Patagonia & Chilean Fjords Cruise

Arrive in Puerto Montt, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Puerto Montt, we ask you to make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minute items.    

The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.    

Assigned accommodation: Hotel Cabana Del Lago

For most of its history, windy Puerto Montt was the end of the line for just about everyone traveling in the Lake District. Now the Carretera Austral carries on southward, but for all intents and purposes Puerto Montt remains the region's last significant outpost, a provincial city that is the hub of local fishing, textile, and tourist activity.Today the city center is full of malls, condos, and office towers—it's the fastest-growing city in Chile—but away from downtown, Puerto Montt consists mainly of low clapboard houses perched above its bay, the Seno de Reloncaví. If it's a sunny day, head east to Playa Pelluco or one of the city's other beaches. If you're more interested in exploring the countryside, drive along the shore for a good view of the surrounding hills.

This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.        

Your morning is at leisure to explore Puerto Montt. Meet back at the hotel in the afternoon for your transfer to the port.        

Settle into your cabin, where each detail was designed with your comfort in mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore! As we throw the lines and set sail, join your expedition team on deck before tucking into a delicious dinner, and toast to the voyage ahead.

For most of its history, windy Puerto Montt was the end of the line for just about everyone traveling in the Lake District. Now the Carretera Austral carries on southward, but for all intents and purposes Puerto Montt remains the region's last significant outpost, a provincial city that is the hub of local fishing, textile, and tourist activity.Today the city center is full of malls, condos, and office towers—it's the fastest-growing city in Chile—but away from downtown, Puerto Montt consists mainly of low clapboard houses perched above its bay, the Seno de Reloncaví. If it's a sunny day, head east to Playa Pelluco or one of the city's other beaches. If you're more interested in exploring the countryside, drive along the shore for a good view of the surrounding hills.

We start our journey by visiting Castro, the charming capital of Chiloé region.  Here you have a choice of one of the following two shore excursion options. 

Option 1 - Castro and Chonchi (5 hours) 

Discover the main attractions of Castro town including palafittes (houses on stilts), museums, churches and the handicraft market. You will then visit the beautiful renowned churches of the area recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Continue to Chonchi, nicknamed the “city of three floors” for its terraces, with important sites such as the Museum of Traditions, Accordion Museum and its attractive waterfront. For lunch, savour the taste of the region’s fresh produce before returning to Castro for some free time.

Option 2 - Chiloé National Park (6.5 hours) 

This excursion takes you through the pristine natural landscapes that amazed Charles Darwin during his explorations of the Huillinco and Cucao Lakes and Pacific Ocean. At Chiloé National Park visit the interpretation centre, walk along lovely “Sendero el Tepual” a pathway that winds through Chiloé’s thick and humid forest. After the walk, it’s time to relax and enjoy lunch, where you will savour the flavours of the region’s produce, before returning to Castro for some free time.  

Bright, wooden huts teeter on stilts over Castro's estuary waterfront, inviting you into a patchwork of colour that’s sure to brighten any day. These traditional palafitos give the warmest of welcomes, as you prepare to experience Chile at its most vibrant. Castro has faced something of a tumultuous past, having been hit by a by a succession of earthquakes and fires - the most recent a devastating earthquake in 1960. But this city is incredibly resilient, and today the capital of Chiloe Island makes for a fantastic base for exploring the archipelago that surrounds it.  

Spend the morning exploring the delightful and impressive coastline of Tic Toc Bay – either ship cruising or perhaps by Zodiac and kayak. This whole area has been recently recognised as one of the few marine parks of Chile famous not only for the seasonal presence of blue whales but also for the rich array of other cetaceans, marine mammals, and seabirds. In the Corcovado Gulf, you will enjoy spotting a good variety of seabirds including black-browed albatross, southern giant petrel, southern fulmar and long-distant migrants such as the migratory Arctic skua.  

Continue to keep watch for whales in the Corcovado Gulf as we sail into Chiloé, an archipelago of lush islands, a land of myths and legends, unique folklore and culinary traditions. It’s a region blessed with natural beauty and culture, cherished by Chileans. Explore this mythical island with its colourful timber churches, sixteen of which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. 

