Frontiers of Patagonia: Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego and Beyond

Depart U.S. on an overnight flight to Buenos Aires.

Arrive at the Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza International Airport and meet your Holbrook representative in the arrivals hall. Transfer to the hotel with free time until orientation in the afternoon. Later take a field trip to the towering seven-story Teatro Colón, a world-class center for opera, ballet, and classical music since 1908. The current building replaced the original Teatro Colón, which stood in front of the Plaza de Mayo from 1857 to 1888. Afterward, head to a local cellar/bar and learn about some of Argentina's famed regional wines. Have a wine tasting and dinner.

This morning, go on a walking orientation in the downtown area and San Telmo. Walk through the Plaza de Mayo, the city's main square. Landmarks here include the presidential palace, known as the Casa Rosada, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Then continue walking south into the city's oldest neighborhood, San Telmo. The neighborhood is home to many local and international artists because of its unique energy and rich history. Have lunch at a traditional restaurant in San Telmo, and then have time to explore on your own. At 6 pm, attend a lecture on the History of Argentina through Tango, followed by dinner and a tango show at a local restaurant.

Depart for the airport to catch the approximately 3.5 hour flight to Ushuaia, one of the southernmost cities in the world and a popular starting point for expeditions to Antarctica. Snacks will be provided during the flight. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and have time to freshen up. This evening, have a special dinner at the hotel with a local chef to learn about Fuegian cuisine.

After breakfast visit Tierra del Fuego National Park, the country’s first shoreline park. Native forests of lengas, coihues, ñires, canelos, and mossy foliage are home to guanacos, foxes, and muskrats. Short trails follow the southern edges of the park, providing visitors with scenic views of the Ensenada and Lapataia Bays and the famous Beagle Channel. Sea birds are abundant along the coast and include albatross, terns, geese, ducks, and gulls. Be on the lookout for condors, Magellanic Woodpeckers, and Austral Conures. A five-mile trail leading west from Bahía Ensenada passes through an area of archaeological importance, where you’ll see grass-covered shell mounds left by the Yámana inhabitants hundreds of years ago. Next, enjoy a typical lamb asado lunch followed by some free time. Later transfer to Ushuaia’s port to begin embarkation procedures on the boat. After a welcome cocktail reception hosted by the captain and his crew, the ship departs for one of the most remote corners of planet Earth. During the night traverse the Beagle Channel and cross from Argentina into Chilean territorial waters. The lights of Ushuaia disappear as the boat turns into the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands.

Around the break of dawn, Australis crosses Nassau Bay and enters the remote archipelago that comprises Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, go ashore on the windswept island that harbors legendary Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos). Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition and named after the town of Hoorn in West Friesland Cape Horn is a sheer, 1,394-foot-high rocky promontory overlooking the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and was often referred to as the "End of the Earth." The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Chilean navy maintains a permanent lighthouse on the island, staffed by a lightkeeper and his family, as well as the tiny Stella Maris Chapel and modern Cape Horn Monument (currently awaiting repair after being damaged by fierce winds). Sailing back across Nassau Bay, anchor at fabled Wulaia Bay, one of the few places in the archipelago where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment. Originally the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements, the bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages on HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for its mesmerizing beauty and dramatic geography. After a visit to the Australis-sponsored museum in the old radio station which is especially strong on the Yámana people and European missionaries in the area have a choice of three hikes (of increasing degrees of difficulty) that ascend the heavily wooded mountain behind the bay. On all of these, stroll through an enchanted Magellanic forest of lengas, coihues, canelos and ferns to reach panoramic viewpoints overlooking the bay.

Overnight we continue our Patagonia glacier tour around the western end of Tierra del Fuego via the very narrow Gabrial Channel, Magdalena Channel and Cockburn Channel. After rounding the remote Brecknock Peninsula, Ventus Australis tacks eastward and enters the Beagle Channel again. By morning we are entering Pia Fjord and boarding the Zodiacs for a shore excursion to Pia Glacier.After disembarking we take a short hike to gain a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea or a longer much more difficult walk up a lateral moraine of the old Pia Glacier. No one knows for certain how the hulking mass of snow and ice got its feminine moniker, but one theory says it was named for Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911), daughter of the Italian king. Making our way further west along the Beagle Channel, we enter another long fjord and drop anchor near Garibaldi Glacier for another shore excursion. Garibaldi is one of only three glaciers in Patagonia gaining mass rather than staying the same or slowly shrinking. This time we hike through virgin Magellanic forest to a glacial waterfall, a towering wall of ferns and moss, and spectacular viewpoints looking down on the glacier and fjord. The walk is demanding -- very steep, negligible trail, rough footing -- and not for everyone. For those who choose to stay onboard, our captain will point the bow towards the beautiful sky blue Garibaldi Glacier so everyone can enjoy the panoramic view from the upper decks.

