Patagonian Odyssey - An Exploration of Patagonia & the Chilean Fjords

Fly by scheduled flight.

Arrive this morning and transfer to our centrally located hotel for an overnight stay. This afternoon is free to relax in the hotel or maybe join an orientation tour of the city including the Plaza de Mayo, the Cathedral and the Cabildo (Old City Hall) before we continue towards the most traditional neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, San Telmo which is characterised by its old colonial houses and the cobblestoned streets. End the tour in La Boca to look around the colourful zinc houses which used to be the refuge and home for the first immigrants and popular artists. The evening is free for independent exploration.

After breakfast in the hotel we will transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to Ushuaia. On arrival transfer to the MS Island Sky and start our adventure this evening as we cruise down the Beagle Channel. Here the mountains, still partly unmapped, drop as sheer, densely wooded cliffs into the channel and penguins, dolphins and sea lions abound in the channel.

At dawn we arrive at Cape Horn, one of the best known maritime landmarks in the world. Magellan was the first European visitor here in 1530 and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal it was an important staging post. Weather permitting we hope to use our Zodiacs to land and enjoy a walk to the monument. After lunch we continue our journey along the Chilean coast and into the fjords.

During the next seven days we will enjoy some of the most stunning scenery imaginable and the MS Island Sky is the perfect vessel for the exploratory and scenic cruising that we will be undertaking. This vast area of mountains, glaciers, islands, lakes and waterfalls is untouched by man except for a few fishing villages which perch at ‘the end of the world’. We will make good use of our time exploring the beautiful, protected waters, enjoying the renowned fjords of southern Chile which rival those of southeast Alaska in their raw beauty and prolific wildlife. We hope for calm weather when crystal clear reflections of vertical walls and hanging glaciers are broken only by the ripples of seabirds or maybe a passing dolphin. See how quickly you run out of suitable adjectives to describe all you are witnessing. Our route will be managed by our experienced Captain and Expedition Leader alongside the local pilots. As well as stunning scenic cruising, the area is ideal for Zodiac forays. As we continue our journey we hope to navigate the Kirke Narrows, a remarkable channel leading between lush, forested shores, so narrow it can only be sailed at low tide. Dropping anchor at Puerto Natales, we enjoy a full day in South America’s largest national park, the Torres del Paine. This is one of the most spectacular places on earth, a vast uninhabited wilderness of glacier-draped mountains, windswept pampas, turquoise glacial lakes and verdant valleys. Look out for herds of guanacos (a smaller version of the llama), rheas, Patagonian hares, foxes and rich birdlife and see the stunning rock formations of the Horns of Paine. We also hope to operate Zodiac excursions ashore in some of the remote fjords we pass on our journey. At the southern town of Punta Arenas visit one of the penguin colonies to see the large groups of Magellan penguins that return each year to mate on this coast.

Chile’s second largest island, Chiloe Island was one of the first Spanish strongholds in the Pacific Southern South America. Once the island had been conquered, it was hard for indigenous uprisings to reconquer and as a result it became a major link in the Spanish trade route around Cape Horn. The island was also visited by Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle in 1831. Our visit ashore on this mainly forested island will include Castro, one of the oldest towns in the Americas, known for its unique wooden architecture, churches and stilted houses. Discover the wooden cathedral of St Francis and the historic old quarter.

Over breakfast we land at picturesque Puerto Montt, a resort town in the Lake District. Settled by German colonists in the mid-19th century, much of its early Middle-European styled architecture remains, rendering a slightly bizarre feel in such an obviously un-European setting. Leaving the ship we will head to the Vincente Perez Rosales National Park which is the oldest in Chile and contains three commanding volcanoes in Osorno, Calbuco and Puntiagudo. We will see the emerald Todos los Santos Lake at the foot of Mount Osorno as well as the mighty Petrohue River and the rapids that crash through lava channels creating a series of magnificent waterfalls. We return to the ship via Puerto Varas, situated in a stunning location on Lago Llanquihue with a backdrop of the iconic Osorno volcano.

From the port of Niebla, this morning’s tour takes us to the colonial city of Valdivia, one of the oldest European settlements in Chile. An excursion will include time at the Canelos Tower, built in 1774 and which at the time of its construction to the city, equipped with a wide portcullis and drawbridge. We will see the San Francisco Church before spending some time exploring the historical and anthropological museum and the bustling Mercado Fluvial. Return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon at sea.

Enjoy a day at sea as we continue our journey north.

Disembark after breakfast and take an orientation tour of Valparaiso including Fisherman’s Wharf, the Plaza Soto Mayor and the Naval Academy. Afterwards we drive out to the Casablanca Valley which is now one of the country’s premier wine areas and learn about the cultivation of grapes and visit one of the vineyards for a tasting and lunch. In the late afternoon we arrive at our hotel in Santiago for an overnight stay where the rest of the day and evening are at leisure for independent exploration.

After breakfast in the hotel we will check out and transfer to the airport for our scheduled indirect flight to London.

Arrive this morning.

Please note that flexibility is key to a successful expedition. Although we have outlined an itinerary below, this is only a preliminary plan, our exact route will depend on weather conditions and the wildlife we encounter.