The crown jewel of Costa Rica's national park system, Corcovado National Park (Parque Nacional Corcovado), is comprised of an enormous 103,290 acres (41,800 ha) of tropical rainforest. The largest of Costa Rica's parks, it encompasses about a third of the Osa Peninsula and embraces an unbelievable amount of its biodiversity. Corcovado Park represents a very diverse population of flora and fauna, including 10% of the mammals found in the Americas. Declared a protected area in 1975 to prevent the harvest of precious resources, it is believed to have the largest concentration of macaws and virgin lowland rainforest in Central America. Also, it is one of the very few locations in Costa Rica that harbour the endangered squirrel monkey. As it is one of the most complex freshwater/saltwater ecosystems in the world, Corcovado is home of one quarter of the tree species in Costa Rica. There are 6,000 species of insects, 140 species of mammals, almost 400 species of birds, 116 species of amphibians and reptiles and 40 species of fish. Some of the most frequently viewed wildlife includes jaguars, turtles, anteaters, butterflies, sloths, crocodiles, poison-arrow frogs, several species of monkeys, and, with luck, maybe even a tapir.

We spend the next couple of days navigating our way through Patagonia’s maze of fjords. Our team of experts will continue to deliver informative and entertaining presentations in the lecture theatre or, you may choose to enjoy a book from our library or stay active in the fitness centre. 

Spend time on the decks to scan for whales, dolphins and seabirds, while admiring the beautiful landscapes of the maze of channels and islands around. We will be sailing along part of the 145 km / 90-mile long Moraleda Channel, which separates the mainland from the huge archipelagos of Chonos and Guaitecas. To the east we will see magnificent Andes peaks such as the Mentolat, Melimoyu and the Maca volcanoes. We will be scanning the waters for the occasional presence of pods of killer whale that predate on the numerous South American sea lion colonies located along the coast and forested islands.

Strewn through the coast of Chile, these beautiful fjords are world renowned for being one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth. Snow-capped volcanoes nestle majestically alongside rolling valleys of ice and frosty glaciers. Rugged beauty, breathtaking scenery not to mention diverse and profuse wildlife abounds – expect to watch whales from the deck, see playful Magellan Penguins and perhaps even spot the rare Andean Condor. Affectionately named “The End of the World” by the Spaniards who discovered the region in eighteenth century in a quest to Christianise South America, these extraordinary waterways not only encompass a medley of jagged mountains and iceberg strewn bays, but feature a kaleidoscopic spectrum of unexpected colour that offers photographic opportunities like no other destination.

This morning, a maze of fjords ultimately leads us to the entrance of Pío XI, named in honour of Pope Pius XI by Father Alberto de Agostini, an Italian missionary and explorer, who in 1931 was the first person to cross the Southern Ice Field. Of the 48 glaciers in the Southern Ice Field, nearly all are retreating, except Pío XI. Scientists have not been able to explain exactly why it has advanced so far and so fast over the past 80 years. In any case, Pío XI Glacier is an anomaly in a world where nearly all glaciers are retreating and being able to see it up close is a privilege.

In the early hours, we cross the Kirke Narrows to Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, world-renowned for its granite towers, which give the park its name. These gigantic spires were carved by glacial ice and upon entering the park, you will see a series of lakes with intense colours, mountains covered in ice, and an array of local fauna. In Patagonia, you will feel the immensity of nature and delight in feeling completely insignificant in its presence. The jaw-dropping landscapes of turquoise waters, glaciers and towering granite horns of the Torres del Paine National Park is a humbling experience. 

You will have two days to experience the wonders of Torres del Paine National Park on various hikes suited to your fitness level. You will pass several estancias (ranches) en route to the national park, and you will witness the landscape change from a steppe eco-region to deciduous forest. Along the way, pause amongst the mountains to admire views of the lakes called Amarga, Sarmiento, and Nordenskjold, and Salto Grande. You may be able to see some of the local fauna, including many species of birds including the majestic condor. Look out for foxes, huemul (Andean deer) and guanacos, which are wild camelids related to the llama. The reclusive difficult-to-spot puma has also been seen inside the national park where authorities are happy to report a healthy growing population.  

We spend the night at a comfortable hotel located just outside of the national park offering superb mountain and river views. Here you will enjoy local cuisine and Chilean wine and hear about the various hiking options available to you and suited to your individual interests and fitness level. On the afternoon of your second day in Torres del Paine National Park, you will be transported back to the vessel in time for dinner, swapping stories on the drive back, of your exploration of the park.  

