CHILE CRUISES: MARE AUSTRALIS

CRUCLPUQMA 
5D/4N - PUNTA ARENAS TO USHUAIA - SATURDAY TO WEDNESDAY
4 D/3N - USHUAIA TO PUNTA ARENAS - WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY

The M/V MARE AUSTRALIS is a different kind of cruise. It takes you to places on this planet that are unique and exclusive. Navigate through the Patagonia Channels and Tierra del Fuego. Get to know Punta Arenas, the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel and its glaciers, Puerto Williams, the southernmost city in the world, where you will enjoy many exotic and historical places. In addition, get to know Ushuaia, Argentina, with its duty-free port where you will find a variety of shops that are hard to resist. On board, surrounded by natural beauty, enjoy delicious meals from the region, the best wines, liquors and the most complete bar. Listen to interesting lectures on the history, glaciers, flora and fauna of this fabulous route to enhance your knowledge and experience. Evenings are full of fun activities, such as a costume party, a wide variety of music, contests and prizes.  DECK LAYOUT - CABINS

A journey to the "End of the World" on board the M/V MARE AUSTRALIS, is a unique adventure at the Patagonia region. Departing from Punta Arenas, Chile, every Thursday from September through April, crossing the Magellan’s Straight, the vessel will travel to famed Cape Horn, then navigate along the Beagle Channel up to Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, visiting nine glaciers, virgin forests, lakes and the splendid flora and fauna of one of the world’s few uncontaminated regions. Passengers will also get to know the remains of nearly extinct native cultures. You will learn about the geographic environment where our expedition cruiseship sails and each one of the channels, fjords and glaciers making this route a unique and mysterious place at the end of the earth alogn with the history of the discovery of the southernmost region in the world and the explorations that followed the discovery, where Spanish navigators, English corsairs, scientists and others arrived at this indomitable place, inhabited only by indigenous tribes.

