MS Caledonian Sky - Noble Caledonia

Chile - Sailing South
Explore Chile from the arid deserts of the north to the glaciers of the south
25th November to 14th December 2012
Chile is made for cruising. Its shape and geographic location is just perfect; thousands of miles of
coastline that stretch from the hot deserts of the north to the glaciers of the south. You can of course
explore Chile on one of the many huge cruise vessels calling at the major cities of South America, or
alternatively you can join us aboard the MS Caledonian Sky and enjoy the wonders of this magical
country that only small ships have access to.
Torres del Paine
PA C I F I C O CEAN
Those who have a passion
for the wilder places on our
planet usually have Chile on
their ‘must do’ list. Shaped by fire
and ice, this rugged yet hauntingly
beautiful land of a thousand islands,
deep blue lakes, cavernous fjords,
hanging glaciers and cloud piercing
peaks, remains today as enticing and
fascinating as it was to Magellan,
Drake and more latterly Darwin.
Wildlife abounds here and the skies
are filled with the cries of seabirds.
Albatross’ and petrels wheel overhead
and sea lions bark from their rocky
outcrops. Look out for black necked
swans, flamingos and the soaring
Andean condor.
We will begin our coastal cruising
adventure in the far north of the
country and over the next fifteen
days make our way south to the lakes
and fjords of the south. Some of the
world’s most magnificent mountain
and coastal scenery is to be found
in Chile. A vast wilderness of lakes,
forests, rivers, glaciers, fjords and
offshore islands, the like of which you
will not see anywhere else. Perhaps
the most stunning of all will be our
time in the fjords and in particular the
Lugana San Rafael National Park.
The Itinerary
Day 1 - London Heathrow to
Santiago, Chile. Depart by scheduled
flight via Madrid.
Day 2 - Santiago. Arrive this morning
and transfer to your first class hotel for
an overnight stay. Enjoy an afternoon
city tour of Santiago including the
Palacio de le Moneda, the Plaza de
Armas, the central Cathedral and the
Casa Colorada.
Day 3 - Santiago to Antofagasta.
Depart on a late morning flight to
Antofagasta, embark MS Caledonian
Sky and sail.
Day 4 - At sea.
Day 5 - Isla Chanaral. This morning
we take the Zodiacs to Isla Chanaral,
the largest in a series of islands once
known as an important site for guano,
a valuable agricultural fertilizer. The
islands are protected today as a nature
reserve. We also visit the Humboldt
Penguin Nature Reserve, replete with
the cold-water loving birds.
Day 6 - Puerto de Coquimbo & Isla
Pajaros. Depart from the Coquimbo
pier towards Elqui Valley, an area with
a unique geographic configuration
formed by a narrow valley and a
Isla Chanaral
Isla Pajaros
Valparaiso
Isla Mocha
Bahia Corral
Chiloe Island
CHILE
Antofagasta
Coquimbo
The Chilean
Fjords
Santiago
San Carlos
de Bariloche
Puerto Montt
ARGENTINA
fertile strip of land in the middle of
an Andean mountainous desert. You
will pass by typical villages, such as
Algarrobito, El Molle and El Tambo.
Visit the cellars and exhibition room
of a national drink distillery, where you
will learn about the making of Pisco,
a liquor created by the distillation of
wine from different grape varieties
produced and bottled in this region,
followed by a tasting. Continue to
the picturesque town of Vicuña,
where you will visit the birthplace of
Gabriela Mistral (a Nobel Prize winner
for literature), the main square, Bauer
Tower and Vicuña’s church. Return
to the ship for lunch and sail to Isla
Pajaros. This afternoon we will board
our Zodiacs to view the colonies of
URUGUAY
cormorants, boobies and Humboldt
penguins that reside here.
Day 7 - Valparaiso. Arrive this morning
in the historic port of Valparaiso. This
is Chile’s main port and a marvellously
sited city. Built on 42 hills, some of
which are incredibly steep, it offers
great views over the city and bay. Visit
Fisherman’s Wharf, the Plaza Soto
Mayor and the Naval Academy. Spend
the afternoon at leisure or alternatively
join the optional tour to one of Chile’s
fine wine growing regions located in
the hills behind Valparaiso.
Day 8 - At sea. A day to relax
onboard and attend a lecture.
Day 9 - Isla Mocha. Today we
continue our scenic cruising to Isla
Mocha, a large island with steep,
forested hillsides. The island was
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