There I was, sitting on a million-year-old rock formation in front of Bernal Glacier, watching a small waterfall cascade from the top of the glacier into the ocean, as a wave of complete calm and serenity overcame me. The feeling is hard to describe. A mix of pure bliss, gratitude and the realization that I was in a place that very few people in the world have ever had, and will ever have the opportunity to visit – it brought me to tears. I sat there quietly for almost an hour, taking it all in, and reflecting on the adventure we’ve had experienced so far, and all the amazing experiences that were still to come.
Patagonia is a wild place. Many parts of the country are still unexplored and most of the countryside is uninhabited. The wildlife is abundant, curious, and very unafraid of humans. 50mph winds, and steady 3-minute weather changes from sunshine to hail, to rain and back to sunshine is just one way to describe a typical day in Patagonia. The vistas are endless, and sunrise and sunset are breathtaking, as the light reflects off the glacial mountain tops.
I started my journey in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We only had 24 hours there, so we decided to make the most of that limited time. We hired a private guide and driver to pick up at the airport after our early morning arrival. From there we went straight to the hotel to drop off our bags and check in with the front desk. We knew our room wouldn’t be ready, so instead of sitting around for hours, our guide whisked us away into old town to begin our city exploration. We had requested a mix of street art, history, cultural insights and foodie experiences for our day. Our guide did an amazing job of balancing our requests. We wandered the streets observing street art, sprinkled in a few historic and architectural marvels, stopped at the food hall for a proper local lunch with empanadas, and worked our way through the various neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Having the private car & driver was definitely worth every penny. We navigated effortlessly through the city, and maximized our time with the guide.
After we had a shower and a quick nap, we met our evening driver to take us to Faena Hotel for a private Tango Dance Class, followed by dinner and a tango show. Rojo Tango Show is currently referred to as the best in the city, and the evening was spectacular!
We started with a 1-hour private dance class. Just the two of us and our instructors. Within 60 minutes we went from having never tangoed before, to actually dancing an entire song without looking foolish… The instructors were fantastic! Dinner was served in the same venue, and since we had booked the dance class, we were assigned the VIP table for unobstructed views of the stage and proceedings. The show was vibrant and diverse – absolutely amazing!
The next morning, we met with our Quark Expedition cruise guides before sunrise to make our way to the airport for our charter flight to Ushuaia. The check in process at the airport was fast and easy since Quark chartered the entire plane just for us. The flight takes about 3 hours and was a welcome break for a late morning nap… Upon arrival to Ushuaia, we were greeted by a sea of yellow parkas which we would later learn were our Expedition guides and Naturalists on board. We were whisked away to the pier, and after a short hour of exploring Ushuaia, we were able to embark on Quark’s Ultramarine.
The Ultramarine is a purpose build polar expedition vessel. She holds 199 guests, plus staff, and is state of the art. Cabins are well laid out and spacious, equipped with plenty of storage space, USB plugs, a flat screen TV, heated bathroom floors and much more…
The public areas on board are laid out to be inviting and encourage guests to mingle with their fellow travelers, and interact with the Expedition Team. No matter where you went on the ship, the Expedition team was always around, being very approachable and engaging. The Ultramarine has 2 dining venues, a more casual bistro setting with buffets and live cooking station during breakfast, lunch and dinner; and the formal dining room which offers a buffet setup for breakfast and lunch, and a la carte setup for dinner. The food was fantastic. A good mix of local produce, with American staples, lots of vegetarian and vegan options, and lots of variety in offerings. Wine pairings were excellent and we found a few new wines to rotate into our personal bar at home.
The Panorama Lounge and Theater are well appointed with plenty of seating options for all guests, bar service, and ample outdoor space for wildlife and nature viewing. The spa and gym are bright and inviting, offering unobstructed ocean views from the sauna and relaxation areas, as well as the various workout stations. The hot stone massage on board is wonderful and I highly recommend you get one on your next voyage.
