it is where the incidence of the breakdown of the ozone layer is most evident, suffering the effects of the harsh climate change of the last fifty years. About 75% of its territory is an eternal layer of ice, which is increasingly shrinking at an alarming rate.

Day 18 to 19 - At sea returning through the Drake Sea

We returned to the American continent through the Drake Passage, we took the opportunity to remember great moments lived in our Antarctic experience, checking photos, videos and taking advantage of the latest talks and conferences about Antarctica.

Day 20 - Ushuaia

Arrival at the port pier of the city of Ushuaia where we disembark. End of our Antarctic journey.