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 South America |
Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, vast virginal panoramas, salmon-filled waters--no, not Norway, not Alaska, not Scotland. All of these exist below the equator in southern Chile, together with that region's own unique attractions. Romar Traveler brings you an update of cruising Chile's inland waterways to explore its ice fields. |
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 It has been said that East and West do not exist in Chile--only North and South. Along its ribbon-like, 2,700-mile-long coastline lie some of the few pristine and unspoiled areas left on Earth. One of them is the remote and scenic inland waterway of impressive fjords and estuaries that spans a distance of more than 800 miles from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas in southern Chile. Cruising these waterways is following in the wake of their discoverer, famed sixteenth century navigator and explorer Ferdinand Magellan.Chile's ice fields, glaciers and fjords are reachable by land with considerable difficulty over largely unpaved roads. But, now, several cruise companies are making these unique area accessible in comfort and safety to even the most sedentary armchair explorers. Two companies stand out as providing the most experienced cruise services to international standards: Cruceros Marítimos Skorpios and Patagonia Connection.Cruises on either line operate September through May--summer in the southern hemisphere--and will probably begin with an international flight to Santiago, Chile's vigorous and cosmopolitan but smoggy capital. It is reported that tourism destinations in Atacama in the north, the lakes district and Patagonia to the south report little or no damages from the recent eartquake.An overnight in one of Santiago's elegant international hotels (check earthquake damage reports before booking) will be followed by a trip back to the airport and a connecting early morning flight on LanChile's non-stop flight to Puerto Montt. This interesting city in Chile's Lakes Region, settled by German colonists in the 19th century, is one of southern Chile's most important commercial centers. More than that, it is also the gateway to the popular lake district and Chilean Patagonia; the warehouse of mountains of wood chips for Japanese paper mills; the center of salmon farming in its clean, snow-fed estuaries; and the port of embarkation for most Patagonia cruise lines. |
| Cruceros Maritimos Skorpios: |
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Established in 1978, Cruceros Maritimos Skorpios operates three cruise liners that range in size and luxury from the original Skorpios I, the smaller and older of the three ships, accommodating 72 passengers; to Skorpios II, 230 feet in length, accommodating 130 passengers; to the newest Skorpios III, largest and most luxurious member of the fleet. All three ships feature well-appointed cabins paneled in fine Chilean woods and with roomy private bathrooms, spacious family-style dining salon serving four excellent meals a day (a buffet breakfast, lunch, Chilean Onces tea, and supper,) fore and aft lounges, an open bar policy throughout the cruise and a fully equipped video facility for taping the entire voyage (tapes available for sale to passengers in any video format.)
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Chonos Route in the Chilean Patagonia:
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Chonos Route :
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Kaweskar Explorers' Route in the Chilean Patagonia:
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Kaweskar Explorers' Route : For those selecting the Kaweskar Explorers' Route, arrival from international cities will be at Punta Arenas airport. An overnight is recommended, followed by a three-hour bus transfer to Puerto Natales for embarkation on luxurious Skorpios III, the flagship of the line. This tour of the southern ice fields and glaciers is 4 Days / 3 Nights, with 2 programs per week: Tuesday to Friday and Friday to Monday. This tour includes a land portion to visit various glaciers and fjords, including Glacier El Brujo and Glacier Amalia. An extra side excursion that is highly recommended visits Torres del Paine, one of South America's most beautiful national parks and also stops at the monumental Milodón Cave where remains have been found of giant sloths that once roamed Patagonia more than 10,000 years ago. |
| A Typical Voyage on the Chonos Route: |
