6 reasons to book a Patagonia Cruise
- Discover the remotest corners of Patagonia, that are only accessible from the comfort of a small purpose-built adventure cruise ship
- Witness the awe-inspiring sight of glaciers calving into the sea to create icebergs the size of buildings
- Take zodiac and small boat trips up hidden fjords to discover forest hiking trails to icy viewpoints
- Follow the path of Charles Darwin and ancient mariners alike through the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn
- Watch whales against a backdrop of mountains, or visit rocky beaches that are home to noisy penguin colonies
- Build your cruise into a bigger Patagonia adventure, exploring Torres del Paine, Los Glaciares and more
Cruising past the Cordillera Darwin mountains
Glacier cruising in Tierra del Fuego
Magellanic penguins on the Tucker Islets
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Playful dolphins in White Narrows
Glacier Cruise, Southern Patagonia
Dolphins in the waters of Tierra del Fuego
Zodiac landing at Cape Horn
Glacier walk in Tierra del Fuego
Looking over the Beagle Channel
Icebergs in the Northern Chilean Fjords
Where can I go on a Patagonia adventure cruise?
Cape Horn
Discovering the glaciers of Tierra del Fuego
One of the most popular Patagonia cruises is exploring the island of Tierra del Fuego between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas (Chile). The biggest attraction here is the chance to visit the almost legendary Cape Horn – a place that once struck fear into every sailor's heart.
Cape Horn cruises offer so much more than visiting this isolated speck at the bottom of the world however. Vast glaciers are a major highlight, including the breath-taking Pia Glacier that feeds down from the mountains into an icy lagoon. Here and elsewhere on the cruise there are opportunities for zodiac cruises among bobbing ice, or landings for hiking through forests to dramatic viewpoints.
As well as cruising through Glacier Alley in the Beagle Channel to follow the route of Charles Darwin's famous voyage of discovery, ships visit other historic sites such as Wulaia Bay with its fascinating museum on the region's original Yamana inhabitants.
Tierra del Fuego also offers plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching. Places like the Tucker Islets and Magdalena Island are home to colonies of Magellanic penguins, along with plenty of other birdlife and sightings of dolphins, South American fur seals and Southern elephant seals.
Northern Chilean Fjords
Sea lions in the Northern Chilean Fjords
Chile’s immensely long and mountainous coastline offers two excellent cruising locations: the Northern and Southern Fjords.
Exploring the Northern Fjords gives a brilliant mix of landscapes, culture and wildlife. The ship explores the last outposts of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field as it tumbles down into the sea, with its most spectacular terminus being the mind-bogglingly huge San Rafael Glacier, whose surroundings have been designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Closer to the cruise’s home port of Puerto Montt, the ship calls in at several points along the island of Chiloé as well as the Llanquihue, Chonos and Aysen archipelagos. In Chiloé there is the opportunity to hike through temperate rainforest, visit traditional fishing villages and historic wooden churches. On the mainland of Chile, remote landings include bathing in the thermal springs at Quitralco.
The birdwatching on this cruise is superb, from seabirds along the coast to hummingbirds in the forests – and not forgetting Magellanic penguins in the Queilen Channel off Chiloé. With luck, there is even the possibility of seeing blue whales in the Corcovado Gulf when they visit between December and April.
Swoop says
We cruised through the night to arrive at a new glacier each morning. From our boats we fished pieces of thousand-year-old ice from the water that was later served back to us in our evening drinks. Nothing tastes fresher!
Clo Mazille Patagonia Specialist
Southern Chilean Fjords
Icy waters in the Southern Chilean Fjords
The Southern Chilean Fjords present a dramatically craggier and icier landscape compared to their northern counterparts. Everyone is utterly captivated by the breathtaking spectacle of glaciers on display. Cruises navigating these fjords witness the awe-inspiring experience of glaciers calving, where colossal chunks of ice break off and plunge into the sea, forming magnificent icebergs.
These cruises provide daily opportunities for landings at secluded locations, nature hikes that bring you close enough to actually touch the icy faces of these ancient glaciers and you can keep an eye out for diverse wildlife, including the possibility of spotting elephant seals, playful dolphins, and many bird species. These cruises embark and disembark in the rustic port city of Puerto Natales.
End to End Cruises
End to End cruises allow you to explore Chilean Patagonia's long coast as Darwin once did, but in far more comfort. These cruises operate on ships that spend part of the season in Antarctica, so you're accompanied by an expert team of guides including world-class wildlife specialists, geologists, historians and more. On each day, you'll make excursions in small zodiac boats to rarely visited glaciers to watch them calve, discover small isolated communities best accessible by sea, and step foot on islands that few have ever visited.
