Discover the essential features of the White Continent during an 11-day cruise in the Antarctic Peninsula. 

Emblematic Antarctica

Luxury Ships: Le Boréal, Le Soléal and L'Austral 
Length: 10 Nights

Sailing from Ushuaia, you will board Le Boréal for an exceptional 11-day journey to the heart of this land at the end of the world; the Antarctic Peninsula. An essential stopping point on your Antarctic Expedition, Neko Harbour is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sites in the Peninsula. Between the snow-covered mountains, the ice and the wildlife, you will be captivated by the magic of this unique place.

During your journey, you will discover the polar desert with its grandiose landscapes. You will be able to admire the tabular icebergs whose immense dimensions have always held a deep fascination for the great explorers.

Penguins are the veritable emblem of this ice-bound region, living in colonies of many thousands. Sailing on the drifting ice floe or waddling over an icy beach, you will be able to watch these unusual animals going about their daily life.

Razorback whales, humpback whales, Weddell seals, leopard seals and seabirds: this expanse of polar iridescence is home to many other species that you will encounter during your various excursions.

Itinerary in Brief

Day 1              Fly Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina

Day 2-3           The Drake Passage

Day 4              Neko Harbour and Paridise Bay

Day 5              Pleneau Island and Port Charcot

Day 6              Port Lockroy

Day 7              Deception Island

Day 8              Weddell Sea

Day 9-10         Drake Passage

Day 11            Fly Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1                        Fly Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina

Depart Buenos Aires on an early flight to Ushuaia. Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia lies in a bay opening into the Beagle Channel at the country's southernmost tip. Its colourful houses are framed against towering mountains, snow-capped in winter and summer alike. Downtown, the End of the World Museum showcases Tierra del Fuego's natural and indigenous history. A ride on the heritage railway is an exciting excursion into the Tierra del Fuego National Park, while a cruise on Ushuaia Bay is the perfect way to spot sea lions and Magellanic penguins.

Day 2-3                   The Drake Passage

If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to Antarctica. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As a convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

Day 4                        Neko Harbour and Paridise Bay

A little corner of paradise in the shadow of a towering glacier, Neko Harbour is without a doubt one of the most beautiful sites on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was discovered by Belgian navigator Adrien de Gerlache during his 1897-1899 expedition. Mountains, ice and wildlife combine to form a truly unique landscape. Animals are as abundant as they are exotic: among others, you'll encounter seabirds (gulls, Cape petrels, cormorants) and marine mammals (seals, orcas and other whale species). Head out on a Zodiac® excursion to get up close to the icebergs, stop over near a penguin colony, watch a leopard seal sunbathe between dives and enjoy an impromptu aerial show from passing Antarctic terns.

With its spectacular landscapes composed of towering glacial peaks plunging down into the icy waters of the Antarctic, Paradise Bay is true to its name. Discovered and named by whalers in the early 20th century, this protected natural site is currently home to a wide variety of fauna, from Antarctic cormorants and leopard seals to sheathbills and gentoo penguins, who mingle on the long stretch of rocky beaches. With some luck, you'll even be privy to an unforgettable underwater dance between passing humpback whales. During your excursion, head off to discover the old Argentine base Almirante Brown, which is only occupied for a few weeks each year, during the austral summer.

Day 5                        Pleneau Island and Port Charcot

Named after talented photographer Paul Pléneau, who accompanied Jean-Baptiste Charcot on his 1903 expedition, Pleneau Island has become a refuge for gentoo penguins, elephant seals and fur seals. A ‘fleet’ of imposing ice formations sit like anchored ships along its shores. Like works of art, these unusually-sculpted icebergs range in colour from white to blue and every shade in between. On land, red algae provides a striking contrast against empty swathes of snow that alternate with gentoo penguin nesting sites, strewn all across the island.

Port Charcot, a natural harbour located in Salpêtrière Bay, was discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Named for the explorer's father, famed neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, this tip of Booth Island still holds vestiges of Charcot's 1903-1905 anchoring aboard his ship, Le Français. A brisk walk through the snow will take you to the remains of Charcot's stone cabin where he conducted studies on magnetism. Right nearby, you'll notice a colony of gentoo penguins. If you continue on to the summit, you'll pass by the remnants of a cairn and enjoy an unobstructed view of the vast field of icebergs scattered over the bay like white tombstones—an eerie, mystical site like none other.

Day 6                        Port Lockroy

During your cruise, you'll have the opportunity to stop over at Port Lockroy, a spectacular natural harbour nestled in the very heart of the Antarctic Peninsula on Goudier Island. Discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1903, the site has served over the years as a stopover for whaling ships, a British military base and later a research station. The port is currently one of the most visited sites in the Antarctic, thanks to its tiny museum which allows visitors to experience the base as it was in the 1950s and to take home a souvenir from its gift shop. While you're here, don't miss the chance to send your loved ones a post card from the southernmost post office in the world!

Day 7                        Deception Island

Situated just above the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, Deception Island is easily recognisable thanks to its distinctive horseshoe shape. The crater of this former volcano caved in 10,000 years ago and the resulting caldera was flooded, creating a natural harbour. Deception Island still bears traces of its past as a longtime hub of the whaling industry. The vestiges of abandoned sheds that line the black sand of its volcanic beaches share space with the island's spectacular fauna: it is home to the Antarctic Peninsula’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins, as well as numerous elephant seals and fur seals.

Day 8                        Weddell Sea

Amidst the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, you'll wend your way through a veritable labyrinth of majestic table icebergs. Sweeping ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other imposing seabirds. The Weddell seal, king of this realm, will welcome you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding silence. You'll recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly. Weddell seals have the impressive distinction of being able to stay underwater for more than an hour.

Day 9-10                  At Sea, towards Cape Horn

Leave the Antarctic Peninsula and sail back towards Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego. Time to relax, enjoy the on-board facilities and to reflect on the adventures of past days on the White Continent.

Day 11                     Fly Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

Disembark from your ship at Ushuaia port this morning and transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Buenos Aires.