Select Page

Patagonia Cruises

 

 

Around the Channels and Fiords

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Patagonia Cruises Around the Channels and Fiords

Introduction

Above all, if you look at a map of the southern tip of South America you will see that on its western side there are thousands of islands, channels, inlets and fiords. Moreover, only the Pacific Ocean; and the Atlantic Ocean around Cape Horn, are able to penetrate between these land masses. Consequently, if you are aboard a ship that navigates these waters you will have a unique opportunity to see and experience some of the remotest places on Earth where time has stood still since Patagonia was created.

Freedom of Being on a Ship

As a matter of fact, on board a ship in these parts, you can witness millennial ice coming down from the Andes and breaking into icebergs that float effortlessly on the still waters of a Pacific-filled lagoon. In addition, there are birds, sea mammals and other creatures that go about their natural life with no interference from man (apart from you, the tourist, now watching them).

Above all, Patagonia from the sea offers a unique perspective of virgin landscapes, raw nature and wildlife in its natural habitat. However, the BEST option is if you are able to combine both a Patagonian land and sea experience together!

Remember, you can always send an email to us using this email: request@experiencechile.org

 

The Ships that Navigate Patagonia

Here we will introduce you to the different ship operators that navigate the Patagonian waters.

Patagonia from the sea can be divided into three sectors. Note that each sector has been created, in name only, by us.

Sector 1 is Western Patagonia

Above all, is the sector between Puerto Montt, located on the southern edge of the Chilean Lake Region, down to Puerto Natales – which is almost “next door” to Torres del Paine National Park. In this sector is the rural island of Chiloe, the very large San Rafael Glacier and a myriad of fiords, channels and inlets. There are two ship operators that navigate this area and these are the Navimag and Skorpios ships.

Sector 2 is the Patagonian sector around Torres del Paine National Park

Moreover, we categorize this sector as being from Puerto Natales, and the channels and fiords north of this village, as well as to the west of the National Park Torres del Paine. This sector is navigated by the Skorpios vessel.

Sector 3 is Southern Patagonia

Fianally, hugging the entire Southern Patagonia land mass is the maritime area between Punta Arenas in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina is our Sector 3. This is the area encompassing the large Tierra del Fuego Island, Isla Navarino and Cape Horn. This sector is handled by the Australis Ships.

Further below is information about these areas and the ships that navigate them.

Please send us your request and we will help you choose.

Our email: request@experiencechile.org

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Why Book your Patagonia Cruise

with Experience Chile?

Common Problems

In order to prepare a travel itinerary and coordinate all the required, in-between logistics, it is tiresome, and involves a lot of time researching the suppliers, as well as then booking the right Patagonia Cruise for your desires, as well as complying with your budget.

Our Solutions

Most important, here at ExperienceChile.org we have been creating customer travel itineraries in this part of the world for over 30 years. As a result, we work with reality and use our considerable experience and local knowledge to get the right Patagonia Cruise vessel for your budget, dates, and required experience. For example, some people will want to use the route from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales as a way to get to Torres del Paine, or vice versa. On the other hand, others may wish to use the route between Punta Arenas to Ushuaia for logistical reasons (or vice versa), or maybe to step foot on Cape Horn.

In conclusion, we will sort all of the above for you and, what’s more, give you back a nice offer (see below) so it is even more attractive to ask us to handle your Patagonia cruise requirements. Also, we can build in other itinerary elements into your trip, such as a visit to Torres del Paine and / or El Calafate and El Chalten all in Patagonia.

Direct Email: request@experiencechile.org

The photo below is of the Central Massif and Cuernos of Torres del Paine – which we can combine with a Patagonian cruise.

A PATAGONIA CRUISES

EXPERIENCE CHILE OFFERS

We also have a number of special offers when you book your Patagonia cruise through us. For this purpose, the offer depends on the trip we book for you and what else you need. Any one of the following will be FREE of charge should we book, for TWO people, any of the Patagonia trips shown in this site:

1 – Return flights Santiago to Punta Arenas.

2 – Private transfer to your hotel, even if it is 5hrs away!

3 – Hotel night, or more, in one of our partner hotels in Chile or Argentina.

 

Therefore, please make sure you ASK US about these options in your enquiry.

Our email is: request@experiencechile.org

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

 

Crucero Australis

Introduction

There are two ships: the Stella Australis and its sister ship of the Ventus Australis. Each ship operates out of Punta Arenas in southern Chile, and Ushuaia in southern Argentina, navigating the channels, and fiords around the large island of Tierra del Fuego, passing by, and often visiting, the fabled Cape Horn landmark. This part of the world comprises thousands of islands, fiords, channels, inlets and straits. It includes two famous stretches of water: the Beagle Channel, in front of Ushuaia; and the Magallanes Stretch in front of Punta Arenas. Stella Australis, as with its sister ship, will navigate both these legendary channels during their respective itineraries.

The Australis Ships

Both the Stella and Ventus ships are moderately-sized vessels. With 100, well appointed cabins, each one with an exterior-facing window, it is of a size whereby the ambience on board still retains an element of things being “personal”. Very different to the enormous, impersonal floating hotel cruise liners that dominate the Caribbean. No, these two ships are the antipathy of THAT type of product.

The objective of the Stella ship, as well as the Ventus vessel, is to offers passengers comfortable accommodation, combined with high-level on-board food as well as educated guides, who will show you the secrets of Patagonia from the sea.

Unlike visiting Patagonia by land, which is, in its own right, an incredible experience, being able to visit remote areas of Patagonia only accessible by water, permit the visitor to see and experience places that very few people ever get to see. On board the Stella Australis is like being a pioneer explorer, with the exception that you will be able to enjoy a warm and comfortable night’s sleep in a comfortable cabin at the end of each day.

