Panama Canal, Chilean Fjords, Antarctica & Falklands

Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, hosting a myriad of ships year-round from all over the globe. Although it is technically not on the Caribbean Sea, no other American city exudes more of the diverse tropical appeal of the Caribbean. The city is home to a large and vibrant immigrant population that blends snowbird refugees from more northern climes with emigres from all Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sizable groups from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the hot-blooded Art Deco haunts of South Beach to the natural wonders of the UNESCO-inscribed Everglades and the laid-back charms of the Keys, South Florida offers a bounty of appealing attractions that make an extended stay in the region nearly mandatory for those either embarking or disembarking here.

Formerly a fortified armory, this newly developed port is the portal to colonial Panama City and an in-depth look at Miraflores Locks. Also from here, you can visit an Embera Indian village.

Formerly a fortified armory, this newly developed port is the portal to colonial Panama City and an in-depth look at Miraflores Locks. Also from here, you can visit an Embera Indian village.

Perched on the banks of the Guayas River, Guayaquil is the country’s principal seaport and economic center. Cargo ships, ferry boats and dugout canoes compete for space on the busy waterfront where sailing ships once departed for Europe with stores of gold and silver.

Salaverry is the port city for Trujillo, the second largest city in Peru. Like Lima, Trujillo was founded by the Spanish conquistador Pizarro. Here you will find colonial mansions with fronts containing distinctive wrought-iron grillwork and pastel color paint. This area is also known for its numerous ancient archeological sites including the ancient Chimu capital of Chan Chan.

A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.

A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.

A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.

Pisco dates from 1640, and its Plaza de Armas is a Spanish colonial treasure. Another treasure is the Ballestas Islands, an offshore cluster of rocky outcroppings teeming with seabirds, penguins, sea lions, dolphins and other wildlife. Many visitors take the opportunity to take a scenic flight over the huge, mysterious Nazca Lines pictographs etched into the nearby desert surface 2,000 years ago. And still more belly up to a bar to sample a Pisco Sour cocktail made with the Pisco brandy distilled from locally grown grapes.

The southeastern-most point in the Polynesian Triangle, tiny Easter Island in the South Pacific is one of the most remote places on earth. Even more oddly, it belongs to Chile, which lies 3,700 miles away over the eastern horizon. In fact, a large slice of the island is Chile’s Rapa Nui National Park, preserving the sculptural heritage of the indigenous Rapa Nui people, whose ancestors carved the huge human effigies called moai that give the island its renown and earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status. These stylized sculptures stand on the slopes of the island, gazing implacably out to sea, often on stone platforms called ahu. They were apparently carved between the 13th and 16th centuries, for reasons that are debated. But the enigmatic effigies, the dramatic volcanic landscape, the Rapa Nui people themselves and the sheer isolation of the island combine to draw visitors from every corner of the globe to this speck in the world’s largest ocean.

The southeastern-most point in the Polynesian Triangle, tiny Easter Island in the South Pacific is one of the most remote places on earth. Even more oddly, it belongs to Chile, which lies 3,700 miles away over the eastern horizon. In fact, a large slice of the island is Chile’s Rapa Nui National Park, preserving the sculptural heritage of the indigenous Rapa Nui people, whose ancestors carved the huge human effigies called moai that give the island its renown and earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status. These stylized sculptures stand on the slopes of the island, gazing implacably out to sea, often on stone platforms called ahu. They were apparently carved between the 13th and 16th centuries, for reasons that are debated. But the enigmatic effigies, the dramatic volcanic landscape, the Rapa Nui people themselves and the sheer isolation of the island combine to draw visitors from every corner of the globe to this speck in the world’s largest ocean.

Picturesque Valparaiso was one of the first Chilean cities founded by the Spanish. The city is an historic port and university town, famous for its labyrinth hills, which are covered in quaint, colorful old houses and accessible only by a steep climb or by the citys unique system of funicular railways. Through the efforts of the Chilean government emphasizing the citys culture, heritage preservation, and economic development via tourism, Valparaiso was bestowed designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003.

The lake country of southern Chile seems to be altogether another world from the deserts of the north. The Lake District is graced with spectacular scenery, including the magnificent snowcapped volcanic cone, Mt. Osorno. Puerto Montt serves as the principal port for this region and as a gateway for cruises southward into Chile’s fjords.

The towns are largely built of abundant local woods, and many houses are elaborately shingled in intricate designs. Even the cathedral is a beautiful, vaulted structure crafted of local hardwoods. The forest and the sea are the source of livelihood and much more in this rustic outpost.