At low tide this evening, we cross the White Narrows – a narrow channel of water approximately 80 metres wide. Find a spot on one of our many observation areas and appreciate the masterful skills of our Captain as they navigate us through this difficult channel.  

You can choose from one of the following three itineraries to suit your fitness levels: Easy, Medium, and Difficult  

Day One in Torres del Paine National Park 

Easy option- minimal walking required with visits to the national park’s most impressive lookouts, shorter days 

Highlights include:  

Sarmiento Lake viewpoint  

Laguna Amarga lookout  

Nordenskjold Lake lookout  

Salto Grande lookout  

Lunch at the cafeteria overlooking Grey Lake 

End the day at Villa Serrano to check-in to your hotel for the evening. 

Medium option – easy treks of up to 14 km (8.7 mi) per day 

Enter the Laguna Azul area of Torres del Paine National Park and hike the Cañadón Macho trail. 

Highlights include: 

Sarmiento Lake lookout 

Nordenskjold Lake lookout    

Visit the Salto Grande and Pehoe areas 

End the day at Villa Serrano to check-in to your hotel for the evening. 

Difficult option – longer and more challenging treks of up to 22 km (13.7 mi) per day 

Las Torres Base trek - up to 20 km (12.5 mi) 

You will explore the Ascencio Valley, walking through a beautiful Lenga forest and getting up close to the astounding Torres del Paine viewpoint. Throughout the trek you will walk through forests, along streams and across glacier moraines. 

End the day at Villa Serrano to check-in to your hotel for the evening. 

Accommodation: Hotel Rio Serrano (or similar) 

Day Two in Torres del Paine National Park 

Easy option- minimal walking required with visits to the national park’s most impressive lookouts, shorter days 

Drive from Villa Serano to a point near Laguna de los Cisnes, where an easy, mostly flat walk begins. The trail passes Laguna Larga, colorful lagoon landscapes and diverse wildlife, with excellent views of the iconic Cuernos del Paine along the way. The hike ends at the Nordenskjöld Viewpoint, followed by a visit to Cascada Paine for photos and birdwatching before returning to Puerto Natales Pier. 

Medium option – easy treks of up to 14 km (8.7 mi) per day 

Today’s itinerary consists of two short treks of up to 6 km (3.7 mi) each.  

Highlights include: 

Salto Grande + Mirador Cuernos 

Nordenskjold Lake lookout  

Laguna Amarga lookout  

Mirador Condor 

Drive back to Puerto Natales to rejoin the ship. 

Difficult option – longer and more challenging treks of up to 22 km (13.7 mi) per day 

Hike the Lazo-Weber trek, starting from the base of Sierra del Toro. Along the way, enjoy panoramic views of the Paine Massif, Lake Sarmiento, and several picturesque lagoons. We recommend walking poles for this moderate trek. 

Drive back to Puerto Natales to rejoin the ship.  

With a population of roughly 18,000, Puerto Natales is the capital of the Ultima Esperanza Province. Founded in 1911, it quickly developed into a major residential center and shipping port for the area’s products. Nestled on a gently-sloping point amid spectacular scenery, the town overlooks the Ultima Esperanza Gulf and has a nice view of the Balmaceda Mountain. It provides services for the region’s intense livestock activity. Many of its inhabitants work at the Argentinian coal mines in Rio Turbio and return home over the weekend. A growing number of tourists are using the town as a jumping-off point for visiting the spectacular Torres del Paine and Balmaceda National Parks, and the nearby fjords. In 1892 and 1897, two geographic surveyors mapped the area and ascertained its potential for livestock farming. The first expedition was led by Capt. Eberhard, while the second, a Swedish one, was led by Otto Nordenskjöld. Eberhard discovered the Milodón Cave and was one of the first settlers in the area. A German-born immigrant in transit along the Strait of Magellan, he disembarked in Punta Arenas and decided to stay in this area. His brother continued to California, their original destination, where he later founded the renowned Eberhard Faber pencil making company. When the area opened to settlement in 1893, the lands lying along the coast were occupied mostly by German and English settlers who had previously come to Punta Arenas. There still remain a few interesting buildings dating from the estancia heydays. Pier Information The ship will remain at anchor. Guests will be brought ashore by ship’s tenders to the jetty located close to the center of town, which can be reached on foot. Shopping The main shopping area is located about 11 blocks from the landing jetty. Cuisine Two of the better restaurants in town are Tranquera and Circulo Español. Other Sites Cerro DoroteaA walk up this hill rewards with superb views of the whole Ultima Esperanza Sound.Milodón Cave National MonumentAbout 15 miles out of Puerto Natales stands this monument near the cave, where in 1895 Capt. Eberhard found the nearly intact remains of a prehistoric animal called milodón, a type of ground sloth. The finding caused such a stir that Wellington Furlog, a scientiest at Cornell University, set out in 1907 to comb Patagonia in search of living specimens of this species.