USUAL Itineraries Offered by Australis are:

Punta Arenas – Ushuaia – Punta Arenas: Darwin’s Route 8 nights

Punta Arenas – Ushuaia: Fiords of Tierra del Fuego Route 4 nights

Ushuaia – Punta Arenas – Ushuaia: Darwin’s Route 8 nights

Ushuaia – Punta Arenas: Explorers Route 4 nights

HOWEVER FOR JAN, FEB AND MARCH 2002 ONLY ONE OPTION BELOW IS ON OFFER

THIS ALSO HAS AN ADDITIONAL OFFER WITH THE TIERRA PATAGONIA LODGE

Remember, our Email is: request@experiencechile.org

 

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Australis

Glaciers at the

Edge of World

Route:
Punta Arenas – Cape Horn – Punta Arenas

5 Nights
From: US$3,499pp
Aboard The Stella or Ventus Australis

 

Skorpios

Introduction

Skorpios is one of the original, historical ship operators in the Patagonia area. These days they have two ships, each one can be described as being in the small to mid sized vessel category. Cabins are cozy and personal, as are the other areas on board each ship.

The Skorpios Ships

Skorpios II

This ship was built in 1988 in Chile. It is a small ship for cruises, which makes it very personal, with maximum passenger capacity set at only 106 people distributed among 53 cabins. This is the kind of cruise that opens up remote Patagonia on board a “cosy” and personal cruise vessel.

MV Skorpios II navigates the sector named the “Chonos” route, which departs from Puerto Montt in the southern Lake District of Chile, and then visits places on Chiloe Island as well as remote channels and inlets within the western archipelago of Patagonia. During the cruise the ship will cover 1,287km, weaving through the network of narrow channels and islets and passing by forested fiord sides where man has never set foot.

In this part of Patagonia there are still huge ice fields that give birth to large, frozen, glaciers that move millimetre-by-millimetre towards the waters of the Pacific. One of the largest of these glaciers is called San Rafael and the Skorpios II will visit the lagoon where this glacier breaks into numerus icebergs.

Skorpios III

This is the sister ship to the Skorpios II, which navigates the sea channels from Puerto Montt, further north than Puerto Natales.

Skorpios III was built in 1995. Like its sister ship, it is a small cruise ship offering only 45 cabins, on five decks, accommodating 90 passengers. This makes a Patagonian cruise aboard Skorpios III a personal experience, one where you can “get to know” other passengers and be close to the sights and wildlife that will be seen on the trip.

MV Skorpios III navigates the channels, fiords and inlets just north of Puerto Natales. The trip is short, only 3 nights, but long enough to get to see numerous glaciers that come down from the Southern Ice Shelf, carving out gullies and valleys as they do, until they calve off into icebergs that then float in the still, Pacific waters.

Skorpios III will navigate a total distance of around 611km. during the Kaweskar route.

Torres del Paine Advantage

One of the great advantages to joining a Skorpios III Kaweskar route voyage is that it can be easily combined with a trip to Torres del Paine either pre or post the Patagonian Cruise. Should you decide to do this, you will be able to see Patagonia both from the sea, getting into some of the remotest places on Earth, as well as the “jewel” of Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park.

​USUAL The Itineraries Offered by Skorpios are:

Puerto Montt – Glacier San Rafael – Puerto Natales called the Chonos Route (Skorpios II)

Puerto Natales – Glacier Alley – Puerto Natales called the Kaweskar Route (Skorpios III)

HOWEVER FOR JAN FEB AND MARCH 2022 ONLY THE CHONOS ROUTE IS ON OFFER

 

Remember, our Email is: request@experiencechile.org

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Skorpios

Chonos Route

Route:
Puerto Montt – San Rafael Glacier – Puerto Montt

5 Nights
From: US$2,815pp

Departs on Saturdays Only

 

Navimag

Introduction

The Navimag is, effectively, a cargo and ferry vessel that also takes passengers. Recently they have launched a brand new ship, much larger than the previous one and this is very modern offering many more cabins with privacy. When we have more information about this new ship and the navigational itinerary we will publish it here in time for season 2022 – 2023.

For now we have some older information below, but this will be replaced soon.

 

Torres del Paine Advantage

As with the Skorpios, anyone who books with us to navigate the route Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales, or vice-versa, will be able to add in a visit to Torres del Paine National Park, which we will arrange for you.

​The Itineraries Offered by Navimag are:

Information to come

 

Remember, our Email is: request@experiencechile.org

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Navimag Ferry

Patagonia

Fjords Route

from Puerto Montt

Route:
Puerto Montt – Puerto Natales

Check-In

Boarding and Departure Saturday

 

3 Nights From:

Shared Cabin US$530pp

Double Private USD700pp

Triple Private US$620pp

 

A PATAGONIA CRUISES
A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Navimag Ferry

Patagonia

Fjords Route

from Natales

Route:
Puerto Natales – Puerto Montt

Check-In and Boarding on Tuesday

Departure on Wednesday at 06:00hrs

4 Nights From

Shared Cabin US$530pp

Double Private USD700pp

Triple Private US$620pp

 

Please Send Us Your Enquiry

For the best service please supply us with as much information as you can about where you want to go, what you want to do, what you want to experience and how much money you want to spend (or do not want to spend!).  How many people, what type of beds (matrimonial, twin, single etc.)

VIP – if you are a VIP in any of the fields such as celebrity and/or political and/or business, and you need “special attention” such as privacy and/or security for your trip please use an alias in the enquiry, but mention that you are VIP and one of the directors will handle your request and keep your real name and details confidential.

Remember, our speciality is to create a travel itinerary custom-built to your needs.

A PATAGONIA CRUISES

Please fill out form below:

12 + 9 =