Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands – Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

Enjoy a full day tour of Buenos Aires, “Paris of South America”, arranged exclusively for Explor Cruises’ guests. Visit the unique neighborhoods of San Telmo, Recoleta, La Boca, Puerto Madero and Palermo. Lunch is included. This evening, you will be taken to a Dinner & Tango Show at Tango Porteño, Includes round trip transfers and a tango lesson of 1hr before the dinner. Return to your hotel late.

This afternoon, transfer to the city airport for your included flight to Ushuaia. Transfer to your hotel upon arrival. The small city of Ushuaia combines everything to be a perfect starting point for Antarctic cruises. It locates at the southern tip of South America Continent and is regarded as the world’s southernmost city. Being the capital of Tierra del Fuego archipelago Ushuaia boasts the southernmost Tierra del Fuego National Park and beautiful landscapes of Beagle Bay and Andes mountains.

In the afternoon we embark the Sea Spirit and set sail down the scenic Beagle Channel.

In the region of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula we get a great variety of opportunities to actively explore the unique wildlife and breathtaking scenery. With nearly 200 recognized sites here we use all our experience to offer you the best places and ways to explore the enchanting world of the Sixth Continent. A flexible planning is a key to successful expedition. Our Captain and Expedition Leader will do their best to show you all the faces of Antarctica. We hope to tick off 5 penguin /6 seal / several whale species in Antarctic check-list. While cruising along narrow Antarctic waterways we admire huge icebergs of different shapes, sizes and colors. We visit scientific stations representing several different countries and learn about Antarctic scientific researches straight from the source. Of course, setting foot on the actual Antarctic Continent is also on agenda.

We now proceed northeast through the wildlife-rich waters of the Scotia Sea. We keep a lookout for abundant humpback and fin whales along the way. Briefings, bio-security procedures and presentations by our lecture staff prepare you for our arrival in South Georgia.

This is expedition cruising at its most authentic. Our route and exploration opportunities in South Georgia are heavily dependent on the weather conditions we encounter. Our experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant.

South Georgia is a scenic wilderness and an unrivalled paradise for sub-Antarctic wildlife viewing. The islands are said to host upwards of 100 million seabirds, including numerous species of albatross, penguins, prions, petrels, and terns. On beaches such as those at Salisbury Plain and St. Andrews Bay, over 100,000 elephant seals and three million fur seals jostle for space among innumerable penguins including stately king penguins and sprightly macaroni penguins. The recently completed rat eradication program is sure to make this wilderness even more pristine and rich with birdlife.

The bountiful waters surrounding South Georgia are also inhabited by an increasing number of whales. The historical whaling station of Grytviken is now home to the excellent South Georgia Museum managed by the South Georgia Heritage Trust. This is also the final resting place of Ernest Shackleton, the legendary polar explorer.

Our days in South Georgia are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by our experts, and enough incredible scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions. chinned petrels and Antarctic prions. Most of the world’s population of the South Georgia blue eyed shags live there, some 7,500 pairs.

From South Georgia we head west toward the Falkland Islands. Presentations and workshops by our expert staff, as well as our range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that these days at sea are not idly spent.

The Falkland Islands offer an unforgettable vista of moors and rugged coastlines carved by the South Atlantic, where the wildlife and plant life form a link between Patagonia and Antarctica. On the beaches, elephant seals are a spectacular sight when battling among themselves to establish territories or just simply relaxing. Sea lions and fur seals are also common sights. As many as a million penguins nest in the Falklands every summer, representing five of the world’s seventeen species – King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Magellanic and Macaroni. What’s more, for the Gentoo, the Falklands are home to the largest population on Earth. Look for black-browed albatrosses nesting on grassy hillsides overlooking the sea. The capital of the Falklands, Port Stanley, is the southernmost British outpost in the world. With many reminders of its British heritage such as red phone booths and English pubs, the town boasts other unusual sights like a whalebone arch and shipwrecks along the coast.

Reality begins to set in during this final sea passage separating the magic world we’ve just explored from the rest of the world we’ll soon be rejoining. Refresh your memories through a photo exchange with newfound friends, and bid farewell to seabirds and whales that you can identify more easily now.

Right after the disembarkation we provide group transfer to the international airport or the city center.

Tours are available to explore more of  Argentina or other places of interest.