The Great Adventure | L'Austral

Your cruise package includes a pre-night in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires, Argentina’s elegant, historic and cosmopolitan capital, is known as the “Paris of the South” due to its European atmosphere with glamorous avenues lined with fashionable shops and Parisian-style restaurants and cafes. Located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires has many fascinating neighbourhoods to explore including the colourful and lively La Boca, home to art galleries and tango shows; San Telmo with its restored mansions and antique stores and Recoleta, the city’s most exclusive area.

You will be met at your hotel by our local representative who will provide you with all the information you need for the upcoming departure. Check-in from late morning and the rest of your day is at your leisure.

Today you will enjoy an early morning breakfast at your hotel before leaving to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia.

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 urrounded 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.

Please note: Your flight time is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. Embarkation is scheduled between 4-5pm

To reach the mythical “White Continent” we cross the notorious Drake Passage named after the famous explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed in these waters back in 1578. You will then traverse the Polar Front which marks the area where waters from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans meet. The Antarctic Convergence is a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached Antarctica.

Deep in Andvord Bay, we find this little corner of paradise at the foot of an immense glacier. Neko Bay is without doubt one of the most beautiful sights of the Antarctic Peninsula. Wildlife is as abundant as it is exceptional with seabirds such as gulls, Cape petrels and cormorants, as well as marine mammals such as seals, orcas and whales. Excursions aboard our Zodiacs allow you to sail close to blue-tinged icebergs or disembark near colonies of penguins, observe leopard seals basking on the shore or watch the Antarctic terns flying overhead.

Paradise Bay (or Paradise Harbour as it is also known) is surrounded and protected by glaciated mountains and ice cliffs. It is a stunningly beautiful wide bay and natural harbour, home to a colony of gentoo penguins, with Argentina's “Almirante Brown Antarctic Base” standing on its coast.

On the small island of Goudier, we hope to have the opportunity to visit Port Lockroy, discovered by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1903. Initially it served as a relief and repair base for whalers, but in 1944 Port Lockroy became a British base. It owes its name to Edouard Lockroy, a French politician and the partner of Jean-Baptiste Charcot during his expedition. You will be able to visit the small museum that retraces the life of the base in the 1950’s. Since 1996, it has been open to the public during the short southern summer and is used for carrying out research on gentoo penguins. Nowadays, this base is the most visited site of the White Continent and, thanks to its small store and post office, it is the only place to offer you the opportunity to write to your friends and family and share this unique moment.

Wilhelmina Bay is surrounded by steep snow-covered cliffs and glaciers, with a pyramid-shaped peak towering over the water. Named after Queen Wilhelmina, who reigned the Netherlands from 1890 to1948, this spectacular bay is known for its abundant whale population including humpback whales.

Weather permitting, we will sail into the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island for its rugged scenery, great sites of geological interest and the remains of an old whaling station. Deception Island is the largest of three recent volcanic centres in the South Shetlands and sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing.

Nestled at the heart of the South Shetland Islands, in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, Deception Island is easy to recognise for its horseshoe shape. On the black sand of the volcanic beaches, there are remains of abandoned huts that have been overrun by the extraordinary wildlife found here. It is on these ash beaches that the largest colony of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula has taken up residence. Excursions aboard our Zodiacs will allow you to set foot on this expanse of land where more than 100,000 pairs of penguins, elephant seals and fur seals live side by side.

The next two days are spent crossing the Scotia Sea towards the South Georgia offering opportunities to watch for wildlife from the deck, catch up on some reading, check through and edit your photos, or simply to reflect on the magical experiences of the last days on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Majestic snow-covered mountains greet us on the island of South Georgia - the most rugged island in this region.

South Georgia has been a British Overseas Territory since 1775. It is the largest island in the territory and one of the wildest and most remote places on earth with dramatic scenery of snow-capped mountains and huge glaciers. In the 19th century South Georgia was a prominent whaling base, but whaling ceased in the 1960’s and the only remnants are museums and well-preserved buildings. South Georgia teems with wildlife due to the currents that bring nutrients to the island from the Atlantic. Huge numbers of penguins and seals breed here.

Cooper Bay is home to one of South Georgia’s most accessible macaroni penguin colonies. The island is covered in tussock grass and is home to snow petrels, Antarctic prions, black-browed albatross, chinstrap penguins and fur seals.

Gold Harbour has not only spectacular scenery but also a vast range of wildlife. It is a breeding ground for king and gentoo penguins as well as sooty albatrosses. Elephant seals also breed here, in particular at the western end of the beach where a glacial stream runs into the sea.

Grytviken is the largest of South Georgia’s whaling stations, situated at the head of Cumberland Bay. It is here where the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton can be found in the whaler’s cemetery. There is an excellent museum at Grytviken, maintained by the South Georgia Heritage Trust, and the restored church, built by the original Norwegian whalers, provides a fascinating glimpse into the past.

King penguins and seals inhabit the beaches of Fortuna Bay, named after the Fortuna, one of the Norwegian-Argentine whaling expedition ships under Larsen that participated in establishing the first permanent whaling station at Grytviken.

Leaving South Georgia behind, the ship sails across the Southern Atlantic Ocean bound for Montevideo. Relax on the outdoor decks scanning the horizon for wildlife. Look out for several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters, skuas and diving petrels as we cross the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters.

Disembarkation is scheduled for 9am.

Montevideo is the historic yet cosmopolitan capital of Uruguay. Situated on the east bank of the Rio de la Plata it is home to half of Uruguay’s population. The city has much to offer including the historic Old City with the Plaza Independencia at its heart and its Citadel Gate used up until 1829 to protect the city from invasion. The plaza separates the Ciudad Vieja (old town) with its art deco buildings, colonial homes and landmarks such as the towering Palacio Salvo, from the city's downtown. Explore the covered market of Mercado del Puerto or the Centenario Football Stadium where the first World Cup was played in 1930. Stroll along La Rambla, hugging Montevideo’s scenic waterfront or maybe head to the beachside suburbs of Carrasco or Pocitos.