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

 

 

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

 

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