Looking at the map, many travelers planning a Patagonia cruise overestimate South America’s remoteness because, beyond the tip of the continent, the next thing they see is Antarctica. In reality, at a latitude of 56° S, Cape Horn is almost exactly the same distance south of the Equator as Edinburgh is to the north, but […]

Recently, in this space, I wrote about overnighting in Antarctica as part of a Patagonia expedition, but there’s another option that’s well worth consideration. Barely an hour northeast of Punta Arenas, surrounded by the South Atlantic Ocean, the Falkland Islands have no glaciers, but they do have an array of sub-Antarctic wildlife that matches almost […]

When Ferdinand Magellan first entered the famous strait that now bears his name, he was not on a Patagonia adventure cruise. In late 1520, when his fleet of five ships sailed past what is now Punta Dungeness, at the eastern entrance to what is the most direct route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, he […]

Many if not most visitors on a Patagonia excursion visit two countries, Argentina and Chile. Unlike Europe, there is no currency union between the two, so it’s important to know what’s happening with money – especially the notoriously fluid situation in Argentina. Like many foreign travelers and Argentine tourism operators, I welcomed the recent end […]

One major highlight of any Patagonia cruise tour is the wildlife. From the decks of any vessel, and on land excursions, passengers can enjoy the sight of Patagonia nature and countless birds – many of them unique to the Southern Hemisphere – and marine mammals such as elephant seals and sea lions. Literally and metaphotically, […]

As the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer approach, our thoughts turn to a Patagonia vacation, but many of us have only a vague idea what that means. Consequently, I’d like to take an opportunity to define the region that has stimulated the imagination since Ferdinand Magellan first landed there in the 16th century. Intending visitors […]

As winter turns to spring – in the Southern Hemisphere – penguins are on the move, but it’s not for their Patagonia vacation. Rather, this is the season that most of them, after spending the winter at sea, migrate to their nesting sites in the South Atlantic and South Pacific, including Argentina, Chile and the […]