Beyond The Polar Circle in Luxury

Arrive via charter flight from Buenos Aires. Included in the price.

Group Transfer from Ushuaia Airport to the vessel. If there is time a tour of the National Park may be included.
Regarded as the world's southern-most city, Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south of Argentina at the end of Beagle Bay. This amazing little town of over 45,000 people is surrounded by mountains and fertile plains. The first inhabitants here were nomadic hunters and gatherers who arrived on foot to the Isla Grande over 10,000 years ago. Nature lovers will be bowled over by the Tierra del Fuego National Park and its amazing wealth of flora and fauna: beavers, albatrosses, guanacos, penguins... Here forests cover the slopes of the Andes mountains then give way to snow-capped peaks, a truly unique and unforgettable landscape.

Embarkation begins at 4pm.

Sailing towards the Falkland Islands. Keep a watch on deck for wildlife and birdlife sightings or enjoy the perks of your luxurious polar vessel.

New Island and Grave Cove

New Island, with its distinctive jagged relief, is located on the western edge of the Falkland Islands and is home to a tiny village of two families. Step onto the golden sand of its flower-lined beaches, beside which an old stone house still stands, and you'll feel like you've entered a natural paradise. A narrow pathway weaves around typical Falkland moorlands. Follow it and in under 20 minutes you'll find yourself at the heart of a colony of southern rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatross and imperial shags. It's the perfect opportunity to watch the albatross swoop down from the cliffs and skim the waves that crash against the rocks on the exposed side of the island.

Make your way through the turbulent Woolly Gut strait and emerge in the stillness of Grave Cove. Located in the northern edge of the Falkland Islands, this bay owes its name to the vestiges of whalers’ graves that overlook the beach. As you step off the boat and onto the white-sand beach, you might find yourself escorted by a few hospitable Commerson's dolphins, elegantly adorned in black and white. A stroll along the grassy dunes will lead you to a vast plain of lush green grass, tended by a few sheep. On the other side of the island you'll find one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies in the area. With some luck, you'll also glimpse a sea lion scouring the waves for his next meal.

At sea towards South Georgia

We hope to disembark at the splendid Fortuna site among the penguins and be allowed to approach the sea elephants lounging in the weak southern sunshine. This glacial expanse surrounded by high mountains is home to over 250,000 King penguins.

You will discover the first whaling station and the Grytviken museum which is home to the grave of the famous explorer, Ernest Shackleton.

Take a seat in a Zodiac dinghy and head out to explore Cooper Bay, near Gold Harbour. It was named after the first lieutenant of the famous sailor, Captain James Cook, and the bay offers a quite unexpected sight, with long basalt canyons forming high cliffs that loom over a turquoise-blue water. In the centre of the bay, a magical atmosphere reigns when just a few rays of sunshine pierce the gauzy layer formed by the morning mist. The craggy coastlines are home to colonies of macaroni penguins who pay close attention to the arrival of our tiny crafts.

Majestic glaciers with a bluish sheen, waterfalls that reflect the rays of the setting sun, pitch-black volcanic sand beaches: these are just a few of the wonders to be found in Gold Harbour's landscape. This natural gem is blanketed by bright green tussocks and framed by snow-capped peaks. On this island where summer days are endless, the wildlife stays up with the sun. Fur seals, elephant seals and king penguins move about the island like tiny black dots along the landscape. Those humans who enter this kaleidoscope of colours and sensations do so as privileged and tolerated observers of the austral wildlife.

At sea towards Antarctica & the South Shetland Islands.

This mythic island, one of the northernmost of the South Shetland Islands, served as a refuge for part of the crew of Shackleton's Endurance expedition. From there, the James Caird, a rescue boat from the Endurance, embarked on the perilous journey to South Georgia to rescue the men left behind. All survived despite the inhospitable nature of the island. Indeed, Elephant Island's steep, ice-covered mountainsides bear no trace of man. Yet these rough conditions haven't deterred a colony of chinstrap penguins from settling at Point Wild or gentoo penguins and elephant seals from taking shelter at Cape Lookout.

This small, rugged island was discovered by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville and named after the ship aboard which he led multiple expeditions. Rogach Peak, the highest point on the island with an elevation of over 500 metres, offers visitors an impressive view of the surrounding blue icebergs. Though excursions are not always possible on this rugged terrain, a Zodiac® tour will allow you to glimpse the local inhabitants, from numerous chinstrap penguins to Weddell seals.

A little corner of paradise in the shadow of a towering glacier, Neko Harbour is without a doubt one of the most beautiful sites on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was discovered by Belgian navigator Adrien de Gerlache during his 1897-1899 expedition. Mountains, ice and wildlife combine to form a truly unique landscape. Animals are as abundant as they are exotic: among others, you'll encounter seabirds (gulls, Cape petrels, cormorants) and marine mammals (seals, orcas and other whale species). Head out on a Zodiac® excursion to get up close to the icebergs, stop over near a penguin colony, watch a leopard seal sunbathe between dives and enjoy an impromptu aerial show from passing Antarctic terns.

Located at the end of the famed Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island played a key role in the history of Antarctic exploration. In the early 20th century, French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot chose to ride out his second winter aboard the Pourquoi Pas on the shores of this round, little island. The initials ‘PP’, engraved on the rocks by Charcot's crew, can still be seen at the spot where the ship was anchored. Today, the island is a privileged refuge for a rich and diverse fauna: numerous gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, imperial shags and other bird species settle here.

Weather permitting, we'll cross the mythic line of the Antarctic Polar Circle, located along 66°33’ south of the Equator. This iconic area demarcates the point from which it is possible to view the midnight sun during the December solstice. Within this circle, the sun remains above the horizon for 24 consecutive hours at least once a year. Crossing this line, an experience known to few people, is sure to be an unforgettable highlight of your cruise through the polar regions.

You will cross the notorious Drake Passage named after the famous explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed in these waters way back in 1578.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for flight back to Buenos Aires. Included in the price.

End of tour