Early in the morning, we will sail through the Cockburn Channel and enter Agostini Sound. From there it is possible to see the glaciers that descend from the middle of the Darwin Mountain Range -- some of them reaching the water. This morning, we will disembark and go for an easy walk around a lagoon, which was formed by the melting of the Águila Glacier. We will reach a spot right in front of that glacier with stunning views. In the afternoon, we will approach the Condor Glacier via Zodiac -- and hopefully see some of the abundant Andean Condors in the area

After an overnight cruise through Magdalena Channel and back into the Strait of Magellan, anchor off Magdalena Island, which lies about halfway between Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean mainland. Crowned by a distinctive lighthouse, the island used to be an essential source of supplies for navigators and explorers and is inhabited by an immense colony of Magellanic Penguins. At the break of dawn, weather permitting, go ashore and hike a path that leads through thousands of penguins to a small museum lodged inside the vintage 1902 lighthouse. Many other bird species are also found on the island. In September and April when the penguins dwell elsewhere this excursion is replaced by a ride aboard Zodiacs to Marta Island to observe South American sea lions. After a short cruise south along the strait, disembarkation at Punta Arenas is scheduled for around 11:30 am. Have a quick look of this traditional Patagonic city and then begin the transfer to Torres del Paine with boxed lunch and while admiring Patagonia's breathtaking vistas, snow peaked mountains and rolling plains dotted with guanacos along the way. Arrive the hotel situated along the southern border of the Torres del Paine National Park and check in. Dinner and orientation.

This morning drive across Torres del Paine National Park with views of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks as well as Los Cuernos, the famous mountain with black granite, horn-like spires. Walk along the shores of stunning Lake Pehoe and visit the furious Salto Grande Falls which pour the waters of Lake Nordenskjold into Pehoe. Continue over the gentle Nordenskjold Trail until reaching its picture-perfect lookout point. After returning to the vehicle back at Lake Pehoe, drive south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey to have a boxed lunch. Continue with a walk around Lake Grey for a better view of the glacier. Return to hotel.

After breakfast explore the scenery along the route to Laguna Azul, situated on the northeastern side of the park. Admire the local flora and fauna and the picturesque landscapes including the beautiful Paine Waterfall. Upon arrival at Laguna Azul, hike to a lookout point for a breathtaking view of the lagoon and the granite towers that give the park its name. Continue along the eastern side of Lago Sarmiento to the calcium formations on the shores where guanacos are sometimes seen.

Say farewell to Torres del Paine during a final breakfast at the camp, and then depart toward Puerto Natales with a boxed lunch from Ruben's. Stop en route to visit the massive prehistoric Milodón Cave, where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890s. The site is located in a transition zone where forests and arid plains meet, and is home to a large number of bird species. Continue to Puerto Natales; at around 2:30 pm or later this afternoon, fly to Santiago and then transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. PLEASE NOTE: The location we are flying out of is based on the flight schedule. If Puerto Natales is not operating, we will drive to Punta Arenas and then take a flight to Santiago. If flights depart before 2:30 pm, the Milodón Cave visit will instead take place on the day you arrive to Torres del Paine.

After breakfast, depart for a winery and vineyard located just outside of Santiago. Led by a local expert, learn about the local viniculture before enjoying in a wine tasting. Chilean wines are becoming more and more popular around the world as they continue to win prizes at prestigious international wine tasting competitions. After a farewell lunch at a local restaurant, return to the hotel, followed by time at leisure to get some rest, do some last-minute packing and get ready for the flight back home. The dayroom is available until 6 pm. Have late afternoon refreshments at the hotel before heading out to the airport to catch international flights to the U.S.

Arrive United States