Gauchos, Penguins and Glaciers

The Gaucho, Penguins and Glaciers program offers a round trip expedition from Punta Arenas to meet by land and sea the astonishing landscape and history of Tierra del Fuego. During this adventure we will cross the worldwide known Magellan Strait in order to visit the small King Penguin Colony, and after we will continue to the Argentinean city of Río Grande.
The next day we will visit an estancia for a real gaucha experience, and by the afternoon, we will get the picturesque port of Ushuaia in order to board M/V Stella Australis. This expedition ship will allow us to make exclusive visit to distant places, disembarking daily by zodiac boat with a team guide. The journey will lead us to the mythical Cape Horn where we will land, if climate conditions allow it. Moreover, we will visit the historical Wulaia Bay, the wonderful glaciers of the Darwin Mountain Range and a Magellan Penguin Colony, sailing through the same route of the great explorers. 
The journey will end in the charming city of Punta Arenas.

Day 01: Punta Arenas Airport – Cabo de Hornos Hotel
Reception at the Punta Arenas Airport and transfer from the Punta Arenas Airport to the Cabo de Hornos Hotel. Accommodation. 

Day 02: Punta Arenas - Río Grande 
After breakfast at the Cabo de Hornos Hotel, we will cross the iconic Strait of Magellan. We will visit the Porvenir Museum in order to discover the historical richness of Tierra del Fuego and the native people such as the Selk’nam, owners during thousand years of this bleak land. After that, we will continue to visit the King Penguin Colony. Then we continue our trip to Río Grande, Argentina. Accommodation at Status Hotel Casino at Río Grande.

Day 03: Río Grande - Ushuaia 
During our third day, we will enjoy a real Gaucha experience with Patagonian-style barbecue. We will continue to Ushuai. Check in at San Martín 245, Ushuaia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Stella Australis Cruise ship boarding from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship departs for “the uttermost part of the earth.” Our excursion will take us through Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan to explore one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!
Adventure!

Day 04: Cape Horn - Wulaia Bay
We sail through Beagle and Murray channels to reach and disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting). Cape Horn, on Hornos Island, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory. This mythical place is known as the “End of the Earth”; a visit is a singular privilege. 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, Coigües, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a lookout point.

Day 05: Gunther Plüschow Glacier
In the afternoon, we view awe-inspiring Gunther Plüschow Glacier, named after the region’s pioneering German aviator. Then we sail to Chico Sound, where we disembark in Zodiacs to observe majestic Piloto and Nena glaciers.

Day 06: Magdalena Island - Punta Arenas
Early in the morning, we go ashore on Magdalena Island, the home of an immense colony of more than 120,000 Magellanic Penguins that we can watch during our walk to a lighthouse, which guides ships on their way through the Strait of Magellan. The island’s penguins migrate in April; as a replacement we visit Marta Island, to observe a sea lion colony. After our visit, we sail to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 a.m.

End of our services.