Via Australis

5 Day Patagonia Cruise from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

The Via Australis offers guests the opportunity to travel to the remote regions of South America in good levels of comfort. Built in 2005, she is an expedition cruise ship comprising 5 decks carrying a maximum of only 136 passengers, each featuring well-appointed public areas. Activities and lectures are held in her two cozy lounges or dining room and the open-air terrace on the uppermost deck provides a great opportunity for admiring the wonderful Patagonian landscape.

Info

Embark

Check in from 09:00-16:00hrs at 409 San Martin, Ushuaia. Board the ship between 17:00-18:00.

Day 1: Ushuaia

Board the ship in Ushuaia and join your Captain and crew for a welcome cocktail reception with your fellow passengers. The ship departs towards one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world.

Day 2: Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay

The ship sails through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, where you will disembark (weather permitting). In the afternoon, you will go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest settlements of the Yamana native canoe peoples. The area is also known for its mesmerizing beauty and you will have the opportunity to walk through a Magellanic forest of lengas, canelos and ferns.

Day 3: Pia Glacier - Garibaldi Glacier

In the morning the ship will navigate along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel to enter Pia Fjord. You will disembark near the Pia Glacier and join a short hike to a vantage point with spectacular views of the surrounding mountain chains. In the afternoon the ship enters Garibaldi Fjord on the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego, where you will join an incredible excursion through Patagonia's cold jungle, and hike through forest up to a waterfall of glacial origin. Spectacular views can also be enjoyed from the outdoor decks.

Day 4: Piloto and Nena Glaciers - Agostini Sound

Sail through the Cockburn Channel to anchor in Chico Sound. You will board the zodiac boats for exploration of the Alakaluf Fjord, where you will be able observe beautiful waterfalls and the Piloto and Nena Glaciers. After lunch, the ship enters Agostini Sound, a spectacularly beautiful area located in the heart of the Darwin Mountain Range in Tierra del Fuego. At Aguila Glacier you will disembark and take an easy stroll along a beach bordering a lagoon surrounded by mountains until reaching a spot in front of the glacier.

Day 5: Strait of Magellan - Magdalena Island - Punta Arenas

Early in the morning, you will go ashore on Magdalena Island, where you will be able to observe an immense colony of Magellanic Penguins which can be seen during the walk to the lighthouse (In September and April this excursion is replaced by a trip to Marta Island to observe sea lions). The ship sails to Punta Arenas, where you will disembark.