This is the ideal voyage format for those who have dreamed of crossing the Drake Passage under sail, but are not ready to make 2 crossings in a single voyage. On this sailing voyage you will cross the roughest section of the ocean only once, the other time you will take a flight.
On two voyages we will board a schooner in Ushuaia, Argentina, spend 4 days in the waters of the Southern Ocean and cross the Drake Passage. After 9 days in Antarctica we will take off from King George Island by plane to Punta Arenas, Chile. On the other two voyages we will fly to Antarctica to King George Island, and on the way back we will cross the Drake Passage on a sailing ship.
On the last voyage of the season, we will fly to King George Island in Antarctica and then cross the Strait of Drake on the way back on our sailing ship.
Important
Itinerary
Number of days: 13
Distance: 1100 nautical miles
In polar expedition conditions, the weather may change rapidly. The captain has the right to change the declared route and the departure schedule to account for these changes. We know the habitats of whales and other sea animals and always expect to encounter them, but we cannot guarantee that.
Important
Itinerary
In polar expedition conditions, the weather may change rapidly. The captain has the right to change the declared route and the departure schedule to account for these changes. We know the habitats of whales and other sea animals and always expect to encounter them, but we cannot guarantee that.
Number of days: 13 Distance: 1100 nautical miles
Ushuaia, Argentina
Punta Arenas, Chile
Ushuaia, Argentina
The southernmost city on Earth, located on the shores of the Beagle, on the island of Tierra del Fuego and this is where our voyage to Antarctica starts and ends. On the first day of the voyage, participants will arrive on board the Amazone, settle in their cabins and get to know the ship and the crew. After a welcome word from the captain, the crew will conduct a safety briefing and assign the participants to their watches.
Drake Passage
Next we'll visit Greenwich Island and the beautiful Yankee Bay. The American navigator Nathaniel Palmer discovered and described the amazing site in 1820, when he sailed his ship Hero near the polar continent and around the South Shetland Islands, looking for sheltered beaches for his seal-fleet. Here we’ll see several thousand Papuan penguins. There are also the remains of whale bones as a reminder of the heyday of whaling in the Southern Ocean (1906-1925).
Half Moon Island
Half Moon Island is an island in the eastern part of the Livingstone Islands, South Shetland Group. The name comes from its unique shape. Weddell seals and sea elephants often roost on the shore here, and a colony of Antarctic penguins (about 3,300 breeding pairs) nests higher up on the hill. Seabirds also love the place: Antarctic terns, skuas, blue-eyed cormorants, gulls and Wilson's capercaillie can be found here. The Argentine polar station Cámara is situated in the south-west of the island.
Deception Island
Deception Island is the caldera of a collapsed volcano. The volcano is still believed to be active today, although the last major eruption occurred in 1970. The island was a true mecca for whaling. The ruins of the industrial base are still there. Today, the historic site is protected.
Enterprise Island
The small island of the Enterprise holds the secret of the wreck of the whaling ship Gouvernoren: only the prow of the ship towers above the water. Whaling was active here between 1915 and 1930, and some remnants of this activity are still visible on the island's beaches today.
Melchior Islands
The Melchior Islands are a group of 16 snow- and ice-covered islands in the Palmer Archipelago. They were first mapped during the 3rd French Antarctic Expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1903-1905. Here you can see colonies of penguins, whales and seals swimming near the shore, as well as incredibly beautiful large icebergs.
British Antarctic station Port Lockroy
Port Lockroy station is the most visited tourist destination in Antarctica. The mountainous scenery, rich wildlife and historical heritage attracts lots of travellers. This British polar station has now been converted into a museum and a post office. It even has its own colony of Papuan penguins.
Lemaire canal
One of the most thrilling moments of our voyage is the passage of the Lemaire canal. 11km long, 150m deep and 700m wide, this canal is surrounded by high mountains with glaciers. A complex current system often brings large amounts of icebergs and sea ice into the canal, making it temporarily impassable to ships. Seabirds, humpback whales and Minke whales often appear on the surface of the water.
Cuverville Island
Cuverville Island combines both high uplands and a sprawling beach with a large colony of Papuan penguins. The colony has around 6,500 breeding pairs, the largest nesting population of these birds in the entire Antarctic Peninsula. From here you can see the 'gallery' of icebergs and Minke whales come to feed in the nearby Errera Channel.
