17D Let's Go Antartica - The Last Frontier

Dinner

• Upon arrival, free at leisure. You are free to explore the cit or just catch up on rest after a long-haul flight.
• Tonight, we will gather for a welcome dinner.

Breakfast | Dinner

• Transfer to the airport for our domestic flight to Puerto Williams.
• 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.
• We will start our embarkation process.
• Cruise departs tonight at 9:00p.m..

Full Board

• Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a wild enough environment – but the sensation of watching the distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the ‘End of the World’ fade into the horizon, is one that’s equal parts epic, eerie and magical. Set sail, to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn, and voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica.

Full Board

• Few voyages ignite the imagination like a journey to Antarctica, one of the planet’s most remote and enchanting wildernesses. Only a lucky few experience its majestic beauty firsthand. Your first encounter will likely be the Antarctic Sound, at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, stretching toward Tierra del Fuego. Named after the first ship to navigate it in 1902, the Sound features imposing icebergs from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Witness stadium-sized ice islands and extraordinary birdlife, including Gentoo penguins and cape petrels. Prepare your photography skills to capture this continent's unrestrained glory.

Full Board

• 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 Whale-Watcing 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.

Full Board

• The ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region of mainland Antarctica, lying a mere 480-miles away from South America, across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. 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 most 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.

Full Board

• Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage of romantic ocean faring legend, as you aim for Antarctica’s icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper sized icebergs salute you, as you traverse the waters of this continent where snow and ice dwelling creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight of this most-unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland Islands. Walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest and bravest explorers as you explore famed, snow-covered landmasses like Elephant and Deception Island. 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.

Full Board

• Enroute sailing to Puerto Williams, we will still hope to be able to see some dolphins or humpback whales.
• Enjoy the various entertainment programs provided by Silversea.

Breakfast | Dinner

• After breakfast, we will prepare for disembarkation.
• Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the capital of Chile - Santiago

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

• Discover the coastal jewels of Chile with our day tour to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar departing from Santiago. Enjoy a scenic drive through the wine country before heading into the vibrant and bohemian city of Valparaíso, with its colourful hilltop houses, street art, and breathtaking panoramic views.
• Then, continue the tour of the beautiful "Garden City" of Viña del Mar, where you can relax on its beaches, explore its parks and discover its palaces.

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

• Half day city tour will include historic and modern sides of Santiago. Visit impressive monuments and colonial buildings like the Plaza de Armas, the Mapuche Monument, the Post Office, and the cathedral. Learn about Chile’s military coup as you visit La Moneda, the government palace. End the tour with the commercial city centre, the fish market, and the vibrant Lastarria neighborhood.

Breakfast | Meals on Board

• Free at leisure till transfer to the airport.

 Meals on Board

• We hoped you had enjoyed your holiday with LGE Travel, and we look forward to seeing you again.