Carved by fjords and capped by glistening glaciers, Patagonia is a natural wonderland. Cruise through a landscape of thick forests and icebergs to the tip of Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan. Then continue overland to Patagonia's crown jewel—Torres del Paine National Park—and end your journey in Santiago, Chile's vibrant capital.
|
Maipo Valley
|
|
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is located on the coast of southern Chile. Here you'll have one spectacular experience after another -- seeing fjords, glaciers and perhaps encountering whales. And just a short distance inland you are reminded that this is Patagonia, home to Andean condors, guanacos and rheas (cousins of the ostrich), all of which can be found in monumental Torres del Paine National Park.
|
|
Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine is internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful, uncontaminated places on earth with natural lakes, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, forests and diverse wildlife. This biosphere reserve dominates most of South America's national park and sits 2000 meters above the Patagonian Steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine.
|
Destination Guide
|
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas is the southernmost city on Earth, overlooking the Straits of Magellan. Situated astride one of the world's historic trade routes, its prosperity has risen and fallen with that trade. Punta Arenas enjoyed its first great boom during the California Gold Rush, when it served as a haven for great clipper ships. Although the port's importance diminished after the opening of the Panama Canal, the city reached even greater prosperity early in this century as the center of Chile's international wool trade. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great mix of cultures, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors, and it remains an utterly fascinating testament to the Chile's rich history. Punta Arenas is also the starting point for excursions to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
|
Destination Guide
|
Isla Magdalena
Isla Magdalena
Magdalena Island is a small island in the Patagonia region of Chile. The island is part National Park dedicated to preserving the indigenous wildlife on the island. You will see burrows built by penguins and other birds all around the island. Visitors may take a walk up the hill to the island's Lighthouse. It is a working lighthouse that guides ships on their way through the Strait of Magellan. Inside you will find some articles about its history. But by far the most impressive sight to visitors is viewing the thousands of bustling penguins and birds on the island and in the surrounding waters.
|
|
Aguila Glacier
Aguila Glacier
Aguila Glacier can be found when cruising though the majestic Agostini Sound. When arriving at the glacier you are taken back by the blue ice and surrounded by picturesque views all around.
|
|
|
Canal Magdalena
|
|
|
Wulaia Bay
|
|
Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Rounding the extreme southern tip of South America, you'll be awestruck by the rugged beauty and imposing vision of Cape Horn, a craggy, massive rocky point that was the bane of early explorers.
|
|
Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel flows to the south of Tierra del Fuego, South America and is named after the ship of Charles Darwin’s voyage. Three islands at its eastern end, with krill and oil reserves within their 200 mi territorial waters, and the dependent sector of the Antarctic with its resources, were disputed between Argentina and Chile and awarded to Chile in 1985.
|
|
Ushuaia
Ushuaia
The world's southernmost city, Ushuaia overlooks Beagle Channel, named after the ship that took Charles Darwin to the bottom of the world. Founded just over one hundred years ago, this rustic town is situated amidst incredible snowcapped mountains, dramatic waterfalls, massive glaciers, and a forest known for its red foliage. Tierra del Fuego, the "Land of Fire," twelve miles to the west of Ushuaia, is known for its glacial landscape and its national park, which is a bird-watcher's paradise.
|
Destination Guide
|
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Dynamic and bustling, a city which seems never to sleep, Buenos Aires is one of the most exciting cities in Latin America. Tango was born here, restaurants serve an all manner of world cuisine, bars play the latest music, cafés spill on to the streets and nightclubs allow dancing throughout the night. Cultural hub of a society which traces its roots to European immigration, it is famous throughout South America for its theatres, museums and galleries. Gucci, Armani, Prada, to name a few, line the boulevards catering for the fashion conscious porteños, their offerings as stylish as anything found in the cities in Europe or North America.
|
Destination Guide
|
