Check-in at 1385 O´higgings Street (Arturo Prat Port) between 13:00 and 17:00. Board at 18:00 (6PM). After welcoming toast and introduction of captain and crew, the ship departs for one of the most remotest corners of Planet Earth. During the night we cross the Strait of Magellan and enter the labyrinth of channels that define the southern extreme of Patagonia. The twinkling lights of Punta Arenas gradually fade into the distance as we enter the Whiteside Canal between Darwin Island and Isla Grande de Tierro del Fuego.

Welcome to Carlos III Island and the Francisco Coloane Maritime Park (protected area for scientific research). We will stay the whole morning in the area in order to experience Humpback whales as they regularly breach and slap the water with their tail and pectorals. You will be able to get ‘up close and personal’ with these magnificent creatures via our well-equipped Zodiac boats as well as receive lectures and a deeper insight from a passionate whale specialist. There are two sea lion colonies in the area and - if we are lucky - we can observe these along with the whales as we journey through headlands and fjords. For bird lovers there is plenty to see as the area is home to a variety of bird species. The most abundant are the black-browed albatross, Magellanic penguins, skua, cormorants, giant petrels, red-headed vultures, Chilean skuas and Condors among others. In the afternoon, we will navigate towards the beautifully remote Regorio Glacier at Santa Ines Island.

After nightall we enter the Beagle Channel and sail westward along the southern edge of Tierra del Fuego into a watery wonderland protected within the confines of Alberto de Agostini National Park. Rounding the Brecknock Peninsula at the western extreme of Tierra del Fuego, Ventus Australis is, for a brief time, exposed to the open Pacific. We then navigate a zigzag route through the Cockburn Channel, Magdalena Channel and Keats Fjord to reach scenic De Agostini Sound. Named after an Italian Salesian priest who worked among the region´s indigegenous people during the first half of the 20th century, De Agostini Sound is flanked by numerous glaciers and sheer saw-toothed peaks reminiscent of Torres del Paine. Our shore excursion this morning is Águila ("Eagle") Glacier, which hovers above a placid glacial lagoon surrounded by primeval forest. After a Zodiac landing on the beach, passengers hike around the edge of the lagoon to a spot near the base of the frozen facade. Condors can sometimes be seen winging high above, but there is always abundant bird life around the lagoon. This landing provides the perfect opportunity to experience the beauty of Patagonia´s sub-Antartic rainforest and to see how the power of nature has molded the spectacular landscape. The huge and rarely visited Condor Glacier in Agostini Sound will be the highlight in the afternoon. We will be able to see the glacier up close on zodiacs, and also watch out for the Andean condors that gave the glacier its name. The Andean condor is the largest flying bird in the world, weighing up to 15kg and with a maximum wingspan of 3.3m.

Making our way further west along the Beagle Channel, we enter another long fjord and drop anchor near Garibaldi Glacier for another shore excursion. Garibaldi is one of only three glaciers in Patagonia gaining mass rather than staying the same or slowly shrinking. This time we hike through virgin Magellanic forest to a glacial waterfall, a towering wall of ferns and moss, and spectacular viewpoints looking down on the glacier and fjord. The walk is demanding, very steep, negligible trail, rough footing – and not for everyone. For those who choose to stay onboard, our captain will point the bow towards the beautiful sky blue Garibaldi Glacier so everyone can enjoy the panoramic view from the upper decks. Flowing down from the Darwin Mountains and Darwin Ice Sheet are a number of impressive tidewater glaciers, most of them named after European countries – Holland, Italy, Germany, Spain and France. In amongst this frozen league of nations we enter the narrow Pia Fjord and board the Zodiacs for a shore excursion to Pia Glacier. No one knows for certain how the hulking glacier got its feminine moniker, but one theory says is was named for princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847 – 1911), daughter of the Italian king. After disembarking we take a short hike to gain a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea or a longer much more difficult walk up a lateral moraine of the old Pia Glacier.

Founded in 1884 and one of the original points of contact between the indigenous Yámana and European cultures. Its name derives from the Yámana word for ‚penetrating bay‘ and it´s surrounded by the southernmost Andes peaks. With around 65,000 inhabitants, Ushuaia is the second largest city in Tierra del Fuego (after Rio Grande). Among its highlights it is the Prison at the End of the World, a former penitentiary that is now a maritime museum, Antarctic collection and memorial to those once incarcerated there. The city is also good for shopping (especially locally made chocolate) or hanging out in its many cafes. Lunch will be provided on the ship. The port can easily be reached on foot. In the afternoon, we disembark in Puerto Williams, the southernmost town of the world. Here we can stroll around the city, or for example visit the museum Martin Gusinde.

During the early morning hours, we cruise across Nassau Bay into the remote archipelago that includes Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, we shall go ashore on the windswept island that harbors legendery Cape Horn. In the afternoon we drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, one of the few places in the archipelago where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment. After a visit to the Australis-sponsored museum in the old radio station – which is especially strong on the Yámana people and European missionaries in the area – passengers have a choice of three hikes (of increasing degress of difficulty) that ascend the heavily wooden mountain behind the bay. On all of these you will be strolling through an enchanted Magellan forest of lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other endemic fauna to reach a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the bay.

Today we will sail the Cockburn Canal to anchor in Seno Chico. Our adventure begins in the Zodiac boats with which we will enter the Alakalufe Fjord where we can see beautiful waterfalls, and the Piloto and Nena glaciers. The intense blue color of the Piloto glacier will attract attention, due to its compression and age. We will learn the formation of the glaciers and their influence in the geography of the Patagonian channels.

Early in the morning we will reach Almirantazgo Bay. We will take a walk from the mouth of a river going North, entering the sub-Antartic forest and finally reaching a glacial waterfall. On our way back, we will see several beaver dams. Finally,,we will take a ride on the Zodiac boats on order to observe elephant seals, cormorants and other birds while we go back to our cruise ship. In the afternoon we will navigate Parry Fjord. From this area it will be possible to appreciate various glaciers that come down to the sea from the upper icefield. Onboard Zodiac boats, we will motor to the far end of the fjord to see an amphitheatre of glaciers in an area where sometimes it is possible to see leopard seals.

After an overnight cruise that takes us back into the Strait of Magellan, we anchor off Marta Island, which lies about halfway between Tierro del Fuego and the Chilean mainland.Perched in the middle of the legendary Strait of Magellan, Isla Marta harbors a colony of more than a thousand Patagonian sea lions (Otaria flavescens) as well as copious bird life. Among other species that inhabit the tiny island are Cormorants, Skuas, Austral seagulls, Antarctic pigeons and the occasional elephant seal. Marta's male sea lions can weigh up to 800 lbs (360 kg) and grow to more than 9 feet (3 meters) in length. After a short sail south along the strait, disembarking at Punta Arenas is scheduled for around 11:30AM.