Highlights

Marinelli Glacier - Located in Ainsworth Bay, in the midst of the Darwin Range, in the distance, one can see the enormous wall of this ice giant of more than 40 meters high. Here we land on the beach to start a 20 minute walk through quiet trails in the native woods towards the beaver dam. The Australis Cruises Expedition Group will give us a brief talk about the ecosystem and geography. We will then head towards the colony of sea-elephants living nearby in the company of a great variety of birds. Tucker Islet - As we approach this little island, if we are lucky, we will be able to see the dolphins that meet our boat and escort us toward this beautiful place, where we will come into contact with the southernmost wildlife of the world. On the islet, a colony of Magellan penguins - visible from October to March - nest among the vegetation in burrows made by themselves, accompanied by the assailant skua galls (predator birds) diving around. At the other end of the islet we will find a large flock of cormorants. Only 15 minutes after leaving the islet and its peculiar inhabitants, we will see a rocky promontory inhabited by a colony of sea-lions. D'Agostini Fiord - In the morning, a number of blue-tinted floating masses of ice announce that we are sailing through the D'Agostini Fjord, a sea route which passes several glaciers. In a memorable awakening, and surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, we can watch the dance of light at dawn in front of the Serrano Glacier, where we will clearly see the central moraine. The myrtleberry, chaura (wild berry), ñirre (nothofagus pumilio, known as Antarctic beech), and wild strawberry together with other native species, thrive in these surroundings. Then, we will proceed towards D'Agostini Glacier to enjoy its magnitude and to listen to its internal sounds, produced by the breaking and cracking of large masses of ice, a natural scene that has been repeated every year for thousands of years. Garibaldi Glacier - When the ship enters the Garibaldi Inlet, our aim will be to come as close as possible to one of the most beautiful glaciers of our cruise to be able to observe the breathtaking mass of blue ice. During the route we will stop for a moment to admire the sea-lions and wild duck that herald our arrival. We will continue cruising through floating ice towards land and will disembark, in the middle of silence, in one of the solitary beaches of the Garibaldi Inlet, from where we will penetrate one of the wildest and thickest forests of Patagonia, as our guides tell us about its flora, fauna and geography. Puerto Williams - Located at the northern end of Navarino Island and on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Puerto Williams- with no more than two-thousand inhabitants- is proud to be the farthest southern town of the world. In the woods that surround this outpost, we will discover splendid waterfalls, lakes and rivers very apt for fishing. We will learn about the place where the last direct surviving descendants of the Yagan Indians still live. Another attraction is the Martin Gusinde Museum, which houses the history of the native cultures of the region. There are optional tours of the area. Ushuaia - World's farthest southern city, located on the border of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains, the port of Ushuaia, originally a penal colony, is now the capital of the Argentinean province of Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia is the threshold to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here, we will enjoy the wonders of this landscape where the sea meets the forests and mountains. This southern Argentinean town is the embarking and disembarking port for those passengers who take the 3 or 4-night tour between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas or vice-versa. There are optional tours available to visit the area. Cape Horn - We will visit Horn Island, to get a panoramic view of the famous and mythical Cape Horn, the place where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, and last promontory of South America. Cape Horn, an island featuring cliffs of almost 425 meters high, was discovered on January 30, 1616 by a Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac LeMaire and under the command of Captain Wilhem Schouten. The Cape owes its name to the Port of Hoorn from where the expedition departed on June 14, 1615. Wulaia Bay - One of the most important indigenous sites of the region. Once we disembark, we walk to an observation point where we can admire this beautiful bay as the sun comes down. Pia Glacier - On the north-west arm of the Beagle Channel, Pia Glacier is embedded in the Darwin Range, and it gradually runs down into the waters of Pia Bay. We will head towards an observation point that offers excellent conditions to view the mountain range where the glacier originates, and its progress until it falls into the sea. Here we will listen to the thunderous noises caused by the large masses of ice cracking and dropping into the bay. Magdalena Island - Located 25 miles north of Punta Arenas, in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, Magdalena Island is a natural reserve of Magellan penguins, cormorants, and other birds which peacefully coexist with sea-lions. Here we will discover a "rookery" of more than 60 thousand couples of penguins that come back year after year to nest in the same burrows built by them. Between October and March they occupy almost the entire island, and are a unique sight. One can walk through the island along a marked path leading to a lighthouse where there is an exhibition of photographs and information on the marine life in the Strait of Magellan. Punta Arenas - More than 140,000 people inhabit Punta Arenas, the capital city of the XII Region of Magallanes, Chile. Geographically, it is located in parallels 53 South and 72 longitude West, in the borders of Strait of Magellan, the access door to the two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. This city is the front door to visit diverse attractions of the zone, among them are Tierra del Fuego, Torres del Paine National Park, Puerto Williams and Antarctica. The city boasts the farthest southern ski center of the world, which has the unique characteristic of being the only one in the world with view to the ocean, this center is only 8 km to the west of Punta Arenas.

Day 1(Saturday) PUNTA ARENAS / MAGELLAN STRAITS
13.00-18.00: Passengers check-in at local dock Arturo Prat, O´Higgins 
1401.18.00-19.00: Boarding “Terra Australis” Cruiser. The crew headed by the Captain will welcome you aboard for cocktails with you cruise companions. Immediately after, the ship will depart towards the end of the world. Along the mythical Strait of Magellan, we will sail through Patagonian Channels and around Tierra del Fuego. The beginning of a great adventure. 

Day 2 (Sunday) AINSWORTH BAY-MARINELLI GLACIER-TUCKER ISLET
With the first light of dawn navigation we will continue through Almirantazgo Fjord till the area of Ainsworth Bay, where we will see from afar Marinelli Glacier standing 40 meters tall . We will disembark by zodiac to visit a colony of Elephant Seals and after a brief walk we will arrive at Beaver dam and also see the Magellan Forests. In the afternoon at Tucker Islet we will visit a small colony of Magellan Penguins. Once back onboard, it is possible to observe that on the other side of the island there is a Colony of cormorants and after a few minutes of navigation there is a rocky promontory with a large colony of sea lions and seals.

