Mare & Via Australis Itineraries beginning Sep 2007

PUNTA ARENAS - USHUAIA
Day 1 - Punta Arenas Check in from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., embark the Expedition Cruise Ship. The Captain and crew will give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship will set sail for the ”uttermost part of the earth.” Through the mythical Strait of Magellan, we will travel to Southern Patagonia, including Tierra de Fuego. This is the beginning of a Great Adventure!
Day 2 - Ainsworth Bay – Tucker Islet During the dawn’s early light, our ship will continue navigating through Almirantazgo Inlet, until arriving near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where we will enjoy a walk to discover a beaver dam in the midst of a marvelous Magellanic forest. On the beach we will observe a colony of Elephant Seals. Continuing the voyage, we will visit Tucker Islet, where we will sight colonies of Magellanic penguins and Cormorants from the zodiac boats.
Day 3 - Pia Glacier - Glacier Alley We will navigate the main part of the Beagle Channel to enter Pia Fjord and disembark near the glacier of the same name. We will take an excursion to a look-out point that is ideal for viewing the mountain range where the glacier originates, and its flow all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we will sail again along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland glaciers.
Day 4 - Cape Horn and Puerto Williams We will sail through the Beagle and Murray Channels to disembark in Cape Horn National Park. Cape Horn, a sheer, almost 425-meter-high promontory, where the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean merge, was discovered in 1616 by the Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac Le Maire. The Cape owes its name to the Port of Hoorn, the expedition’s departure point. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region's largest aboriginal settlements. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coigues, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a lookout point.
Day 5 - Ushuaia Arrival to Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city in Tierra de Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. Disembark at 8:00 a.m., enabling you to visit the city and national parks, and continue your trip through Patagonia.

USHUAIA - PUNTA ARENAS
Day 1 - Ushuaia Check in at Cruceros Australis office in Ushuaia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., embark the Expedition Cruise Ship. The Captain and crew will give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship will set sail for “the uttermost part of the earth.” Through the mythical Beagle Channel, we will travel to Southern Patagonia, including Tierra de Fuego. This is the beginning of a Great Adventure!
Day 2 - Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay We will sail through the Beagle and Murray Channels to disembark in Cape Horn National Park. Cape Horn, a sheer, almost 425-meter-high promontory, where the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean merge, was discovered in 1616 by the Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac Le Maire. The Cape owes its name to the Port of Hoorn, the expedition’s departure point. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon we will disembark in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest native settlements. This area is also renowned for the spectacular beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest filled with Lengas, Coigües, Canelos, ferns and other species to reach a look-out point.
Day 3 - Gunther Pluschow Glacier and Chico Inlet In the afternoon we view awe-inspiring Gunther Pluschow Glacier, named after the region's pioneering German aviator. Then we sail to Chico SOund, where we disembark in Chico Inlet for a zodiac boat approach to Piloto and Nena glaciers, providing us with a closer look at these awe-inspiring masses of ancient ice.
Day 4 - Magdalena Island - Punta Arenas Early in the morning, we will disembark on Magdalena Island, the home of an immense colony of more than 120,000 Magellanic Penguins that we will be able to observe during our walk to the Lighthouse that guides different ships on their way through the Strait of Magellan. After our visit, we will return to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 a.m., concluding our adventure.