Patagonia

Patagonia

 

Experience Patagonia - the ‘End-of-the-World’. Enjoy Advancing Glaciers, Gushing Waterfalls & Snow-Topped Granite Pillars

Sandwiched between two oceans and sprawled across two countries, Patagonia is as ‘end-of-the-world’ as it gets. Advancing glaciers, gushing waterfalls, snow-topped granite pillars…it’s no wonder Chile and Argentina both stake a claim over this beautiful slice of South America. Where else can you hike past herds of guanaco, hear giant shards of ice crash into the sea, sail the Beagle Channel past unique flora and fauna, and drop by the world’s southernmost city? If anywhere makes you feel small, it’s Patagonia. Adventure to the end of the world and appreciate our planet at its most wild and spectacular. 

A wildlife lover’s paradise, Charles Darwin wrote that he had never seen such a secluded place, as he first explored the incredible estuary of Puerto Deseado. Darwin visited on several occasions as his evolution theories took shape, and the diverse, extraordinary wildlife continues to lure visitors to this small fishing town, set amid Argentina’s wild Patagonia region. Darwin’s name is imprinted deep into the folds of this city's history, and whether it’s on café signs or adventure tour guides’ literature, the great naturalist’s name is never far away. 

Alberto de Agostini National Park was created in 1965 and takes its name from an Italian explorer, photographer, writer and missionary of the Salesians of Don Bosco order that lived and explored Patagonia as a missionary around 1930. De Agostini was known for his discoveries, photographs and maps of the region. The park is located in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, the southernmost, largest, and second least populated region of Chile. The park covers 5,637 square miles and touches Magallanes, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica provinces. It is the third largest protected area of the country. 

Tortel is a commune located in Southern Patagonia, a spectacular wilderness region of rugged mountains, glaciers, rivers and forests of infinite beauty. The uneven geography of Tortel shapes a unique landscape, characterized by an archipelagic area with numerous islands and channels. 

Overlooking the vast Golfo Nuevo, the northern Patagonian town of Puerto Madryn is one of Argentina’s top whale-watching spots. Founded by Welsh explorers, who arrived aboard the Mimosa ship in 1865, Puerto Madryn welcomes visitors to enjoy its wonderful wildlife, traditional tea shops, and sheep-rearing ranches known as estancias. Taste some of Argentina’s tenderest and juiciest steak cuts, or piles of seafood, in the waterfront restaurants of the town’s promenade, as you fuel up ahead of the natural adventures of a lifetime. 

The Pio XI Glacier is classified as a tidewater glacier, which means the river of ice starts in the high mountains and then courses downhill all the way to sea level where it slowly melts into the salty ocean bit-by-bit. The Pio XI Glacier is an offshoot of the South Patagonian Ice Field and approaching from the sea, the ice sprawls out in front of the ship in a wide band that reflects a remarkable shade of brilliant blue.

Looming like a colossal river, frozen in the icy hold of time – the first time you set eyes on the Garibaldi Glacier will live with you forever, sending shivers down your spine that are absolutely nothing to do with the fjord's weather’s chill. A stunning, unimaginably vast wedge of slowly creeping blue-white ice, the glacier is a fitting climax to the voyage through the cinematic majesty of the Garibaldi Fjord. 

If you’re after a small ship cruise or an expedition ship cruise to Patagonia Wild Earth Travel can help you find a trip of a lifetime. We are ready to guide you through our range of different options with impartial advice so you can experience the very best of this unique destination. Our team are all passionate expedition & small cruise ship travellers and our knowledge and stories come from our own personal experiences.

 

Our Associates Include

Adventure Canada
Heritage Expeditions New Zealand
UnCruise Adventures
Hurtugruten
Ponant
Pandaw