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Charles Darwin in Patagonia

4, 5 or 8-day adventure

Detailed, day-by-day itinerary for this adventure!
Accommodations are noted, and meals are coded as B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner

Top: Marinelli glacier in the fading light (John Woram). Below: Scuptured ice from a glacier (John Woram).

Detailed Itinerary, 4-day, 5-day, or 8-day

Oct 19

Ushuaia

Check in at San Martín 245, Ushuaia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Via Australis boarding between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterwards, the ship departs for "the uttermost part of the earth." Our excursion will take us through the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan to explore one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 20

Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay

We sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). Cape Horn, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory, and in the past it was the only entrance to the Pacific Ocean. This place is known as the "End of the Earth", and it's the last territory before Antarctica. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.

In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 21

Gunther Plüschow Glacier

In the morning we sail through Whaleboat Sound to reach Cockburn Channel in the afternoon. After lunch, we arrive at Chico Sound and disembark in Zodiac boats to explore Alakaluf Fjord, and to see its beautiful waterfalls and observe the Piloto and Nena glaciers from the sea. We will learn about the formation of glaciers and their influence in the abrupt geography of the region's channels. Tonight enjoy a farewell champagne cocktail and auction of the navigation chart used yesterday to bring us to Cape Horn.

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 22

Magdalena Island - Punta Arenas

Early in the morning, we go ashore on Magdalena Island (weather permitting). Located in the Strait of Magellan, it was an essential source of supplies for navigators and explorers in the past. The island is inhabited by an immense colony of Magellanic Penguins which can be sighted during our walk to a lighthouse, which guides ships on their way through the strait. In September and April this excursion is replaced by a Zodiac boat ride at Isla Marta to observe sea lions.

After our visit, we sail to Punta Arenas, disembarking around 11 a.m.

or

You may continue with your Tierra Del Fuego cruise..

Oct 22

Punta Arenas

Check in at Magallanes 990, Punta Arenas, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Via Australis boarding between 5:00 p.m and 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterwards, the ship departs for Ainsworth Bay. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 23

Ainsworth Bay - Tuckers Islets

Early morning brings us to Admiralty Fjord, where after breakfast we'll go ashore at Ainsworth Bay, inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park. From a distance we may see the Marinelli Glacier which descends from the Darwin Mountain Range, and we will learn how life begins after the retreat of the ice. We will also take a walk to discover a beaver dam in the marvelous subpolar Magellanic forest. On the beach, we will try to see elephant seals, but we cannot guarantee this as the precise location of the colony is unpredictable.

Later, we sail to Tuckers Islets, and after lunch we board the Zodiac boats to view Magellanic Penguins (which only live in the Southern Hemisphere), and Cormorants.

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 24

Pia Glacier, Glacier Alley

We navigate along the main part of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a look-out point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we continue sailing along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic "Glacier Alley".

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 25

Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay

We sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). Cape Horn, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory, and in the past it was the only entrance to the Pacific Ocean. This place is known as the "End of the Earth", and it's the last territory before Antarctica. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.

In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point. Tonight enjoy a farewell champagne cocktail and auction of the navigation chart used this morning to bring us to Cape Horn.

Via Australis, BLD

Oct 26

Ushuaia

Arrival at Ushuaia, Argentina's most important city on Tierra del Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We disembark at 8:00 a.m., enabling you to get an early start on visiting the city and national parks, and on continuing your trip through Patagonia.