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More cruise related sites:
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| Antarctic Cruises Ports of Call |
| Beagle Channel |
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The Beagle Channel was named after the ship on which Captain Robert Fitzroy and Sir Charles Darwin sailed during their 19th century explorations. The channel runs through the southern part of Tierra del Fuego forming part of the Chilean-Argentine border. Ancient glaciers punctuate the snow-capped mountains on either side of the channel. All along this "Glaciers Avenue" several breathtaking glaciers can be enjoyed as Glacier Watching.
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| Cape Horn |
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Cape Horn is the southernmost point of South America. It is located in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.
The cape was first rounded on January 26, 1616 by a Dutch expedition of Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire. They named it Kaap Hoorn after the city of Hoorn, Schouten's birthplace. The spanish name of the place is a degeneration of the dutch: Cabo de Hornos.
Cape Horn is famous for the weather conditions that made it difficult to round in the days of sailing ships. Even so, the open waters of the Drake Passage south of the Cape meant plenty of sea room for maneuvering, while the narrow Strait of Magellan through the Tierra del Fuego islands could be a slow and tortuous passage.
The area of the Cape is in Chile. A family lives at a small station maintained by the government, consisting of a main house, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse. A short distance off there is a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of an albatross. The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush due to the frequent precipitation.
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| Pio XI Glacier |
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Discover the Pio XI Glacier, the largest glacier in the southern hemishpere, a real giant at 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) wide and towers above, standing some 75 meters (250 ft) tall, with length of 64 kilometers (40 mi).
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Punta Arenas
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This is Patagonia's largest and most commercially important city. Located on the western side of the Strait of Magellan with a superb port and the only large airport in the area, it is the major hub for boat transport through the strait and research vessels on their way to or from Antarctica. For the visitor, Punta Arenas is better known as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, 400 kilometers to the northwest. This unique town grew up on wool and international shipping before the Panama Canal opened. In the late 19th century, huge fortunes made by sheep farming left the city with distinguished mansions, some of them now museums and other monuments. Summer cruise ships from Punta Arenas travel to Antarctica, where Chile claims a sector of the icebound continent. You can also begin a scenic ferry cruise through the Chilean fjords from Puerto Natales, sailing north to Puerto Montt, in the southern mainland lake region.
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| Ramanche Glacier |
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Travel through the Beagle Channel by boat or ship....it is spectacular and you will see many glaciers. This one is Romanche Glacier, with a beautiful waterfall streaming down into the channel.
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Ushuaia
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Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, on the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mounts. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Southern Atlantic Islands Province, and its superlative location allows you to enjoy sea, mountains and forests at the same time. Besides, it is a great place for shopping: the whole island is a tax free zone, thus you can find lots of imported goods along with regional products.
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