Adventure in Patagonia 2021 (Le Soleal)

Description

Discover Patagonia during a 13-day expedition cruise. PONANT is offering you the opportunity to explore the most beautiful scenery Argentina and Chile have to offer, including glaciers, fjords, and winding channels.

You will embark in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, and round the mythical Cape Horn.

Puerto Williams, considerated as the southernmost village in the world, will be your first port of call. Next enter the magic of the Chilean fjords and channels for exceptional moments spent sailing amidst landscapes of unrivalled beauty. The narrow passages, channels and fjords will lead you right up close to stunning glaciers, including Garibaldi, Agostini, El Brujo, Pie XI.

Your ship will reach Tortel and its charming stilt houses interconnected by a labyrinth of wooden footbridges.

During the last part of your cruise in South America, you will call at Quemchi, after a sailing during which it is not unusual to encounter sea lions and porpoises. Quemchi is an authentic village located on the lush island of Chiloé.

Please Note: your voyage rates include Overnight in Buenos Aires + flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia + visit + flight Concepcion/Santiago.

Trip Name

Adventure in Patagonia 2021 (Le Soleal)

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Luxury Small Ship Length: 142 metres Passenger Capacity: 264 Built: 2013 Sailing under the French flag, this magnificent yacht of only 132 staterooms and suites, with balconies, joined in 2013. You will be enchanted by the contemporary decor inspired by the luxury yachting world, with fluid lines and a modern colour scheme combining natural wood with shades of grey and white. A refined ambience is enhanced by the quality of the workmanship and materials: white Corian counters in the lobby contrast with the warmth of leather to recall a boat's hull, while the central scuplture of enamelled pieces takes its inspiration from the sea. In the loungebar, the carpet picks up a tennis stripe theme symbolising a certain idea of cruising, one synonomous with French elegance and a chic seaside spirit.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 BUENOS AIRES

Meet and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late morning.Lunch on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon. Dinner.Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 - Day 2 USHUAIA

Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the “Great White“ and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Day 3 - Day 3 SAILING AROUND CAPE HORN

It’s at the meeting point between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that you enter Chilean Patagonia where you head for the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and its famous Cape Horn. From the top of its impressive 425-metre high cliff, South America’s southernmost tip has, for many centuries, seen merchant ships from the world over passing by. Because of its legendary storms and rough seas, getting round this cape has gone down in history as a challenge for all seafarers.

Day 4 - Day 4 PUERTO WILLIAMS

Located on Navarino Island a few kilometres from the Argentinian border, the city of Puerto Williams is, according to Chileans, the southernmost city in the world. It is first and foremost, a charming fishing port whose calm and isolation will delight you. You can stroll around a few little streets and admire the dark silhouette of the Patagonian Andes, surmounted by eternally white peaks. The Martin Gusinde museum of anthropology gives an aperçu of the living conditions of the ancient indigenous people, the Yámanas, while the surrounding areas propose hiking paths across wild, unspoiled nature.

Day 5 - Day 5 GARIBALDI GLACIER

Cruise along the narrow arm of Garibaldi Fjord and marvel at its stunning landscapes: thick green vegetation adorns steep mountains, rivalling the beauty of surrounding ice and snow. Further on, Garibaldi Glacier unveils itself: a towering ice titan looming at the end of the fjord that shares its name. Don't be surprised if sea lions and numerous birds accompany you on your enchanting journey into the heart of one of Chile's most beautiful glaciers.

Day 6 - Day 6 AGOSTINI GLACIER

In the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the Agostini Glacier sits at the back of the eponymous fjord, framed by the Cordillera Darwin. Named after the Italian missionary and explorer Alberto Maria De Agostini, this imposing blue-tinged glacier offers a stunning view over the fjord.

Day 7 - Day 7 SAILING IN THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN

This mythical strait situated in the south of Chile and separating South America from Tierra del Fuego, awakens our imagination, stirring up a longing for adventure. For the first time, follow in the footsteps of the famous Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, known for having organised the first circumnavigation of the globe in the 16th century. Aboard your ship, cruise along the 600 km separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific and, before arriving in Ushuaia, discover the sea route which was long nicknamed “Strait of All Saints” because Magellan’s ships first entered it on All Saints’ Day. A fascinating adventure.

Day 8 - Day 8 EL BRUJO GLACIER

At the heart of Bernardo O’Higgings National Park, the largest protected area in Chile, discover El Brujo Glacier. Located at the end of the Asia Fjord, this huge wall of ice sculpted by the wind is fascinating and impressive. This magical, natural and grandiose décor that changes as the light plays upon it will be an unforgettable sight.

Day 9 - Day 9 PIE XI GLACIER & ENGLISH PASSAGE

The Brüggen Glacier, a coastal glacier in southern Chile also known as Pio XI, is astonishing for its almost surreal dimensions. With a surface area exceeding 1,200 km2, it is the largest of the glaciers making up the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. This gigantic ice field is the third largest ice mass in the world. Straddling the southern Andes Mountains, its breathtaking natural setting inspires sheer wonder and awe.Between green hills rising from the water and snow-capped peaks, the English Passage is one of the main Patagonian channels. Situated off the south-western coast of Chile, at the end of the Messier Channel, this narrow waterway with a width of just 180 metres offers a unique sailing experience due to its exceptional dimensions and its magnificent natural setting.

Day 10 - Day 10 TORTEL

A picturesque, colourful fishing village, Tortel boasts a splendid location in the heart of southern Patagonia, halfway between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn. From the little streets made up of small walkways, you’ll love the grand panorama of rounded mountains, dense forest, the clear waters of the Pacific. If you walk out onto one the many wooden pontoons, you can admire the views as you stand suspended a few metres above the water. The village is scattered with sculptures made by local artists, an excellent introduction to this friendly community

Day 11 - Day 11 AT SEA

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Day 12 - Day 12 QUEMCHI, CHILOE ISLAND

In southern Chile, in the Lake District, discover the small fishing port of Quemchi on the east coast of Chiloé Island. With its authentic charm, its pretty wooden houses, its narrow streets lined with small shops, and its fish market, this faraway village is sure to win you over. Be sure to visit the museum dedicated to Francisco Coloane, the famous Chilean author and adventurer born on this southern land. Not far from there, the small island called Isla Aucar, accessible via a wooden footbridge, will be a chance to observe a wide variety of birds and discover a magnificent botanical garden, home to many of the region’s endemic plants.

Day 13 - Day 13 AT SEA

Day 14 - Day 14 TALCAHUANO

Disembarkation.

Day 15 - Please Note:

Subject to ice and weather conditions. The expedition highlights and itineraries described above illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
Quemchi, a very authentic village on the island of Chiloé.
Observing glaciers, channels and fjords, and navigating along narrow passages.
If weather conditions allow it, disembarking at Cape Horn and discovering its albatross sculpture created by the Chilean artist José Balcells Eyquem.
The stop in Tortel, a picturesque village with wooden pontoons and footbridges, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sailing along the Strait of Magellan.
Depending on opportunities, observing Magellanic penguins, guanacos, caracaras, dolphins, humpback whales, fur seals, sea lions, alpacas, condors and cormorants.
Landscapes: fjords dominated by the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, iridescent glaciers, and mountain lakes with crystal-clear water.