Australis Expedition Cruises

Day 1 - Arrive Punta Arenas
Afternoon arrival and transfer to the ship. Your Captain will host a welcome cocktail and the ship departs on its journey south through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego (D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 2 - Ainsworth Bay - Tuckers Islet
At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving at Ainsworth Bay, inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park. From a distance see the Marinelli Glacier which descends from the Darwin Mountain Range and learn how life begins after the retreat of the ice. Take a walk to discover a beaver dam in the sub-polar Magellanic forest. On the beach, look out for the colony of elephant seals. Later sail to Tuckers Islet and after lunch board the Zodiac boats to view Magellanic Penguins and Cormorants. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay where there is a landing for a short walk to approach a glacier (B,L,D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 3 -Pia Glacier - Glacier Alley
Navigate the main part of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord. Disembark near Pia Glacier with a short hike to a look-out point for spectacular views of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, continue sailing along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic "Glacier Alley" (B,L,D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 4 - Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay
Sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where passengers disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, it is a sheer, 425m high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and it is known as the "End of the Earth". The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on 23 January 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerising beauty of its vegetation and geography. Walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point (B,L,D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 5 - Depart Ushuaia
Arrival into Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city in Tierra del Fuego where you disembark after breakfast (B).

Day 1 - Arrive Ushuaia
Afternoon arrival and transfer to the ship. Your Captain will host a welcome cocktail and the ship departs on its journey south (D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 2 - Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay
Sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where passengers disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, it is a sheer, 425m high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and it is known as the "End of the Earth". The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on 23 January 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerising beauty of its vegetation and geography. Walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point (B,L,D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 3 - Via Australis: Piloto and Nena Glaciers / Stella Australis: Agostini Sound and Águila Glacier
Via Australis: In the morning sail through the desolate Brecknock and Ocasión Channels and in the afternoon through the Cockburn Channel to anchor in Chico Sound after lunch. The Zodiac adventure begins. Ride up the Alakalufe Fjord where you are able to see lovely waterfalls and the Piloto and Nena Glaciers from the boats. The intense blue colour of the Piloto glacier, due to its age and compression, is amazing. Learn about the formation of the glaciers and their influence on the abrupt geography of the Patagonia- Tierra del Fuego channels.

Stella Australis: Sail through the Brecknock, Ocasión, Cockburn, and Magdalena Channels to enter the spectacular Agostini Sound, In the heart of the Darwin Cordillera, in Tierra del Fuego. Here you can see the glaciers flowing down the mountainside, often all the way to the sea. In the afternoon head out in Zodiac boats to the Águila Glacier for an easy walk on the shore of a lagoon surrounded by mountains to reach the base of the glacier. Learn about Patagonia's cold rainforest and the forces that moulded the landscape (B,L,D).
M/V Via or Stella Australis

Day 4 - Magdalena Island - Punta Arenas
Early morning shore excursion 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 a walk to the lighthouse, which guides ships through the strait. In September and April this excursion is replaced by a Zodiac boat ride at Marta Island to observe sea lions. After the visit sail to Punta Arenas and disembark late morning (B)