These cruises are best way to experience the great diversity of Patagonia's coastline, marvelling at how its landscape changes every day and hour, in a comfortable small ship specially designed for expedition cruising. Remote Patagonia has never been so accessible
Cruising in front of Chile's Pio XI glacier
What Our Customers Think of Patagonia Cruises
Patagonia Cruises trips scored 4.5/5 from 735 reviews
We particularly appreciated Chloe's suggestion to add the Australis cruise - brilliant choice.
Travelled: March 2016
Heinrich -
Planning your Patagonia cruise
How to choose your cruise
Beautiful Patagonia coastlines accessible only by ship
Patagona’s cruising season runs from the start of October through to the end of March. Departures are sometimes available at the end of September or beginning of March, but the weather tends to be sharper with some attractions not on offer (for example, Magellanic penguins will be at sea during these dates instead of in their colonies).
If seeing wildlife is a particular focus for you, see our Wildlife Cruises page for a more detailed breakdown of some of the species you can see while on the different itineraries, as well as shorter whale-watching trips.
All the cruise itineraries are five days/four nights, with the exception of the Northern Chilean Fjords route, which is six days/five nights on board. All meals, drinks and excursions are included in the price of the cruises.
The majority of guests on Cape Horn cruises tend to be international travellers, and guides speak English as well as Spanish. Guests on the Fjords cruises are more of a mix of domestic and international tourists, giving passengers a fantastic slice of Chilean culture along with the scenery. Guides may speak English as well as Spanish, but English audio translations during activities means you’ll never miss out.
Cruise ships
All ships offer zodiac or small boat excursions
Four purpose-built cruise ships operate in Patagonia: two each on the Cape Horn route, and two in the Chilean Fjords. All are small enough to penetrate deep into fjords but with high quality service and plenty of space to offer a fine home for several nights at sea.
Sister ships Ventus Australis and Stella Australis sail in either direction between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas to Cape Horn and the Beagle Channel. Both carry a maximum of 210 passengers in five classes of cabin.
Skorpios II and Skorpios III operate the routes through the Northern and Southern Chilean Fjords from Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales respectively. Skorpios II carries 106 passengers, while Skorpios III carries just 90.
Extend your adventure across Patagonia
Cruises offer plenty of opportunities to build out your voyage as part of a larger Patagonia trip.
For those sailing to Cape Horn, there are plenty of remote treks to do in Tierra del Fuego, and from Ushuaia there are direct flights to El Calafate, the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, as well as Buenos Aires. Swoop offers dedicated group tours that combine Cape Horn cruises with the best of Los Glaciares, including the famous Perito Moreno glacier
Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales are both perfect jumping-off points to explore Torres del Paine National Park. Both have flights to Santiago, Punta Arenas is also connected by air to Puerto Montt, the port for Northern Chilean Fjords cruises as well as the main airport to reach the Chilean Lake District. Coyhaique (Balmaceda) in Aysen also has flights to and from Punta Arenas.
Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park
Tierra del Fuego adventure cruises: FAQs
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I’m not normally a cruise person – is an adventure cruise really for me?
These trips are often described as ‘cruises for people who don’t do cruises’. Based on a small ship carrying up to 210 passengers, they're the perfect way to explore some really remote areas, with plenty of opportunity to get off the ship and explore, or do cruises in small zodiac boats. They're more akin to an Antarctic expedition cruise to something you might find in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.
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How active are the cruises?
Many landings include the option to do a short hike to a viewpoint over a glacier or similar. The hikes usually include routes rated from easy to moderate, though even those rated for the most active guests can typically be done by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. All excursions and hikes are optional.
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What will the weather be like?
Patagonia’s weather can famously encompass four seasons in a single day – a motto that Tierra del Fuego embraces with a passion.
Throughout the cruising season, temperatures average somewhere between 5–15C (41-49F). Strong winds are always a possibility, along with rain and even the occasional snow flurry. Zodiac landings require water-proof gear as you’ll be exposed to the elements, so it's wise to pack accordingly.
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Will we definitely land at Cape Horn?
The changeable weather at Cape Horn has been famous for centuries, so there is always a small chance that conditions may prevent a landing. However, in recent seasons, over 80% of visits to the Horn had successful landings there.
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Will I see penguins?
Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed but the cruise ships call at either the Tucker Islets or Magdalena Island, which are both home to large Magellanic penguin colonies. At the Tucker Islets (visited on the Ushuaia-Punta Arenas route, visits are made by zodiac. At Magdelana Island (visited on the Punta Arenas-Ushuaia route), it's possible to land and see the penguins from the shore.
Magellanic penguins come ashore between early October and late March to breed, coinciding with the operating season for the ships. The months outside this are spent at sea.
Ready to plan your Patagonia adventure?
1. Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
2. Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
3. Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.