To travel between Puerto Montt in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina (pronounced Ooshwaya), through the channels and fiords of Patagonia in southern Chile, takes four days and nights of steady sailing with a stop in the middle at Puerto Arenus the most southern city in Chile.

Puerto Arenus

It is very difficult to relate the experience of sailing through the Chilean Fiords in pictures, let alone words, so I’ll start with the easier part … our stop in Puerto Arenus.

Puerto Arenus is cold and windy as we step off the compulsory shuttle bus through the port area. We decide to walk into town and quickly find the main road signposted “Centro”, with its wide central reservation for pedestrians. We are wearing all our cold gear … several layers topped with a down jackets and woollen beanies. As we walk the three or so kilometers into the centre, the reservation becomes more and more ornate; the dirt path replaced with paving; ancient yew trees carefully manicured and finally an avenue of newly sprouting deciduous trees responding to the call of spring.

It must be cold here … they provide proper bus shelters.

The first houses we come across look well built and show some prosperity.

These houses remind us a bit of Canada or New Zealand.

Old and well manicured yew trees surround this park. Does make you think it might be windy here.

Not much sign of sharing here.

At intervals along the pedestrian reserve commemorative statues celebrate one event or another.

This family look joyful in spite of the cold wind – or maybe they are saying “Can we come in now, please?”.

Nearly in town now, although it’s further than we thought … coffee springs to mind!

Should we go here? Maybe not …

A reminder that Patagonia was built on the sheeps back.

Well … this is a novel way of double glazing!

Spring is in the air … although you wouldn’t know it from the temperature.

One of the interesting features of Peurto Arenus turns out to be this cemetery, which we have come across quite by chance. No headstones next to the grave here. Lines and lines of small commemorative alters and huge mausoleums silently celebrate the dead.

Lines of graves

This one has rings in case they want to open it again.

This ancient tree guards the graves.

Huge manicured yew hedges line the paths

We have made it to town! It is time to find that coffee shop and get inside out of the cold and wind.

Another Chinese restaurant goes up in flames. Horrible to have to start again.

Motorbike mister? Engine is extra.

At last the coffee shop … even better the chocolate shop!

We forego these amazing chocolates for churos and hot melted chocolate to dip them in … Yum!

Oh … and did I mention that we are in the land of Penguins.

Back at the port and ships waiting to be scrubbed.

The port is rather a bleak and windswept place.

The Chilean Fiords

In one way, the names say it all. The Darwin Channel, the Magellan Channel, the Beagle Channel, Glacier Ally and Cape Horn among others. To thoroughly document the four day and night journey through the fiords of Patagonia would take more time and space than I have here. I trust the following will give some small idea of what is an altogether amazing experience.

The Darwin Channel

We are awoken early the morning after leaving Puerto Montt. We are cruising through the Darwin Channel before a short run back in the Pacific. First light is breaking as we enter the channel.

At first light we enter the Darwin Channel. Not too many people about this early.

The water of the fiord is flat calm

A reluctant sun tries to break through the clouds.

The end of the Darwin Channel and a splash of sunshine mark our passage back out into the Pacific Ocean.

The Sarmiento Channel

The Darwin Channel was just a taster. We are reminded of our day spent in Fiordland on the south west coast of New Zealand. But then, after a day and night in the Pacific, we are woken early for the entrance into the Sarmiento Channel. The snow on the mountains and ice on the water gave us a small clue of what was to come.

The ice of the water gives a clue

Around the corner we come and jostle for position to take a picture. The Brujo Glacier shows its blue tongue while the mountain behind is shrouded in cloud.

This is a big glacier!

A flock of Shearwaters hitch a ride on the boat and revel in the warm deck.

These little guys prefer the warm pool.

After a couple of hours out in the cold we leave the The Sarmiento channel …

… and go to lunch 🙂

Later in the afternoon we cross the reef which marks the shallowest part of the channel where extreme caution is required.

Not cautious enough it seems!

And so we leave the Sarmiento Channel

Glacier Ally

Another early morning call alerts us to the start of Glacier Ally. Along this stretch of fiord six major glaciers slide down from the Patagonian ice shield. It is spectacular!

Here is a glimpse of just one of these glaciers … the Italia glacier.

The first glimpse of the Italia glacier.

In spite of the early morning call, this one has drawn a hushed crowd.

So blue!

And so we leave glacier ally and sail on towards Ushuaia

The island of Tierra Del Fuego, that magical name! Ushuaia appears at the bottom of the mountains in the early morning light.

We reach Tierra Del Fuego early the next day. The most southerly town in South America appears below the mountains as we leave Chile behind. This is our last call before Cape Horn and the southern end of this great continent.

From the Cape, we travel to the Falkland Islands before turning north once more.

Enjoy
Alan