Day 3(Monday) D´AGOSTINI FJORD-SERRANO AND D´AGOSTINI GLACIER- CONDOR GLACIER
Dawn finds us by the D´Agostini Fjord where we can appreciate the Serrano Glacier. Later we will approach D´Agostini Glacier, one of the most impressive in the Patagonian channels and prepare to disembark around Condor bay. An excursion by zodiac will allow us to go ashore and enjoy the Condor Glacier and its fjord. After boarding again the ship will sail through the Strait of Magellan to reach Brecknock Channel. 

Day 4 (Tuesday) BEAGLE CHANNEL – YENDEGAIA – PUERTO WILLIAMS
After navigating across Desolation Bay and through the O'Brian and Balleneros Channels we will enter the north west extension of the Beagle Channel to experience the majestic “Glaciers Avenue”: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland . Then, we will isembark at Yendegaia Bay, ehere the first Chilean farm of Tierra del Fuego is Located. During the visit we will be able to see the settlement remains of the yagan people. In the afternoon we will stop at Puerto Williams, the southernmost village in the world, where you can take optional tours to Martin Gusinde museum, the Beavers lagoon or a flight over the impressive Cape Horn.

Day 5 (Wednesday) USHUAIA
Early arrival in Ushuaia, the most important Argentinean city on Tierra del Fuego. Here you may enjoy optional tours that will permit you to know the most Southern region in South America, such as the Tierra del Fuego National Park or lakes Escondido or Fagnano. On this day, those passengers who took the Punta Arenas-Ushuaia sector option disembark and new passengers embark between 17.00 and 19.00 with destination to Punta Arenas.

Day 6 (Thursday) CAPE HORN – WULAIA BAY
Navigation trough the Beagle Channel and Murray Channel to disembark in the CABO DE HORNOS (CAPE HORNS) National Park. Cape Horn is a natural sea wall of almost 425 metres high that was discovered on January 30, 1616 by a commercial expedition from the Netherlands organized by Isaac Le Maire. We disembark in Walaia Bay, where we will be able to visit one of the most important indigenious sites of the region.

Day 7 (Friday) PIA GLACIER – GARIBALDI GLACIER
We will sail back across the main branch of the Beagle Channel to disembark at Pia Glacier. We will take a short walk to an observation point where we can also see more examples of the area's vegetation. The glacier can be seen in all its glory from the view point. In the afternoon we will enter Garibaldi Fjord where we will be able to enjoy views of the Glacier of the same name and the impressive snow fields of the Darwin Range. We will take the opportunity to disembark in zodiacs at one of the beaches along this protected and wonderful place. There we will undertake an adventurous trek to appreciate the lush vegetation and the virgin forests that cover the mountain slopes. We will continue navigating through O'Brian and Ballenero Channels, Bahía Desolada, Paso Aguirre and Brecknock Channel

Day 8 (Saturday) MAGDALENA ISLAND – PUNTA ARENA
SEarly in the morning we will disembark in Magdalena Island, the home of an enormous penguin colony with over 120.000 of them indifferent stages of breeding. We will take a walk to San Isidro Lighthouse. After our visit we will return to Punta Arenas where we dock at 11.00 AM and start disembarkation formalities. Thus our Adventure comes to its end.

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Included:

Nights Cruise as per Cabin Accommodation and itinerary selected all meals, open bar (with out additional cost for wines, beverages, and liquors) Shore excursions, and on-board entertainment.

Not Included:

All domestic and international airfare and airport taxes Tips and expenditure of a personal nature, such as souvenirs, laundry etc. Other tours not mentioned in the program Travel & Personal accident insurance

PLEASE NOTE: All tours are usually presented as LAND ONLY (no airfare is included) and best airfare from your departing city will be included at time of departure. All tour programs are subject to your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions, which is understood when you progress into the reservation. Please review Terms & Conditions

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