Orne Bay
Orne Bay was first described by the Belgian Antarctic expedition led by the navigator Gerlache in 1898. It is a rocky bay with steeply sloping mountains, the tops of which are covered with snow profusely even in summer. Papuan and Antarctic penguins and Weddell seals can be seen here most often.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is one of the southernmost cities on Earth. It is located on the coast of the Strait of Magellan. It is an ideal starting point for exploring Antarctica: PUQ International Airport is located here, with regular daily flights to King George Island.
destinations
Ushuaia, Argentina
The southernmost city on Earth, located on the shores of the Beagle, on the island of Tierra del Fuego and this is where our voyage to Antarctica starts and ends. On the first day of the voyage, participants will arrive on board the Amazone, settle in their cabins and get to know the ship and the crew. After a welcome word from the captain, the crew will conduct a safety briefing and assign the participants to their watches.
Drake Passage
Crossing the Drake Passage is a real challenge on the way to Antarctica, as this is where you are likely to encounter strong gales and high waves. Such weather conditions require the coordinated work of all crew members.
King George Island
King George Island is the biggest island of the South Shetland Islands, home to 9 research stations of different countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Russia, Poland, Uruguay, Peru and South Korea. Teniente Marsha International Airport is located here, where all planes from the mainland arrive.
Yankee Cove
Next we'll visit Greenwich Island and the beautiful Yankee Bay. The American navigator Nathaniel Palmer discovered and described the amazing site in 1820, when he sailed his ship Hero near the polar continent and around the South Shetland Islands, looking for sheltered beaches for his seal-fleet. Here we’ll see several thousand Papuan penguins. There are also the remains of whale bones as a reminder of the heyday of whaling in the Southern Ocean (1906-1925).
Half Moon Island
Half Moon Island is an island in the eastern part of the Livingstone Islands, South Shetland Group. The name comes from its unique shape. Weddell seals and sea elephants often roost on the shore here, and a colony of Antarctic penguins (about 3,300 breeding pairs) nests higher up on the hill. Seabirds also love the place: Antarctic terns, skuas, blue-eyed cormorants, gulls and Wilson's capercaillie can be found here. The Argentine polar station Cámara is situated in the south-west of the island.
Deception Island
Deception Island is the caldera of a collapsed volcano. The volcano is still believed to be active today, although the last major eruption occurred in 1970. The island was a true mecca for whaling. The ruins of the industrial base are still there. Today, the historic site is protected.
Enterprise Island
The small island of the Enterprise holds the secret of the wreck of the whaling ship Gouvernoren: only the prow of the ship towers above the water. Whaling was active here between 1915 and 1930, and some remnants of this activity are still visible on the island's beaches today.
Melchior Islands
The Melchior Islands are a group of 16 snow- and ice-covered islands in the Palmer Archipelago. They were first mapped during the 3rd French Antarctic Expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1903-1905. Here you can see colonies of penguins, whales and seals swimming near the shore, as well as incredibly beautiful large icebergs.
British Antarctic station Port Lockroy
Port Lockroy station is the most visited tourist destination in Antarctica. The mountainous scenery, rich wildlife and historical heritage attracts lots of travellers. This British polar station has now been converted into a museum and a post office. It even has its own colony of Papuan penguins.
Lemaire canal
One of the most thrilling moments of our voyage is the passage of the Lemaire canal. 11km long, 150m deep and 700m wide, this canal is surrounded by high mountains with glaciers. A complex current system often brings large amounts of icebergs and sea ice into the canal, making it temporarily impassable to ships. Seabirds, humpback whales and Minke whales often appear on the surface of the water.
Cuverville Island
Cuverville Island combines both high uplands and a sprawling beach with a large colony of Papuan penguins. The colony has around 6,500 breeding pairs, the largest nesting population of these birds in the entire Antarctic Peninsula. From here you can see the 'gallery' of icebergs and Minke whales come to feed in the nearby Errera Channel.
Orne Bay
Orne Bay was first described by the Belgian Antarctic expedition led by the navigator Gerlache in 1898. It is a rocky bay with steeply sloping mountains, the tops of which are covered with snow profusely even in summer. Papuan and Antarctic penguins and Weddell seals can be seen here most often.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is one of the southernmost cities on Earth. It is located on the coast of the Strait of Magellan. It is an ideal starting point for exploring Antarctica: PUQ International Airport is located here, with regular daily flights to King George Island.
Ship
Two-masted schooner Eldorado
Passengers:
12
Crew:
5
A modern sailing vessel built at the A. Metz Texdok BV Urk in the Netherlands in 2007.
The ship is equipped with all necessary navigational and safety equipment for an autonomous voyage of up to 35 days. She is 38 metres long and has a mast height of 28 metres
All the participants of the voyage will be accommodated in 6 comfortable double cabins with sleeping berths one above the other. Each cabin has a built-in wardrobe, its own shower, lavatory and sink. The cabins are equipped with heating and air conditioning.
A modern sailing vessel built at the A. Metz Texdok BV Urk in the Netherlands in 2007.
The ship is equipped with all necessary navigational and safety equipment for an autonomous voyage of up to 35 days. She is 38 metres long and has a mast height of 28 metres.
