Chile cruises

Southbound Route: Puerto Montt - Puerto Natales

4 days / 3 nights

Monday to Thursday

Aboard the M/N Magallanes

A route that combines the beauty of the pristine parks with the force of the cold wind, with the untamed south appearing in all its glory. The ferry crosses Reloncaví Bay, the Ancud and Corcovado gulfs and the Moraleda Channel, all preceding the beautiful spectacle of the Coastal Cordillera at the Taitao Peninsula. The Penas Gulf recalls the eternal route of the ancient indigenous peoples, while the vestiges of the Andes give rise to small islands covered with low lying coigüe, lenga and cypress trees. In the midst of multi-coloured waters, originating from the Southern Ice Fields, Puerto Edén greets passengers, exhibiting the cultural heritage of the last surviving aboriginal people in the world, the Kawescar (or Alacalufe). After winding its way through endless labyrinths of islands and channels, the Magallanes arrives in Puerto Natales, the stepping-stone for the Torres del Paine National Park, the Milodón Natural Monument and Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park. During the course of this voyage towards the Patagonian channels, you will have the chance to see a large number of native bird species such as Magellanic penguins, condors, woodpeckers, black-necked swans, cormorants, petrels, flamingos, caiquenes and ñandús, among others.

Itinerary

Day 1: Puerto Montt
Embark in Puerto Montt between 0900 and 1200 hrs and set sail at 1600 hrs. Navigate past Calbuco, Reloncaví Bay, Ancud Gulf and Corcovado Gulf. Captain's welcome followed by dinner and a film (in the dining room) or live music (in the pub).

Day 2: Sailing the Channels
Sail past Melinka and along North and South Pérez Channels (high season only) with the opportunity of sighting a seal colony and cormorants. Morning talk on the local flora and fauna. Continue through Brieva Strait and Peñón Blanco and enter Pulluche Channel with its abundant vegetation. Afternoon talk on the Kaweskar people. Sail out to sea in the evening. Dinner followed by a film (in the dining room) or live music (in the pub).

Day 3: Puerto Eden, Pio XI Glacier
Enter the channels zone at Messier Channel and pass through Angostura Inglesa and Bajo Cotopaxi. Call at the town of Puerto Edén in the morning for an exploration. After lunch visit the Pío XI Glacier, the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere (high season only). Continue to the Abismo Strait and Concepción Channel. Afternoon talks on geology, glaciation and the Torres del Paine. Dinner, bingo and farewell party.

Day 4: Última Esperanza Fjord - Puerto Natales
Sail through the Wide Channel and the Última Esperanza Fjord before disembarking in Puerto Natales at 1100 hrs (subject to wind conditions).

Please note: The only en route stop on this voyage is at Puerto Eden.

Prices

Please enquire for prices.

Cabin shares are available on request.

Rates include: accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner (fixed menu).

Rates do not include: Puerto Eden shore visit, drinks, tips, and personal expenses.

Notes

• Passengers must check in at least 4 hours before departure in Puerto Montt.
• The boat will not dock at Puerto Chacabuco.
• The only stop is at Puerto Eden. This excursion is two hours long and with a charge of 3,000 pesos (c.US$5), which is a contribution to the local community.
• Passengers should reconfirm departure 48 hours prior.
• Departure days and times are subject to change without prior notice.
• Lunch is not included on Day 1 of Southbound journey.
• Should the M/N Magallanes not operate, the journey will be on the M/N Puerto Eden, offering the same facilities.

All arrival and departure times are subject to change depending on weather conditions.