Itineraries
M/N AUSTRALIS
Itinerary September 2011 - April 2012
Punta Arenas - Ushuaia
(Chile) |
M/V VIA AUSTRALISDeparture from Punta Arenas: Tuesday Arrival at Ushuaia: Saturday |
(Argentina)
DAY 1: Punta Arenas
Check in at 990 Magallanes, Punta Arenas from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Board cruise ship at 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Afterwards, the ship departs for "the uttermost part of the earth". Our excursion will take us 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. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!
DAY 2: Ainsworth Bay - Tuckers Islets
At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving 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 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 Southern 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. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay where we land for a short walk to a nearby glacier.
DAY 3: Pia Glacier
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".
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DAY 4: Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay We sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, and it is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promon tory. 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, we go ashore at 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, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point. DAY 5: Ushuaia Arrival at Ushuaia, Argentina's most important city in Tierra del Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We disembark at 8:00 a.m. |
NOTE: The excursions/day trips described in the itineraries can normally be, and frequently are carried out. Notwithstanding the above, Transportes Marítimos Terra Australis S.A., Transportes Marítimos Via Australis S.A., and Transportes Marítimos Geo Australis S.A. reserve the right to reschedule, shorten, or alter all or part of itineraries and/or excursions without previous notice in order to safeguard the well-being and safety of passengers, preserve the environment, or because of extraordinary circumstances, acts of God or greater forces. For the same reasons, the time of departure or arrival of the vessels may be subject to change. |
Route Punta Arenas - Ushuaia
PUNTA ARENAS-USHUAIA ROUTE
5 days / 4 nights (Saturday to Wednesday)
DAY 01 Saturday:
• Passenger check-in at 990 Magallanes Street, Punta Arenas (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
• Boarding, welcome cocktail reception and departure aboard the Mare Australis.
DAY 02 Sunday:
• Disembark at Ainsworth Bay to view Marinelli Glacier from a distance, visit an elephant seal colony, and walk through a Magellanic Forest.
• Enter Brookes Glacier Bay to go ashore for a walk near the glacier.
DAY 03 Monday:
• Disembark at Pia Glacier Bay for an excursion to a lookout point.
• Navigate through captivating “Glacier Alley,” the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel.
DAY 04 Tuesday:
• Disembark in Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) National Park, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge.
• Disembark at Puerto Williams, the southernmost town in the world.
DAY 05 Wednesday:
• Arrival at Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. Passengers disembark at 8:00 a.m.
New M/V VIA AUSTRALIS
4 days / 3 nights (Wednesday to Saturday)
DAY 01 Wednesday:
• Passenger check-in at 990 Magallanes Street, Punta Arenas (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
• Boarding, welcome cocktail reception and departure aboard the Via Australis.
DAY 02 Thursday:
• Disembark at Ainsworth Bay to view Marinelli Glacier from a distance, visit an elephant seal colony, and walk through a Magellanic forest.
• Zodiac boat excursions around Tucker Islet to observe a colony of cormorants and a rookery of Magellanic penguins.
DAY 03 Friday:
• Disembark on the shore of Garibaldi Glacier Bay for an adventure tour through a Magellanic forest.
• Enter Pia Glacier Bay to go ashore for an excursion to a lookout point.
DAY 04 Saturday:
• Arrival at Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. Passengers disembark at 8:00 a.m.
Route Ushuaia - Punta Arenas
M/V MARE AUSTRALIS
NOTE: Mare & Via Australis reserve the right to alter, change or omit any part of the itinerary and to modify the ship departure and arrival schedules, without advance notice.