Exploring the End of the World


With a range of 3 or 4 night packages from September to May each year, you will be able to sail through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Canal sightseeing fjords, bays, glaciers and islands, between the Chilean city of Punta Arenas and the Argentine city of Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego.

You could take daily hikes and watch the Magellan Penguins, Elephant Seals and many other of the region's species, and the amazing glaciers up close. The Australis Cruises Expedition Group will give lectures about the region's flora, fauna, geography and history. The Mare Australis takes you as far as the mythical Cape Horn , the last headland before arriving to Antarctica and the place where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Itineraries

The incorporation of our new expedition vessel, the M/V Via Australis, whose maiden voyage is in November, 2005, will increase our departures to twice weekly from both Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. The Via Australis is being built with the same high quality standards as the Mare Australis.

We have also changed the itinerary of the Mare Australis in the 2005/2006 season mainly by adding a Cape Horn stop in our Punta Arenas-Ushuaia route that departs from Punta Arenas on Saturdays. The Mare Australis' Ushuaia-Punta Arenas route on Wednesdays will remain the same as in the current season offering also the Cape Horn dismebarkment and resulting in Cape Horn visits both ways.

The Via Australis, on the other hand, will only feature a Cape Horn disembarkment on the Ushuaia-Punta Arenas 4-night route on Saturdays and does not offer it on the 3-night Wednesday departures from Punta Arenas.

PUNTA ARENAS-USHUAIA ROUTE

M/V MARE AUSTRALIS (5 days / 4 nights, Saturday to Wednesday) Starting from September 2005

Day 1 (Saturday) - Check-in of passengers at 990 Magallanes Street, Punta Arenas (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
Board, welcome cocktails and departure on the Mare Australis.

Day 2 (Sunday) - Disembark at Ainsworth Bay to enjoy the sight of the Marinelli Glacier from a distance and visit a colony of elephant seals. Disembark at the bay of the Brookes Glacier to hike near the glacier.

Day 3 (Monday) - Disembark in the bay of the Pia Glacier and excursion to an observation point. Navigate through the Beagle Channel and appreciate the spectacular "Glacier Avenue."

Day 4 (Tuesday) - Disembark in the Cabo de Hornos National Park, a place where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge.
Disembark in Puerto Williams, the southernmost town of the world.

Day 5 (Wednesday) - Arrival at Ushuaia, the most important Argentinean city of the Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. Disembarkment of passengers at 8:00 a.m.


M/V VIA AUSTRALIS (4 days / 3 nights, Wednesday to Saturday ) Starting from November 2005

Day 1 (Wednesday) - Check-in of passengers at 990 Magallanes Street, Punta Arenas (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
Board, welcome cocktails and departure on the Mare Australis.

Day 2 (Thursday) - Disembark at Ainsworth Bay to enjoy the sight of the Marinelli Glacier from a
distance and visit a colony of elephant seals. Tour in the Zodiac boats around the Tucker Islet to visit a colony of cormorants and a "rookery" of Magellan penguins.

Day 3 (Friday) - Disembark at the shores of Garibaldi Bay for an adventure tour through the Magellan Forest.
Disembark in the bay of the Pia Glacier and hike to an observation point

Day 4 (Saturday) - Arrival at Ushuaia, the most important Argentinean city of the Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. Disembarkment of the passengers at 8:00 a.m.

USHUAIA - PUNTA ARENAS ROUTE

M/V MARE AUSTRALIS (4 days / 3 nights, Wednesday to Saturday) Starting from September 2005

Day 1 (Wednesday) - Check-in of passengers at 245 San Martin Street, Ushuaia (10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
" Board, welcome cocktails and departure on the Mare Australis.

Day 2 (Thursday) - Disembark at the Cabo de Hornos National Park a place where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge.
Disembark at Wulaia Bay, a historical site and an ancient indigenous settlement.

Day 3 (Friday) - Disembark at the the Bay of the Günter Plushow Glacier and hike near the glacier.

Day 4 (Saturday) - Disembark at the Magdalena Island, home to an immense colony of Magellan penguins and walk to the lighthouse. Arrive to Punta Arenas and passengers disembark at 11:30 a.m.

 

 

M/V VIA AUSTRALIS (5 days / 4 nights, Saturday to Wednesday) Starting from November 2005

Day 1 (Saturday) - Check-in of passengers at 245 San Martin Street, Ushuaia (10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Board, welcome cocktails and departure on the Mare Australis.

Day 2 (Sunday) - Disembark at the Cabo de Hornos National Park where the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans merge. Disembark at Wulaia Bay, a historical site and ancient indigenous settlement.

Day 3 (Monday) - Disembark at the Bay of the Pia Glacier and excursion towards an observation boat to witness the massive glacier.

Day 4 (Tuesday) - Disembark at the Bay of the Günter Plushow Glacier and hike near the glacier. Disembark at the Bay of the Aguila Glacier and hike towards the glacier.

Day 5 (Wednesday) - Land at Magdalena Island, the home of an enormous "rookery" of penguins and walk to the lighthouse.
" End of expedition. Disembark at Punta Arenas (11:30 a.m.).

NOTE: Operator reserves the right to alter, change or skip any part of the schedule, without prior notice, when necessary or advisable for the safety and comfort of our passengers

During the cruise there will be interesting talks on the wildlife, history and geography of this legendary region given by the Terra Australis Expedition Group. The talks will take place both on board (with audio-visual support) and on land. The subjects will be:

Geography and Navigation Route - To learn about the geographic environment of our route and of all the channels we explore.
Glaciology - To discover the mystery of these giant ice masses that originated millions of years ago.
Flora - An audio-visual talk on the various species that form the Magellan forest.
Marine mammals - To become acquainted with these curious inhabitants of the southern sea.
Beagle Channel - To enter the mythical world of the Beagle Channel and learn facts of its history.
The Native People of the Region - To learn about a totally different culture, their habits, ways of life and mythology.
Strait of Magellan - Its legendary history.
Penguins - All you want to know about these southern birds.


What is freely included in the cruise?

When and where do we go ashore?

Check in starts every Saturclay at 13:00 hrs. until 18:00 hrs. In Muelle Arturo Prat, O'Higgins 1401 at Punta Arenas. Boarding time is from 18:00 hrs. until 19:00 hrs. Departure is at 20:00 hrs.The embarkation starts every Wednesday from 17:00 until 19:00 hrs. directly on board at Ushuaia's harbour. Departure is at 20:00 hrs. Passengers must be on board at least one hour before the departure


Dates and Rates