Antarctica

The Antarctic Peninsula is an 800-mile (1,300 km) stretch of land and ice extending northward from the Antarctic continent towards South America. Visitors are humbled by the staggering beauty of the Antarctic: icebergs, glaciers, snow-covered mountain tops and incredible wildlife.

The Antarctic Peninsula is an 800-mile (1,300 km) stretch of land and ice extending northward from the Antarctic continent towards South America. First-time visitors, especially, are humbled by the staggering beauty of the Antarctic: icebergs, glaciers, snow-covered mountain tops and incredible wildlife. People who dream of visiting the 7th Continent typically start here on the peninsula, which is ice-covered and mountainous. The Bransfield Strait separates the peninsula from the South Shetland Islands to the north. Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America, lies about 1,000 km (620 miles) away on the other side of the Drake Passage.

To experience the Antarctic Peninsula is to witness minke and humpback whales at close range, and to gaze upon icebergs of every conceivable shape and size in the bays, fjords and inlets.  The peninsula is blessed with a diversity of wilderness vistas. Visitors can observe penguin colonies on Danco Island, or stand in awe at the sight (and sounds) of mammoth glaciers calving in Neko Harbour.

There are two main ways to visit Antarctica: flying from Punta Arenas in Southern Chile or the most popular option which is to take a cruise in Patagonia from the Southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia in Argentina.

Antarctic itineraries start at 10 nights to visit the highlights of the white continent including the main peninsula and a few islands, perfect for spotting wildlife, icebergs and the vast extension of ice to the epic 23 days crossing of the polar circle expedition which also includes visits to the Falklands and South Georgia islands.

The other alternative would be to go on a fly + cruise trip from Punta Arenas, flying from Chile to King George Island and then crossing by boat from there to Antarctica. The program starts at 7 nights and the departure dates start in early December.
These are not caribbean-type luxury cruises, but expedition boats which include all your meals and daily excursions in Antarctica in addition to lectures on glaciology, wildlife, etc.

Most of the specialized cruise lines offer fantastic service and an array of activities usually not featured by the bigger boats to include kayaking, zodiac tours, hiking, stand-up paddling, helicopter and submarine rides and even the possibility of camping in Antarctic soil. Their boats range from 128 to 199 passengers which makes the service very personalized. They are also a member of Virtuoso which allows us to provide additional complimentary amenities on board.
The best options available are Silversea, Viking, Lindlbad National Geographic, Quark and Seaborn and all of them offer great alternatives.

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