All the participants of the voyage will be accommodated in 6 comfortable double cabins with sleeping berths one above the other. Each cabin has a built-in wardrobe, its own shower, lavatory and sink. The cabins are equipped with heating and air conditioning.
All the participants of the voyage will be accommodated in 4 comfortable double or 1 cozy quadruple cabins with sleeping berths one above the other.
Each cabin has a built-in wardrobe, its own shower, lavatory and sink. The cabins are equipped with heating and air conditioning.
Our friends share
About experience
testimonials
I'd like to share my impressions from an Antarctic sailing expedition in 2022. As I told my friends that I'd like to SAIL to Antarctica (and I don't have any licenses and only a very little sailing experience), there were 2 opinions, either "Oh, cool!!", or " You're crazy!!". Now I can say that both were right. It was a really cool, but a little bit crazy expedition. To sail through the Drake's passage – it's a unique experience! As a reward after 4 days you see the shore...
We could visit a several research stations, islands with penguin colonies, sea leopards and, of course, the whales. We were lucky to sail with a very professional crew - they made it possible to sail through the iceberg field. That made us feel to visit an other world in all shades of blue.
I’m travelling a lot since my childhood. I saw the geysers of Iceland, deserts of Mongolia, landscapes of “Lord of the Ring” in New Zealand, waterfalls of La Reunion, Bahá’í Gardens in Israel, lakes of Canada, bears of the Arctic, old timers on the roads of Cuba, volcanos of Kamchatka and many other fascinating places of the world. But the trip to Antarctic in February 2022 is difficult to exceed, actually impossible. Extraordinary experience with fantastic people on the sail boat. It is like a trip to another planet full of pinguins, seals, whales, dolphins and seabirds. As the backstage for them are the breathtaking landscapes of ice mountains and meditation peace. And as a company – small family of sailors, who shared with me the night shifts, ice swimming and pancakes (mmm, our cook – it is a separate topic:)) middle of the nowhere. And the worst thing about it – I wish to do it again even more, than I wished before (it was my dream since 20 years).
The night watch, the Southern Cross overhead, the rumble of glaciers crumbling in the dark and the whales puffing their fountains around you... It's an experience you probably won't get anywhere else.
It was a unique experience: I don't think there are too many people in the world who have ever travelled to Antarctica on a sailing ship. I think it is probably the most vivid and memorable experience of my life.
A-Class cabin (DOUBLE cabin in the center of the tall ship)
Prepayment of 50% required within 3 days after reservation
You’ll have to pay the remaining 50% 2 months before the start of the voyage
Special offer
15% discount till 1 september 2023
€ 14 300
B-Class cabin (DOUBLE cabin closer to the bow)
€ 13 700
C-Class cabin (QUADRUPLE) – recommended for family and couples, close friends, adults with children
more about
What is included
Flight: King George Island - Punta Arenas or Punta Arenas - King George Island (depending on selected voyage dates)
Only for the voyages 24 DEC 2023 – 6 JAN 2024 and 22 JAN – 4 FEB 2024 hotel accommodation on the first day after the scheduled completion of the programme
Accomodation in a double or quadruple cabin aboard the sailing boat Eldorado
Education programme on board
Professional crew and ship’s cook on board
Three meals per day on board
First aid on board
What is not included
Flight to/from Ushuaia/Punta Arenas (depending on selected dates of the voyage)
Medical insurance and costs related to personal evacuation
Visas: no special visa is required to visit Chile and Antarctica, but a Schengen visa may be required to reach Chile from your country
more about
What is included
Flight: King George Island - Punta Arenas or Punta Arenas - King George Island (depending on selected voyage dates)
Only for the voyages 24 DEC 2023 – 6 JAN 2024 and 22 JAN – 4 FEB 2024 hotel accommodation on the first day after the scheduled completion of the programme
Accomodation in a double or quadruple cabin aboard the sailing boat Eldorado
Education programme on board
Professional crew and ship’s cook on board
Three meals per day on board
First aid on board
What is not included
Flight to/from Ushuaia/Punta Arenas (depending on selected dates of the voyage)
Medical insurance and costs related to personal evacuation
Visas: no special visa is required to visit Chile and Antarctica, but a Schengen visa may be required to reach Chile from your country
If you decide to cancel, a full refund will be made if you inform us no later than 2 months before the start of the voyage. You can also use you prepayment to change the dates of your voyage - also no later than 2 months before the start of the voyage you initially booked. If you cancel later than 2 months before your booked voyage starts, your prepayment cannot be refunded.
With the «Late Refund» service, if necessary, you can get back the full amount you paid at any time before the start of the programme. The cost of the service is €700. This payment is non-refundable. The service can only be arranged when booking a voyage. Once the booking has been finalised, the service will not be available for purchase.