The daily program was busy, and ever changing. The expedition leader would cover their intentions for the following day in our daily pre-dinner briefing, but as mentioned the weather in Patagonia is fickle… Quark’s team did an excellent job of pivoting with natures demands and kept us well informed of changes and opportunities for exploration. We enjoyed 2 excursions per day: usually one zodiac excursion and one hiking excursions. We used zodiacs to explore the far ends of various fjords and get up close to waterfalls, glaciers, and unexplored beaches. Along the way we encountered gray whales, fur seals, sealions, dolphins, penguins, krill, lots of kelp and we were able to observe many species of birds. We did forest hikes, mountain hikes, and beach walks. This allowed us to closely observe the flora and fauna, but we also spotted foxes, condors, crabs, and spend a lot of time birding.
A personal highlight was our Heli-flightseeing. We were fortunate enough to do this activity twice and explore the region from the skies. The flights are only 15minutes long, but being able to see the area from a different vantage point was incredible.
For those of us that needed more activity, Quark offers options for kayaking and paddle boarding. We kayaked through ice shard fields, discovered hidden waterfalls and did a quick hike along a glacier.
One of the main stops of our journey was Torres del Paine National Park. We spend the day there, taking a bus ride from Puerto Natales where we crossed paths with ostriches called Nandu, sheep, wild horses, deer, Llamas called Guanaco, puma and over 130 different bird species including flamingos. We did a few short hikes through the windy mountains (50-60mph winds are not easy to move around in), had a fire grilled lunch, and had time left to enjoy Puerto Natales’ evening life.
We ended our journey in Punta Arenas, and after ample celebration of our adventurous journey, it was time for the morning charter flight to Santiago. There were many hugs, laughs, exchanging of pictures and phone numbers, tears were shed, and we had a lively flight to Santiago where we parted with all our new friends.
In the spirit of expedition, we had arranged a private guide and driver for Santiago as well. Our flight was not departing until 10PM, so we had most of the day to explore. We followed a similar set up we had in Buenos Aires and made our way through the various neighborhoods of Santiago, stopping for empanadas and ice cream, and perused some of the arts & crafts markets. Our guide made sure our luggage got checked properly with the airline and hugged us goodbye at the TSA checkpoint.
Happy but exhausted, we boarded our flight to return home. It’s been 4 weeks, and I am still processing all the sights we took in. Whenever I think back, the feeling of calm and serenity I experienced at Bernal glacier that day washes over me and takes my breath away for just a second. For that, I will be forever thankful!
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A few things I learned and some insider tips:
-When booking a private guide in a big spread-out city, make sure you have a separate driver: it saves so much time and allows your guide to fully focus on you
-Bring your favorite card game (or other game) with you as an icebreaker to meet fellow travelers. We spend many evenings learning new games that way
-On a polar journey, don’t go cheap on your base layer flannels and your waterproofs. These waters are COLD, and you will be spending every day in your base layer. Waterproof pants are a daily must have for the zodiac rides.
-Bring a good pair of binoculars with you, as well as a waterproof camera, and waterproof backpack (or drybag). Take one of the small hand towels from the ship with you on all excursions. Your hands will get wet and binoculars will fog up and can get rained/snowed on. Handling your camera equipment – it’ll be nice to have a dry towel on hand.
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Daniela Harrison is a Travel Advisor and Director of Marketing at Avenues of the World Travel in Flagstaff, AZ. For questions, please reach out via 928-556-0853 or Daniela@avenuesoftheworld.com.
** Please note that all photos are authors own, except where credited. As travel industry professional, I make a big investment in first hand experiences. I spend a lot of time to keep up with accreditation and stay up to date on current developments in the travel industry. This means attending conferences, seminars, site inspections fam trip and group trips. I have been able to have some of the experiences shown and described at a reduced cost or combed by the hotel, tour operator, cruise line or supplier. The feedback supplied is based on my personal experience, and based on my personal preferences, likes and dislikes. This first hand experience allows me to better serve you and match the experiences you are looking for. It also allows me to create travel tips for you, based on experiences I have and things I wish I knew before. Travel Supplier partners referenced in blog posts are part of Signature Travel Networks Preferred Portfolio or can be booked via a preferred supplier partner (at least at time of post creation). **
Daniela Harrison 