Part of the fun of luxury travel is the ability to explore the world, seeking out less inhabited places that have been untouched by human progress. If this kind of adventure appeals to you, one tour company offers the opportunity to travel places that the legendary explorer Magellan did many years ago.
From October to April, summer months in the Southern Hemisphere, Australis Cruises of Chile offers two weekly cruises that explore the most southern tip of the America continent. Starting in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, the four-night cruise weaves through Marinelli Glacier, Tucker Islet, Condor Glacier, D’Agostini Glacier, and Puerto Williams before reaching the Argentine city of Ushuaia. The three-night itinerary on the way back routes the ship from Ushuaia to Cape Horn, through Wulaia Bay, Pia Glacier, up the Straight of Magellan to Magdalena Island before docking again in Punta Arenas.Now, the cabins onboard the M/V Mare Australis aren’t the most luxurious, but it simply wouldn’t be possible to cruise a huge luxury ship through all the tiny fjords. Instead, you get a decent-sized cabin with a private bathroom and huge windows that allow you to view all the natural beauty outside. And you won’t be spending every waking moment aboard anyways, as there are several opportunities to join educational tours of glaciers and forests where you’ll have the chance to encounter plenty of local flora and fauna. The Cape Horn tour alone is worth the trip for the sheer fact of knowing at that moment you are on the southernmost landmass in the world before Antartica, and also the official dividing line of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Rates for the four-night cruise range from $785 in low season to $1903 in the high season [when the weather is at its warmest]. For the three-night cruise rates range from $681 in low season to $1649 in the high season. For the truly adventurous, you can combine the two tours to form a seven-night itinerary, beginning in either Punta Arenas or Ushuaia. Rates for the combined tour range from $1152 in low season to $2537 in the high season. All prices double occupancy; single supplements available. Airfare to and from either Punta Arenas or Ushuaia is additional.For more information or to view itinerary maps, please visit the Australis Cruises website.
