Australis expedition cruises
During our journey, we will be dazzled by the views of big glaciers, virgin bays, natural forests and a variety of penguin rookeries and sea lions, among others. During our great trip, we will visit very famous places such as the Strait of Magellan, Cape Horn, Magdalene Island and the northwestern branch of the Beagle Channel. The Strait of Magellan is considered the most important natural passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. This waterway is located in the southern limit of South America, surrounded by Tierra del Fuego, Southern Chile and some islands situated along the Pacific Ocean.
Cape Horn, declared Reserve of the Biosphere by UNESCO, is considered the southernmost spot in South America. This place delimits the northern tip of the Drake Passage, which separates the Antarctic Peninsula and the American continent. This area has become a legend due to the strong winds, waves and giant icebergs that endangered the old sailing ships which had to cross the area for trading. Magdalene Island is famous for making up, together with Marta Island, one of the most important rookeries and natural shelters located in the South of Chile: "Penguin Natural Monument."
We will also have the opportunity of visiting the cities of Ushuaia and Punta Arenas, before or after our journey. Ushuaia, also known as the City of the End of the World, has the second most important port in Argentina (preceded by Buenos Aires Port), being also considered the Incoming Port to the Antarctic Peninsula. Punta Arenas is the southernmost harbor city in Chile and South America, apart from being the city with the biggest population in the Patagonian region of that country. This cosmopolitan city is also famous for having a duty-free zone that allows inhabitants to enjoy important benefits. The duration of Australis programs varies according to the Departure Port chosen for this trip. If we set sail in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, we will have a 5-day and 4-night trip; and if we set sail in the Argentinean city of Ushuaia, we will enjoy a trip having one day less -being 4 days and 3 nights.
The right thing is to consider the navigation nights because if we consider the day, in both Australis trips, the longest and the shorter trip, there is a day that should not be considered. It is coherent to say that these are trips of 4 days 4 nights and 3 days and 3 nights. Because the route leaves from Chile begins in the evening on the first day, that day is practically lost and navigation path that begins in Ushuaia is exactly the same. Besides the day of arrival, the final day of the trip is very early in the morning, which means that this day should not also considered.
The trips of the Australis cruises are performed in the 2 vessels (Via and Stella) does not always do the same routes. The main difference is that the itinerary visits different areas. Is not the same trip if the departure is from Ushuaia or from Punta Arenas than from It will be a matter of taste and time the choice of either one. It is nowadays possible to leave from Ushuaia and return to Ushuaia or depart from Punta Arenas and return to Punta Arenas, these programs are called Round Trip.
Australis Cruises: Season 2022-2023
Route from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia in 5 days: Tierra del Fuego Fjords
This trip is made by both Patagonian cruises the M / V Stella Australis as the M / V Ventus Australis. In both itineraries the same navigation route is made. The first day leaves Punta Arenas, the second day you arrive at Ainsworth Bay and Tuckers Islets. Already on the third day we approach the Pía Glacier and navigate the Avenue of the Glaciers (Glacier Alley). On the last day you reach Cape Horn and Wulaia Bay. On the fifth day we disembarked at the port of Ushuaia. This 5-day program can be complemented with the trip from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas, returning again to the port of Punta Arenas.
Route from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas in 5 days: Explorers of Patagonia
This Australis cruise program is also carried out by both the M / V Stella Australis and the M / V Ventus Australis, the difference is that different days depart. The first day leaves Ushuaia, the second day you reach Cape Horn and Wulaia Bay, on the third day we arrive at the Pía and Garibaldi glaciers. On the last day of navigation we know the Cóndor and Águila glaciers and finally we arrive at Punta Arenas, we previously visited Magdalena Island.
Route from Punta Arenas to Punta Arenas in 9 days: Darwin Route
At the edge of the earth we begin a nine-day and eight-night tour of the icy waters that inspired British nuturalist Charles Darwin. The tour travels the roads of Darwin through the Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in the nineteenth century, more precisely in 1830 aboard his ship the HMS Beagle. This was one of the many trips that motivated the writer to capture the work "The Origin of Species" and deepen the theory of evolution. We leave the port of Punta Arenas to cross the Strait of Magellan and reach the penguin colonies of the Tucker Islets and dazzle us with the fantastic wildlife of the Ainsworth Bay, crossing the Beagle Channel to advance to the Pía glacier and Avenue of the glaciers. The ship stops at the historic Wulaia Bay and the mythical Cape Horn. These trips are made by both ships, both the M / V Stella Australis and the M / V Ventus Australis.
Route from Ushuaia to Ushuaia in 9 days: Darwin Route
We sail from Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, motivated because we travel the itinerary that Charles Darwin made with HMS Beagle, visiting the beautiful landscapes of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago on the southern tip of the American continent. Our travel plan takes us to visit the mythical Cabo de Hornos, the historic Wulaia Bay, the glacier avenue, the penguin colonies of the Tucker and Magdalena Islands and the impressive fjords sheltered by the Pía and Águila glaciers. On the way you can see the Ice Fields of Patagonia, subpolar forests and the silent and desolate beaches of the islands, currently virgin places. In the middle of the itinerary we arrive at Punta Arenas, with a typically Patagonian architecture and culture but with important Spanish Baroque style, then we begin the trip back to Ushuaia. This itinerary is also navigated by both cruises, the M / V Stella Australis and the M / V Ventus Australis.
Despite visiting the famous Cape Horn and Magdalene Island, we will have the opportunity to visit very important places which include:
Wulaia Bay. It is an archaeological site; in the past it was the birthplace of the most important tribes of the region: the Yamanas. Here also the Fitz Roy himself, along with the English naturalist Charles Darwin during his second expedition, settled the first Anglican mission of the area. Ainsworth Bay is famous for giving shelter to the biggest glacier among those coming from the Ice Field and Darwin Mountains: Marinelli Glacier. We will be dazzled by its large 40-meter ice walls and the flora and fauna of the surrounding Magellan forest.
In Tucker Islet, thanks to the high concentration of nutrients in the area, we will be astonished to see a great variety of sea fauna. This place is one of the many turns in the world that has been minimally explored; thanks to this, we can appreciate all the splendor of the flora and fauna in the most natural environment. Glacier Avenue, this narrow passage located on the Beagle Channel coasts, will surprise us because we will see plenty of ice tongues descending from Darwin Mountain Range. This scenery is regarded as one of the most fascinating and memorable landscape in the whole trip.
If we want to learn more about this southernmost region, we can extend this sea crossing with the addition of a land program along the Southern Patagonia, the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, the National Park, and El Calafate city: a means of access to Los Glaciares National Park and one of the most important glaciers of the world: Perito Moreno Glacier. You can choose among one of these full programs of 7, 10 or 14 days.