CLASSIC ANTARCTICA – FLY SOUTH
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CLASSIC ANTARCTICA – FLY SOUTH
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Santiago, Chile | Enjoy a pre-cruise night in Chile's capital |
| Day 2 | Santiago to Puerto Williams | Fly from Santiago to Puerto Williams and enjoy another pre-cruise night |
| Day 3 | Puerto Williams to King George Island | Fly to King George Island and embark the ship |
| Days 4 - 9 | Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands | Thousands of penguins, many species of seals and whales, incredible ice and glaciers |
| Day 10 - 11 | At Sea | Crossing the Drake Passage |
| Day 12 | Puerto Williams | Disembark in Puerto Williams and spend the night |
| Day 13 | Puerto Williams to Santiago | Fly back to Santiago to continue your onwards journey |
SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Silver Wind
The Silver Wind is a modern and luxurious ship providing cosy ambiance for the 240 passengers on board (she has capacity for 254 passengers but only takes 240 to Antarctica). Originally built in 1995 a major upgrade in December 2018 saw Silver Wind looking better than ever. A second refurbishment in November 2021 saw her benefitting from a strengthened ice-class hull. She is timelessly elegant and full of opulence throughout all of her 6 passenger decks. Her new and improved strengthened ice-class hull makes for ease and adaptable sailing through the Polar Regions for whatever the conditions may bring.
With four different dining options, multiple bars, a library, on board casino, theatre, boutique and Silversea’s signature personalised butler service your days at sea can be as action packed or relaxing as you decide. The seven different suite options ensure that there is accommodation for everyone, sparing no design features throughout.
Day 1 Santiago, Chile
Your adventure begins in Santiago, Chile’s capital city. Spend the day exploring the city before enjoying a pre-cruise night of accommodation in a hotel.
Day 2 Santiago to Puerto Williams
Fly from Santiago to Puerto Williams to prepare for your flight to Antarctica. Enjoy another pre-cruise accommodation night here.
Puerto Williams is a Chilean city located on Navarino Island on the southern shores of the Beagle Channel. It claims to be the “southernmost city in the world”, however owing to its small size – 2500 residents approximately – the much larger Argentinean city of Ushuaia, which sits on the northern side of the same channel, also claims that title. The surrounding scenery is magnificent. The wild windswept mountains rise above the tree line and are regularly dusted with snow. The city itself has the dramatic backdrop called “Dientes de Navarino” (literally “teeth of Navarino”), which rival the famous Torres del Paine further to the north. In contrast to the bustle and traffic of a very commercial Ushuaia, Puerto Williams offers a quieter, more relaxed experience. It charms the visitor with a small village feel, complete with rustic buildings and the homely smell of drifting wood smoke. A haven of peace at the end of the world.
Day 3 Puerto Williams to King George Island
Your charter flight from Puerto Williams to Antarctica will enable you to cross the legendary Drake Passage in only two hours, after which you will embark the ship.
As the largest of all the South Shetland Island, King George is considered the gateway to Antarctica. At just 120 kilometres from the Antarctic Peninsula and the only airport in the South Shetlands, it is the connection between “real life” and “Antarctic life”. The island might be home to a few international scientists, but they are very much outnumbered by the diverse wildlife that considers King George Island rightfully theirs. Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins all commute to and from the Antarctic peninsula from the island, while Weddell and leopard seals are regular visitors and can be spotted either in the water or on the shore. Naturally, this brings a huge amount of birdlife: skuas and southern giant petrels are regular summer residents, attracted by the warm climate (warm being a relative term).
Days 4 – 9 Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 – a blink of an eye ago in relative terms – this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end, as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and blue-hued glaciers, slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you’ll find thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this peninsula’s unique setting.
Lying close to the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here, and with plump elephant seals, and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins also calling the islands home, it can even feel a little crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable island, hosting the majority of the research stations – some of which are populated all-year-round by tiny, hardy crews. Don’t be fooled though, these islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote locations on earth. The triple peaks of Mount Foster tower above the archipelago, and you’ll feel your heart pumping a little quicker, as you sail into the core of Deception Island’s magnificent collapsed volcano caldera. Hike the luna landscapes within, and even dip into the improbably warm, geothermally-heated waters of Pendulum Cove. Elephant Island, meanwhile, is written deep into the annals of Antarctic expedition legend, as the site where Ernest Shackleton and the stricken crew of the Endurance miraculously survived a harsh Antarctic winter, in 1916.
Days 10 – 11 At Sea
Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. If the journey across Drake Passage sounds daunting, don’t worry – even in rough seas you’re never alone, and will often be accompanied on this spine-tingling adventure by soaring albatrosses and maybe even a protective pod of humpbacks and hourglass dolphins or two. Converging warm and cool ocean currents attract some spectacular animal life to the passage.
Day 12 Puerto Williams
Arrive into Puerto Williams where you will disembark the ship. Enjoy a post-cruise night of accommodation here.
Day 13 Puerto Williams to Santiago
Fly from Puerto Williams to Santiago, from which you may commence your onwards journey.
We will tailor the perfect holiday to suit your needs.
Extend your trip to Patagonia
To make the most of your time in South America we can tailor a holiday to Patagonia to suit your voyage dates. If you have a bit more time we can create a tailor-made itinerary to some of the highlights of South America. Take a look at the Patagonia sample itineraries below and contact us to begin creating your perfect holiday.
