From Santiago to Puerto Williams · South America & Antarctica · 13 nights
From Santiago to Puerto Williams
This little ship has an intimate style and personal service, and following a refurbishment in 2021 now offers both expedition and classic itineraries.
Silver Wind is a lovely size; with just 274 guests, she’s a
cruise ship in miniature, and an ice-strengthened hull allows her
to offer both expedition and classic voyages. You can expect all
the facilities and space of a larger ship, with the intimacy of a
small yacht. She’s comfortable in the middle of a great ocean, but
can also slip up rivers and into tiny harbours.
Fly to Santiago de Chile where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your included hotel for a one-night stay. The following day continue your journey with a flight to Puerto Williams where you will join Silver Wind and begin your expedition.
Puerto Williams has the feel of a true frontier town, situated on windswept Navarino Island facing out across the Beagle Channel. The surrounding mountains offer a spectacular backdrop for hiking and kayaking, while to the south lies the infamous Drake Passage and, beyond that, the frozen continent of Antarctica.
The Antarctic Sound is a 37-mile channel that separates the Joinville Island group from the Antarctic Peninsula. Prepare to be amazed as you sail among vast icebergs that have broken free from the Larsen Ice Shelf, and look out for wildlife including Gentoo penguins and whales.
Antarctica is the world’s last great wilderness, an alien landscape of snow-covered mountains, jagged icebergs and extraordinary wildlife. Visiting at the beginning of the cruise season in October or November means bigger icebergs and pristine snowy landscapes, along with the chance to see breeding elephant seals. There may still be sea ice around the Antarctic Peninsula, and temperatures are cold.
Icy and remote, the South Shetland Islands are situated about 100 miles north of the Antarctic peninsula. The archipelago is home to a scattering of research stations, along with thousands of penguins, seals and sea lions, and you can still see the remains of Ernest Shackleton’s ship the ‘Endurance’ on the south west shore of Elephant Island.
The relative proximity of King George Island to South America, together with the fact that around 10% of the island is ice-free, means that there are several research stations clustered here, along with an airfield. It’s the biggest island in the South Shetlands archipelago, and is also home to the world’s most southerly Russian Orthodox church!
Disembark in King George Island and transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Puerto Williams where you will enjoy a one-night stay at Silversea's new hotel, The Cormorant at 55 South. The following day, continue your journey with a flight to Santiago where you will connect with your onward flight back to the UK.
