FALKLANDS AND ANTARCTIC PENINSULA – FLY NORTH
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FALKLANDS AND ANTARCTIC PENINSULA – FLY NORTH
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 embark the ship |
| Day 3 | At Sea | Settle into life on board and enjoy the ship's amenities |
| Days 4 - 5 | Falkland Islands | Rockhopper and magellanic penguins, sheer cliffs, black-browed albatross, British heritage |
| Days 6 - 7 | At Sea | Watch for marine life from the deck as you approach the White Continent |
| Days 8 - 14 | Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands | Thousands of penguins, many species of seals and whales, incredible ice and glaciers |
| Day 15 | King George Island to Puerto Williams, Chile | Fly from King George Island to Puerto Williams and enjoy a post-cruise hotel night |
| Day 16 | Puerto Williams to Santiago | Fly from Puerto Williams to Santiago and continue your onwards journey |
SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Silver Endeavour
The Silver Endeavour brings new meaning to luxury in the Antarctic. Featuring 100 breathtaking suites to accompany up to 200 guests, you may never want your time on board to end. The ships sleek design fits all the specifications of Polar Class 6 enabling the Silver Endeavour to reach the farthest corners of the Earth.
The features on board seem somewhat endless. There’s a two story glass-enclosed solarium for relaxing as you watch the beautiful scenery pass you by or get a treatment at the full-service spa. Choose to dine from one of the six Michelin-level restaurants on board or spend sea days in one of the many other on board lavish public places. The ship is set to have a whole fleet of expedition toys including a fleet of 18 zodiacs, a submersible and two helicopters ready to take you on an adventure.
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 from which you will embark the ship.
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 At Sea
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale-watching, catching up on your reading, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shoreside.
Days 4 – 5 Falkland Islands
Remote and raw, New Island lies to the west of the Falkland Islands, and the humble human population here is far outweighed by the extraordinary birdlife that resides along its craggy coastline. Out in the tempestuous wilds of the South Atlantic Ocean, the island is a sanctuary of animal life – with crowds of rockhopper penguins, wrinkled seals, and stern-looking albatross among its many residents. The penguins of the Falklands are a sight to see, fooling and falling on the beaches, before diving in and whipping through the waters. Sea lions, seals, and elephant seals bark and lumber along the shoreline, while sleek orcas patrol and Peale’s dolphins cut through the waves. Settlement Rookery’s cliffs rattle with the sounds of crashing sea waves, and the echoing shouts of hollering black-browed albatross, king cormorants, and rockhopper penguins. Enjoy gorgeous sweeping landscapes, littered with shipwrecks and sprinkles of colourful wildflowers. Pay a visit to the battlefields and memorials of the costly war in 1982, when the British and Argentinians clashed fiercely over these islands.
West Point Island is a north-westerly outpost of the scenic Falkland Islands and you’ll be welcomed by a huge colony of black-browed albatross. Indeed, the island was originally known as Albatross Island before being renamed to reflect its geographic location. While the albatrosses are the most well-known residents, they are far from the only animal inhabitants of this remote, isolated land. A huge army of birdlife calls the island sanctuary home, overwhelming the tiny human population and sheep that roam West Point Island’s grasses. Meet the rockhopper penguins who scamper and burrow along the coast’s boulders, as well as the imperial cormorants who rest here in great numbers. You’re also likely to encounter Magellanic penguins during your explorations. Hike the island’s quiet landscapes and look out for endemic plants like Felton’s flower carpeting the green interior. Decorated with some of the archipelago’s most dramatic scenery, explore this wind-lashed, distant land of soaring cliffs and towering coastal precipices. Cliff Mountain is the island’s standout – a towering sandstone monolith, and the archipelago’s highest cliff, falling away to swirling waves below. Look out to the waters to spot Commerson’s dolphins chasing each other around the island’s wave-washed footprint. Whales also visit, as well as the fur seals who you may spot lounging around West Point Island’s inviting shores.
Despite it being a stalwart of Britishness, Stanley more resembles Patagonia than Portsmouth. But, despite the windswept, vast, and achingly beautiful landscape of the Falkland Islands, don’t be too surprised to find the odd pub serving ales and even fish’n’chips. While landmarks such as Christ Church Cathedral, with its whalebone arch, are 100% local, there is a also good smattering of imported garden gnomes and Union Jacks to remind you whose territory you are really on. The Falkland Islands’ ownership has long been a matter of controversy, ever since colonisation in the 18th century. At various points in their life they have been considered French, British, Spanish, and Argentine. The Falklands War in 1982, despite only lasting for a short while, proved that the Brits clung to this remote outpost and the islands remain part of the British Commonwealth today. Margaret Thatcher, under whom the war was masterminded, remains something of a local hero as can be seen in the street signs (such as Thatcher Drive). For those who want to dig deeper into the past, the Historic Docklands Museum provides lots of information on the chequered historical and political background of the Falklands. However, the true heroes of Stanley are of course the thousands and thousands of penguins.
Days 6 – 7 At Sea
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale-watching, catching up on your reading, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shoreside.
Days 8 – 14 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.
Day 15 King George Island to Puerto Williams, Chile
Disembark in King George Island and join the charter flight to Puerto Williams. Enjoy a night of post-cruise accommodation here.
Day 16 Puerto Williams to Santiago
Fly from Puerto Williams to Santiago, from which you may commence your onwards journey.
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