Cruise M/N Skorpios III Patagonia Chile Tours Technical Data Chilean Fjords

The Pio XI Glacier
The antiquity of the Pio XI Glacier is millenary; it originates in the Southern Ice Fields and has a surface of 13,000 km2 and an extension over the Andes Mountains of more than 35 kilometers. Pio XI is one of the 48 glaciers that originates from this Ice Field. It is here that the M/N Skorpios III closes in on the glacier, navigating through the different sizes and shapes of ice floes, whose colorful ices of blue, light blue and white profoundly impress the visitor.

The Amalia Glacier
Following along the Peel Inlet, we find the Amalia Glacier, situated in the central section of the Ice Fields, its long silhouette appears to be hanging between the peaks of the mountains, to see it is an awesome spectacle, its ice towers, and its colors contrasting with the surroundings, create emotions in all spectators. This glacier is one of the 48 glaciers that composes the Southern Ice Fields, which are considered to be the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world. The Amalia Glacier has a width of approximately 1 kilometer and a height of 40 meters.

Canals & Fjords
The crossing begins in Puerto Natales, sailing through the Kirke Narrows, heading towards the north through the Moral Vicuña, Seno Union, Collingwood, Sarmiento, Concepción and Wide Canals, so as to anchor in the beautiful spot known as Seno Eyre. While navigating through these canals and fjords we commence to be fascinated with scenery of impressionable contrasts of lights and shades, where the mountains run into a sea that is dotted with Isles; lands furrowed with winds; a region in which the glaciers continue their slow work, pulverizing rocks, plowing out valleys and immense canals, that in past ages were explored by, amongst many others, legendary navigators such as Ladrillero, Darwin and Fitz Roy.

The Calvo Fjord
We furrow through of the Peel Fjord so as to enter the Calvo Fjord, where we visit six glaciers that seed these quiet waters with colorful and multi-shaped ice floes, through which we take a pleasant excursion in motorboats and have a toast with our tradition of whisky on millennium old glacial ice.

Torres del Paine
This National Park covers 181,000 hectares & is situated in the Ultima Ezperanza Inlet some 150 kms from Puerto Natales. UNESCO declared this Park a Worldwide Biosphere Reserve in 1978. It has three access points: Portería Sarmiento, the Laguna Armarga & Laguna Azul. This park possesses incredible beauty & walking paths that run through different type of pampas, thick Magellanic forests, and lagoons filled with ice floes. The principal highlight, know world wide, are the Towers and Horns of Paine: it has multitude of multi colored lakes such as: Nordeskjold, Pehóe, Toro, Sarmiento and Grey; Laguna Azul with its snow capped peaks Grey and Dickson and the Serrano River, from which can be caught large salmon.

As well visitors can view impressionable glaciers, all of which are surrounded by gigantic rocks that characterize the silhouette of the Horns of Paine. There are seven Forest Ranger stations distributed throughout the Torres del Paine Park all of which have communication with the Administrative Headquarters of the Park. From these Forest Ranger Stations excursion on foot or on horse, camping, climbing and fishing, can be arranged.

The Milodon Caves
Located 24 kilometers to the north of Puerto Natales, this Natural Monument is made up of three caves and a rock conglomerate known as the "Chair of the Devil". The largest of these caves is found at 150 meters above sea level and has dimensions of: 30 meters high, 80 meters across the front and 200 meters of depth. The scientific interest of this area is due to the scientific discovery, in 1896, of the skin, bones and other remains of an animal that is now extinct, the MILODON (Mylodon Darwinian), a herbivorous animal of immense dimensions that became extinct, probably, at the end of the Pleistocene.

Further than the historic, scientific and cultural importance that the Cave of Milodón possesses, this area offers an additional attraction, that of its breathtaking scenery and natural life. This area corresponds to a transition zone between the steppes and the forests. Its typical flora is the native semi hard woods, the Calafate and the Romerillo. Wildlife life is abundant, especially that of birds.

The Fitz Roy Hacienda
Situated 95 km. north-west of Punta Arenas, on the way to Puerto Natales, on the Riesco Island, on the east point, a modern ferry makes the crossing to the Riesco Island in only 4 minutes. Once on the Island only 7 kms remain to be covered before reaching the Agricultural Hacienda FITZ_ROY. Here is where is located the largest Hacienda in the Magallian archipelago. Once on the Island only 7 kilometers separate the visitor from the Hacienda, which offers to all who visit, along with the Patagonian steppes and sprinkled with green native forests, a real gift, the Fitz-Roy Hacienda, allowing all to re-live the past and the traditions of the magallian farmlands.

You feel like a participant in an eco-system in where you breathe pure air and in which one shares with the surrounding nature. The activities in which you can participate are: shearing and sheep dipping in soapwort, demonstration by skilled gauchos (cowboys) with their sheep dogs, lassos, branding irons bovine scales. Visitors can: mount a horse, go for a ride in carts as well as navigate in motorboats through the Fitz Roy Canal.

Cities and Villages
In the Magallanes region, the tourist has the possibility of knowing ancient, and new, Cities and Villages; to visit them is to remember the past. Exploring their streets and places of interest is very agreeable. In the Kaweskar Explorers Route visitors have the possibility of becoming acquainted with Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales and Puerto Eden, besides this there are small villages that also are worthy of taking advantage of as you visit this area. For example, take the opportunity to visit Porvenir, El Turbio, Usuahia, Calafate, as well as many other Argentinean Cities in this zone

Antrim Fjord
This beautiful fjord is located in the south part of the Wellington Island. It is an old glacier´s place, where the last pieces of glacier left can be found at the top of the mountains. Vegetation has covered the cold rocks, and its slopes show beautiful trees, that seem they’re fighting for each centimeter of earth. In this place M/S Skorpios III renews the water supplies from an unpolluted river. Afterwards the place is visited navigating trough the fjord. Here Nature is in its wild state and it can be realized that it’s really difficult that man could have been here before. The Antrim Fjord is something wild and pure. These excursions are offered from november to march, just between this months because of daylight.

Mountain Fjord
In the way back to Puerto Natales, before crossing the Kirke narrowness, is located the "de las Montañas" Fjord. This Fjord is surrounded by big hills that give the name to it. Here, the Cruise will enter some miles, so people will be able to see 5 Glaciers: Zamudio, Alsina, Paredes, Bernal and Hermann. In the Bernal Glacier, an excursion is made and people will walk until the base of it. They will have the opportunity to touch the glacier free of contaminants. This is like a classroom in the open air were you can learn about glaciers.

This is because of the place's features that can explain all the forward and backward movement's process, it can be shown its front and lateral moraines as well as its shaping force in the environment. We continue sailing in this place surrounded by waterfalls that fight against the wind to fall into the see. Big trees grow on the shore, and the fauna grows free in a place were wind and silence predominate.