At the heart of Chilean Patagonia lies Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. More than 320 kilometres (200 miles) from one end to the other, the park encompasses Patagonia's Southern Ice Field, which in combination with its northern counterpart forms one of the largest expanses of glacial ice outside the Polar Regions. We may sail through Montañas Fjord, a long fjord flanked by rugged mountains and a number of glaciers including Herman, Bernal, and Paredes.

Montanas Fjords & Bernal Glacier are located in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, inside the Alacalufes Chilean National Reserve.  Created in 1969, the reserve is filled in every corner by the sea and crowned by snowdrifts - a beautiful place where the impressive scenery of Patagonia can be observed. The five fjords stretch 66 km from north to south and they are flanked by two mountain ranges, the Cordillera Sarmiento – a subrange of the Andes - to the west and the Cordillera Riesco to the east. Until very recently Sarmiento was a forgotten land, it has quickly become renowned because of the incredible features the reserve offers. Bernal Glacier is a glacier that is in its last glaciology phase, which means that its tongue of ice does not reach the sea.

Established in 2003 as Chile’s first marine reserve, Francisco Coloane was the first known feeding ground for humpback whales along the Pacific coast of South America. The park honours Francisco Coloane, a celebrated Chilean author who wrote many stories of ocean adventures about Patagonia and Antarctica. Coloane was himself an adventurer, explorer and son of a whaler. Around the southern area of Santa Ines Island, surrounded by spectacular views including the tidewater glacier pushing down the rugged mountainous island, we spend time kayaking and Zodiac cruising, getting a close look at Magellanic penguins, imperial cormorants, flightless steamer ducks, and southern fur seals. Around Carlos III Island, a known feeding ground for the humpback whales, we hope to see the majestic creatures from the comfort of our ship, or if conditions permit, from our kayaks or Zodiacs.  

As we enter the Beagle Channel, an important waterway that allowed ships to avoid the notoriously rough waters around Cape Horn, we follow the route that a young Charles Darwin took on board the famous HMS Beagle back in 1831, a five-year expedition that forever changed his life and which led him to develop his seminal theory of evolution.  

Sailing west past Ushuaia, you travel through a dazzling stretch of the 240-kilometre (150 mile) long Beagle Channel called Glacier Alley or ‘Avenue of the Glaciers’ as it’s more elegantly known. You will marvel at this string of tidewater glaciers pushing down to the edge of the sea from the enormous Darwin Ice Field. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, most of the glaciers were named after European countries or the explorers who discovered them: Holland, Italy, Romanche, Spain, Garibaldi. Weather permitting, we’ll board our Zodiacs for a closer look at the impressive Romanche Glacier. Even if fog obscures the view, the sound of the cracking ice as it calves into the water is sure to impress. Apart from the spectacular scenery, Glacier Alley offers opportunities to spot wildlife such as penguin rookeries and South American fur seals.  

Located on Hornos Island in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago lies Cape Horn, near the southernmost point in South America. Until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, ships had to sail round Cape Horn to travel between the east and west coast of South America—a hazardous endeavour due to the strong winds and current, large powerful waves and occasional icebergs. These days, Cape Horn attracts adventurous travellers—mostly from expedition cruise ships, who go ashore and hike to the landmark lighthouse known as ‘Stella Maris Chapel.’ At the top of the hill, you can enjoy panoramic views of where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet and feel the incredible power of nature as these two mighty oceans squeeze through the Drake Passage.  

During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we will be free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.  

Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 14:30 pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with flights after 14:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation. 

Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays. 

At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).