Cruceros Australis

The Cruceros Australis cruise ships (Mare Australis, Via Australis and new for 2009 is the slightly bigger Stella Australis) will take you through the Magellan Straits as well as the Beagle Channel allowing you to to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world:  Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego.

Between September and April and for trips of 3 or 4 nights in length these cruise ships offer you the perfect way to begin or end your holiday in either Argentina or Chile. Cruises start in Punta Arenas and head through to Ushuaia or vice versa.

On these voyages you will explore bays, fjords, past islands, forests, mountains, glaciers, penguins, sea lions and much much more…just incredible! Every day you will disembark and venture forth by large inflatable dinghies (locally known as zodiacs) on various excursions to learn about the environment with your experienced guides. There are also optional lectures on board all about the flora and fauna of the area.

All the cruises plan to visit Cape Horn, except those in the months of September or April when inclement weather may not allow for a visit. Generally speaking, 20 per cent of cruises are not able to visit Cape Horn. If you are able to land there, then you will be able to enjoy about an hour and a half of exploring.

While there is a high likelihood of seeing dolphins on your cruise, there won’t be whales...

For the full 3 night itinerary which takes you from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Punta Arenas (Chile), click here.

For the full 4 night itinerary – Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, click here.