Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island

Arrive in Santiago, Chile’s vibrant capital, nestled between the Andes and the Chilean Coastal mountains. After landing, transfer from the airport to your hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, Santiago (or a similar accommodation), where you can settle in and start exploring this dynamic city.

Arrival Time: Arrive before 11:00 a.m. local time.

Fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, with airport transfers and luggage assistance provided. Upon arrival, drive to the remote outpost of Puerto Natales and board your ship. Head to the deck as your Captain skillfully navigates the challenging Kirke or White Narrows, where powerful currents create an exciting passage. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way.

Today and during the following days, enjoy the spectacular features of an active glaciated landscape with hanging valleys and tributary glaciers. This region was navigated by Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, and it took most of November 1520 for his ships to find a way through the channels that lie between the continental mainland and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The crew looks to make a first stop in the extensive maze of channels and islands of the Chilean fjords, where you may go out by Zodiac and kayak.

Tierra del Fuego is one of Patagonia’s crown jewels. Visit its newest and largest protected area: Karukinka Natural Park. Established in 2004 through a gift from Goldman Sachs, Karukinka is one of the largest donations ever made for conservation. Travelers are thrilled to have special permission from the Wildlife Conservation Society to visit this private reserve, which spans 1,160 square miles and harbors the endangered culpeo fox, Andean condors, albatrosses, grebes, petrels, fulmars, shearwaters, and many other kinds of wildlife. You may explore Jackson Bay, backed by a skyline of rugged mountains, and look for wildlife including black-browed albatrosses, which nest on one of the nearby small islands. Walk a trail to a lovely waterfall and look for elephant seals resting not only on the beach but also high in the grass meadows and even in the small river draining the valley inland.

Experience more stunning wilderness as travelers explore the fjords and glaciers of the region by Zodiac, kayak, and on foot. Take Zodiacs out to explore these protected waters and rugged shores, keeping watch for the shearwaters, petrels, albatrosses, and many other birds that inhabit this otherworldly realm.

Sail the Beagle Channel and look to hike and kayak one of the wild areas in this region of beech forests, mountains, and rivers. This southernmost corner of the South American continent is also home to Cape Horn, the island at the convergence of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, famously difficult waters that, throughout the centuries, has been the graveyard of many ships from the time before the Panama Canal. 

You have special permission to visit extraordinary Staten Island, and this ship is one of the only expedition ships ever allowed here. It is a place of superlatives, barely touched in recent decades and visited primarily by a few scientists and the staff of the tiny naval observatory. The island was named by Dutch explorers in 1615. Its mountainous, forested landscapes and rugged fjords are beautiful, and there is much to discover here. The exact schedule remains flexible to take the best advantage of conditions. Search for southern rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, other waterbirds, fur seals, and sea lions. You may also look for otters on your landings ashore, and you'll see the replica of the 1884 San Juan de Salvamento “lighthouse at the end of the world,” which inspired Jules Verne’s novel by the same name. There are chances to walk in the southern beech forests. These days are bound to stand out as a unique chance to explore a very remote place.

Today, you disembark in Ushuaia. Fly to Buenos Aires and connect with your flight home.