Australis Expedition Cruises

NEED TO KNOW

• Cruceros Australis offers three and four night itineraries, cruising the stunning southernmost fjords of Chile and Argentina, inaccessible by road or plane
• The line operates two vessels - the 100-cabin Stella Australis and the 64-cabin Via Australis
• Cruises are scheduled in Patagonian summer from September through April
• Both vessels are well equipped, offering all outside, spacious cabins, excellent cuisine and ample communal and deck space
• The vessel's Zodiac motor launches take guests closer to glaciers and Magellenic penguin colonies
• Knowledgeable crew give lectures on the wildlife, history and geography
  

THE VESSELS
Both the Via Australis and the Stella Australis are very well appointed vessels, with a host of facilities.  They are perfect way to experience the trip of a lifetime - whether a three-day cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Punta Arenas, Chile, or a four-day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia.  Highlights include sailing through the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan whilst also stopping at Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America.

Example Itinerary.

Day 1 - Punta Arenas

Afternoon embarkation and evening welcome cocktail reception before departing for 'the uttermost part of the earth', sailing through the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Day 2 - Ainsworth Bay and Tuckers Islets

At dawn, the cruise continues through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving at Ainsworth Bay and the Marinelli Glacier inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park.  Walking tours take in a beaver dam in the sub polar Magellanic forest before the cruise sails on to Tuckers Islets and its Magellanic Penguins. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay and the glacier.

Day 3 - Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley

The ships navigate along the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord and Pia Glacier. A short walk reaches a look-out point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier. After this unforgettable experience, the ships continue along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic 'Glacier Alley'.

Day 4 - Cape Horn and Wulaia Bay

The ships sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park - declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, guests 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. The day is capped by a walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.

Day 5 - Ushuaia

Arrival at Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world followed by morning disembarkation.