Antarctica: The White Continent – with Smithsonian Journeys

The day before embarking your cruise in Usuhaia, you’ll arrive in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, where you’ll be transferred from Ezeiza International Airport to check-in at the Hotel Madero (or similar) from late morning.

After a meet and greet at the hotel and hospitality desk, take lunch and dinner on your own, and enjoy some leisure time in the afternoon, before spending the night at the hotel ready for tomorrow’s big adventure.

After an early morning breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Ushuaia (approximate flight duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes.)

Capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible.

After a meet and greet at the airport in Ushuaia you’ll be taken for lunch at a local restaurant before your transfer to the pier to embark the ship, as you set sail bound for the White Continent.

Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. You will experience exceptional sailing moments on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.

Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest zodiac outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don’t forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

After saying your sad farewells to the ship, you’ll disembark and depart directly for Tierra del Fuego National Park. Created in 1960, the Park, which covers 155,670 acres, is located in the southwest of Tierra del Fuego Province on the Beagle Canal. One of its entry points is about six miles from Ushuaia.

Mountainous landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers create a picturesque scenery reinforced by the southern position of the park itself. The Darwin Mountains, which represent the southern part of the Andes Mountains, are mainly responsible for the landscape. The Park is only partly accessible to the public, and this tour will provide you with the opportunity to discover the local flora and sub-Antarctic landscapes. If you are lucky, you may encounter beavers, dams, birds, wild orchids, and more. This is a true paradise for nature lovers!

After your tour you’ll be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Buenos Aires where your adventure finishes.