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MARE AUSTRALIS CRUISE
Expedition to Patagonia - Tierra del Fuego - Cape Horn

Australis Cruises, Patagonia, Cape Horn

Cruceros Australis was founded in 1990 with the purpose to operate Tourist Cruises in the Chilean-Argentinian Patagonia. Currently, we have one vessel, The M/V Mare Australis, built in the Asenav Shipyard in Valdivia in 2002. Via Australis is an Expedition Cruiseship that sails through the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel and explores one of the wildest and most beautiful regions of the world: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. Offering an alternative of 3 or 4 -night cruises, from October to April each year, Via Australis sets sail every Saturday from the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, and every Wednesday from the Argentinean city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.

Itinerary

5 days / 4 nights (Saturday to Wednesday) Punta Arenas Route
Check in from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Magallanes 990, Punta Arenas. 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., embark the Expedition Cruise Ship. The Captain and crew will give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship will set sail for the ”uttermost part of the earth.” Through the mythical Strait of Magellan, we will travel to Southern Patagonia, including Tierra de Fuego. This is the beginning of a Great Adventure!
At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving at Ainsworth Bay, inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park. From a distance we may see the Marinelli Glacier which descends from the Darwin Mountain Range, and we will learn how life begins after the retreat of the ice. We will also take a walk to discover a beaver dam in the marvelous subpolar Magellanic forest. On the beach, we will try to see elephant seals, but we cannot guarantee this as the precise location of the colony is unpredictable. Later, we sail to Tuckers Islets, and after lunch we board the Zodiac boats to view Magellanic Penguins (which only live in the Southern Hemisphere), and Cormorants. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay where we land for a short walk to approach a glacier.
We navigate along the main part of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a look-out point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we continue sailing along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”.
We sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). Cape Horn, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory, and in the past it was the only entrance to the Pacific Ocean. This place is known as the “End of the Earth”, and it’s the last territory before Antarctica. 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 Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.
Arrival at Ushuaia, Argentina’s most important city on Tierra del Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We disembark at 8:00 a.m., enabling you to get an early start on visiting the city and national parks, and on continuing your trip through Patagonia.

4 days / 3 nights (Wednesday to Saturday) Ushuaia Route
Check in at San Martín 245, Ushuaia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cruise ship boarding from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterwards, the ship departs for “the uttermost part of the earth.” Our excursion will take us through the 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!
We sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). Cape Horn, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory, and in the past it was the only entrance to the Pacific Ocean. This place is known as the “End of the Earth”, and it’s the last territory before Antarctica. 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 Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.
In the morning we sail through the desolate Brecknock and Ocasión channels, to reach Cockburn Channel in the afternoon. After lunch, we arrive at Chico Sound and disembark in Zodiac boats to explore Alakaluf Fjord, and to see its beautiful waterfalls and observe the Piloto and Nena glaciers from the sea. We will learn about the formation of glaciers and their influence in the abrupt geography of the region’s channels
Early in the morning, we will disembark on Magdalena Island, the home of an immense colony of more than 120,000 Magellanic Penguins that we will be able to observe during our walk to the Lighthouse that guides different ships on their way through the Strait of Magellan. After our visit, we will return to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 a.m., concluding our adventure.

The Ship

Australis Cruises, Via Australis, Mare Australis, Decks
The Cabins

The Mare Australis has: 63 exterior cabins Cabins are classified in 3 categories depending on location in the ship: AA, A and B.

AA and AAA Cabins :
10 AAA
• Low beds, (double base).
• Private facilities.
• Independently controlled Heater.
• Safety box.
• Closet.
• 220/110 Volts power U.S. type electricity connectors (adapters available).
18 AA
• Low beds, (double base).
• Private facilities.
• Independently controlled Heater.
• Safety box.
• Closet.
• 220/110 Volts power U.S. type electricity connectors (adapters available).
29 A Cabins :
• Located on the second deck.
• Low beds, (double base).
• Private facilities.
• Independently controlled Heater.
• Safety box.
• Closet.
• 220/110 Volts power U.S. type electricity connectors (adapters available).
• Large window to enjoy views.
7 B Cabins:
• Located on the first deck.
• Low beds, (double base).
• Private facilities.
• Independently controlled Heater.
• Safety box.
• Closet.
• 220/110 Volts power U.S. type electricity connectors (adapters available).
• Large window to enjoy views.

Booking

Cruise Nights Route Cabin Validity Request
Mare Australis 3 Nights Ushuaia/Punta Arenas B 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis 3 Nights Ushuaia/Punta Arenas A 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis 3 Nights Ushuaia/Punta Arenas AA 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis 3 Nights Ushuaia/Punta Arenas AAA 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis + Santiago Special 4 Nights Punta Arenas/Ushuaia B 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis + Santiago Special 4 Nights Punta Arenas/Ushuaia A 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis + Santiago Special 4 Nights Punta Arenas/Ushuaia AA 2010/2011 BOOK ME
Mare Australis + Santiago Special 4 Nights Punta Arenas/Ushuaia AAA 2010/2011 BOOK ME
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