Surrounded by eternal ice making you feel cold, white is all that you will be seeing in this journey while you’re walking through the last true wilderness of the planet. A fascinating place where the sun doesn’t shine during winter and doesn’t set during summer, where silence reigns and no one disturbs. The ultimate adventure journey will be going on a voyage through Antarctica.
It’s possible to get here through different places, but the most common departure port is Ushuaia located in the Patagonia, Argentina. Many ships sail to Antarctica, and the options available variate from a direct round trip to a deeper itinerary that takes you east to the Falkland Islands, then to South Georgia, and later to the Antarctic Peninsula.
The latter takes two weeks if the weather conditions are good. Additionally, these waters are considered to be the wildest on the planet so you better be ready for some tossing and pitching en route. The Explorer II is the ship that you will be taking you after leaving Ushuaia, and it sails via the phenomenal Beagle Channel into the Drake Passage, which is well-known for being the roughest part of the voyage.
After a day and a half of being in the ship, you will arrive at Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands, where the incredible variety of colorful houses and the astonishing Christ Church Cathedral will catch your attention. Also, this is your first opportunity to see penguins, which are reached by taking a four-wheel-drive across the hillsides.
During the evening, you will be departing to South Georgia, which takes two days of sailing across the Scotia Sea. Even though this part isn’t as famous as the Drake Passage, the waters are also wild in this part of the journey; therefore, you will have to wait for the sea to calm down so you can stand in the stern and see the beautiful seabirds that follow the ship. In addition, you will get to see the first icebergs as the ship gets close to them.
South Georgia is one of the highlights of this journey because this place seems to be isolated but yet it’s full of wildlife and breathtaking sceneries. Over a period of two days, the ship arrives in different ports like Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour, and Larsen Harbour; they will take you to the historic Grytviken settlement. In the incredible Gold Harbour, you will see its beaches coming alive with thousands of king penguins and seals.
Two days more of sailing will take you to the Elephant Island and call into Point Wild. Then, your next stop will be in Deception Island, where the ship goes through the narrow Neptune’s Bellows into the flooded crater of a volcano. At the old Hektor whaling station, geothermal springs can be found beneath the beach, creating a variety of pools where travelers can swim and relax with the hot water.Overnight, the Explorer II will be sailing through the stunning iceberg-strewn Gerlache Strait, home to thousands of gentoo penguins; then the ship will be going to Neko Harbour on the Antarctic Peninsula itself. The moment in which you step on land will be an unforgettable one, here you will be seeing calm water reflecting the enormous glaciers, also you will be admiring the most pristine continent of the planet. After two days, the ship will take you back to Ushuaia, the place where everything started.
Just for you to know
This ship, Explorer II, can be booked through Abercrombie & Kent. Ushuaia can be reached either by taking a flight from Buenos Aires in Argentina or Santiago in Chile. Don’t forget to take plenty of warm clothing with you, remember that you’re going to a really cold place. Also, full briefings are given on board so that you know how to behave around the wildlife.
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