The wild and beautiful Aysén District of Chile lies south of Chiloe and Puerto Montt. Here you find cliffs that drop into immense river valleys, numerous waterfalls and ravines that open into vast valleys, while the Andes form a continuous barrier. Puerto Chacabuco is a popular entry port to the Aysén region. It lies at the eastern end of a very narrow fjord and has replaced Puerto Aysén as the main shipping port and ferry terminal to this region. Puerto Chacabuco is also a departure point for sailings to Laguna San Rafael. Local vessels make the scenic trip through the channels and islands of Western Patagonia.

The Wide Channel is an inside passage along the coast of southern Chile. It separates the eastern lobe of the huge Wellington Island from the Chilean mainland, starting between Saumarez Island and Icy Channel in the north and opening into the Concepcion Channel in the south adjacent to the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park on the mainland Wilcock Peninsula. Surrounded by precipitous mountains, its shoreline on the mainland side is interrupted by two large fjords, the Europa and Penguin fjords. Join your expedition team members on deck or in an observation lounge for expert insights into the area.

The Strait of Magellan is a 350-mile/570 km channel separating the mainland of South America from the large Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was first navigated by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan during his circumnavigation voyage in 1520. He named it the Strait of All Saints, because his transit started on November 1, All Saints Day. It was also Magellan who name the southern island Tierra del Fuego, after seeing the smokes from fires in the camps of the native Yahgan people, whom he named the Patagones, meaning “big feet,” and their land Patagonia. The strait is between two and 20 miles wide, and earned the nickname Dragon’s Tail among sailors, for its tortuous path. Along with the Beagle Channel, it was one of two protected channels for sailing between the oceans prior to the construction of the Panama Canal The third alternative was the notoriously turbulent open ocean Drake Passage beyond Cape Horn. There is one sizeable port city in the strait, Punta Arenas, Chile, which has an interesting harbor breakwater consisting of two ship hulks, the Cavenga and an old iron four-mast sailing ship, the County of Peebles. There are several Chilean national parks and monuments in the strait, including Los Pinguinos National Monument and a sanctuary for protecting humpback whales. Southern right whales are also known to frequent the strait’s waters. There are 41 light signals in the strait, including the San Isidro Lighthouse that has been restored and is now a museum, and the Evangelistas Lighthouse at the western entrance. The strait was very difficult for sailing ships, due to unpredictable winds and tidal currents. Depending on tide conditions, even modern ships often opt for one of the alternative routes, because the tidal speeds are greatly exaggerated by the Venturi effect through narrows.

Red roofs and smoking chimneys decorate the gently sloping hillsides of Punta Arenas (Sandy Point), the bustling center of one of the world’s largest sheep farming areas. This pleasant community welcomes you with attractive parks and delightful Victorian architecture.

The southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia is the capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego and an important naval base boasting a strategic as well as a picturesque location on the shores of Ushuaia Bay and the Beagle Channel. This rustic coastal town is set among waterfalls, glaciers, snow-clad mountains and beech forests, and the nutrient-rich local waters abound with marine life. Though the houses here are painted warm, pastel colors, the weather is chilly year-round and winter sports such as downhill and cross-country skiing and skating are popular. Ushuaia’s principal industries are raising sheep, logging, fishing and trapping. It became a boomtown with 30,000 residents in the late 1980’s when the government sought to increase Argentina’s presence near Antarctica by giving tax breaks to citizens who settled here.

An archipelago of over 700 islands spread over 4,700 square miles lies about 300 miles east of the coast of Argentina. Its political affiliation is with the United Kingdom, and it is named the Falkland Islands, although this is disputed by Argentina, which calls the island group Islas Malvinas. The islands were the focus of a short, violent military confrontation between the two nations in 1982 which resulted in many lives lost. Most visitors come to the islands attracted by the severe beauty of the landscape and the unusual wildlife to be seen there, especially colonies of penguins. Port Stanley, the capital, is a plucky outpost supporting the hardy islanders who farm and fish and, lately, newcomers set on exploiting the recently discovered oil reserves offshore.

Tucked in between Brazil and Argentina, the republic of Uruguay has nevertheless maintained its own identity and traditions. As South America’s second smallest country, it has been called a city surrounded by a big ranch. Montevideo has also been referred to as “The Switzerland of South America,” for its same secretive bank system guaranteed by law. Uruguay is principally middle class and boasts the most highly educated citizens on the continent.

Founded in 1536, Buenos Aires was administered by a Spanish viceroy for nearly three centuries before winning its independence in 1816. A sleepy port town for most of that time, it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that the city finally emerged as an important shipping center. Today, Argentina’s democratically elected government has made it South America’s safest (and most expensive) country. This cosmopolitan city is characterized by broad boulevards with huge shade trees, beautiful residential districts, plazas containing monuments and fountains, interspersed with 20th-century high-rise buildings. It is a truly great walking city.