| For passengers, one of the pleasures of cruising in Chilean waters is the opportunity to share the experience with fellow travelers from most South American countries, Europe, Asia, and a few adventurous North Americans. A recent cruise on Skorpios II on the Chonos Route included passengers of 13 nationalities, among them a noted Brazilian chanteuse, a fireman and his family from Seattle, Washington, an executive secretary of the World Bank in Washington D.C., a physician and his wife from Santiago (serving as ship's doctor,) and many vacationing businessmen and their families from Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay. On a typical trip, no more than seven to ten percent of passengers are from the U.S.--this is still unexplored territory for most Americans--a pity, as Chile is safe, sociable, and civilized and the attractions of its fjord-waterways are the equals of those in Scandinavia. |
| Getting to know everyone on board some Skorpios cruises begins with the welcoming lunch at which Captain Constantinos Kochifas Carcamo, c.e.o and founder of the company begins his daily briefings about the following day's activities, explaining the ecological aspects of the area and preparing everyone for the first stop. The Captain then introduces the crew and his wife, Mimi who is responsible for the impressive menus and food presentation on board. Captain Carcamo is a self-styled Renaissance man--seaman, businessman, shipbuilder, public relations man, filmmaker, host, and head of Cruceros Maritimos Skorpios. |
| One stop of interest is the large and colorful town of Castro on the island of Chiloe. The island is a special place for Chilenos. It is a popular vacation spot in summer and, perhaps because of its folk mythologies, its forests are reported to be inhabited by mythical creatures. Its origins are buried in ancient Indian tales, and it is the source of much of Chile's folk music and poetry. Of special interest to tourists is the remarkable Castro cathedral with its pink and lavender exterior and particularly for its unusual altar and stunning wood-surfaced interior vaults and arches. |
| On the return leg of the cruise, Skorpios makes several stops. One is at the thermal baths of Quitralco. The name is appropriate. It means "Waters of Fire" in the local Indian dialect. Here travelers can bathe in either indoor or outdoor hot pools fed by mineral waters that are heated volcanically, take a steam sauna, hike up to the high hill overlooking the port, or play a round of tennis on the resort's courts. |
| Unquestionably, the highlight of any cruise in these waters is the visit to the San Rafael glacier. As the ship makes its way up the channel approaching the San Rafael lagoon, snow-capped peaks and half a dozen volcanoes define the horizon on both sides of the waterway. The approach is dramatic as the awesome glacier comes into view, spilling its cargo of 30,000-year-old ice into the lagoon. The San Rafael glacier is a part of the campo de Hielo Norte, the massive Patagonian ice sheet, the closest body of ice of its kind to the equator. It measures a stunning six by 10 miles, towers almost 200 feet above the water and sinks to a depth of more than 750 feet below the sea. Most remarkable of all are the intense mineral colors in the ice--from salmon pinks to cerulean blues. |
Old Whiskey on Older Ice: |
| On a Skorpios cruise, the show begins when the lifeboats are lowered, just about everyone on board climbs on to half a dozen of these powered craft, and all motor through the multicolored, fantastically shaped ice floes of the lagoon up to less than 100 feet from the face of the glacier. Care is taken to maintain a safe distance from the great chunks of ice that thunder down every few minutes off the face of San Rafael but close enough so that the resulting wake rocks the small boats. Finally, bottles and glasses are brought out, crews on all lifeboats chip ice from surrounding ice floes to fill the glasses, and everyone is served 30-year-old whiskey over 30,000-year-old ice. |
| Patagonia Connection: |
| Patagonia connection provides one- to four- and six-day cruises aboard its comfortable catamaran, coupled with accommodations at its luxurious Termas de Puyuhuapi Hotel, a lodge reminiscent of northern Europe, but with its own Chilean character. Situated on the shores of spectacular Dorita Bay, the lodge also serves as home base for shore excursions through the rainforest, local salmon farms, swims in its geothermal pools, fly fishing expeditions or visits to the nearby national park of Queulat and its Hanging Glacier. |
| Either company offers excellent opportunities to appreciate intrepid explorer Ferdinand Magellan for opening up these remarkable landscapes to those of us who follow in his wake. |
Photo Credits: Cruceros Marítimos Skorpios, Rod Lopez-Fabrega For additional information: Cruceros Marítimos Skorpios = http://www.skorpios.cl/ingles/ Patagonia Connection = http://www.patagonia-connection.com/ |
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© 2010 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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