Puerto Williams to King George Island

Puerto Williams is a Chilean city located on Navarino Island on the southern shores of the Beagle Channel. It claims to be the “southernmost city in the world”, however owing to its small size – 2500 residents approximately – the much larger Argentinean city of Ushuaia, which sits on the northern side of the same channel, also claims that title.
 
 The surrounding scenery is magnificent. The wild windswept mountains rise above the tree line and are regularly dusted with snow. The city itself has the dramatic backdrop called “Dientes de Navarino” (literally “teeth of Navarino”), which rival the famous Torres del Paine further to the north.
 
 The area was originally used by the Yaghan people, hunter-gatherers who despite enduring the harsh regional climate, could not weather the arrival of Europeans. 
 
 The current city was established as a naval base in 1953 and honours the British-Chilean naval commander John Williams Wilson of the 16th century. Initially it served to protect territorial possessions and fishing rights of the area, as well as offering logistical support to Antarctic bases. More recently it has become a departure point for scientific and tourism trips to the Antarctic region.
 
 In contrast to the bustle and traffic of a very commercial Ushuaia, Puerto Williams offers a quieter, more relaxed experience. It charms the visitor with a small village feel, complete with rustic buildings and the homely smell of drifting wood smoke. A haven of peace at the end of the world.


Remote and raw New Island lies to the west of the Falkland Islands and the humble human population here is far outweighed by the extraordinary birdlife that resides along its craggy coastline. Out in the tempestuous wilds of the South Atlantic Ocean the island is a sanctuary of animal life - with crowds of rockhopper penguins wrinkled seals and stern-looking albatross among its many residents. The penguins of the Falklands are a sight to see fooling and falling on the beaches before diving in and whipping through the waters. Home to five different species including king penguins - who strut with their orange collars glowing against the pure white feathers of their chests. Sea lions seals and elephant seals bark and lumber along the shoreline while sleek orcas patrol and Peale’s dolphins cut through the waves. Settlement Rookery’s cliffs rattle with the sounds of crashing sea waves and the echoing shouts of hollering black-browed albatross king cormorants and rockhopper penguins. Enjoy gorgeous sweeping landscapes littered with shipwrecks and sprinkles of colourful wildflowers. A warm welcome is guaranteed especially when the local custom of smoko is served up – towering platters of cakes and biscuits with tea and coffee. Things haven’t always been so peaceful here however and you can pay a visit to the battlefields and memorials of the costly war in 1982 when the British and Argentinians clashed fiercely over these islands.

A north-westerly outpost of the scenic Falkland Islands you'll be welcomed ashore by the calls and cries of black-browed albatross. Indeed the island was originally known as Albatross Island before being renamed to reflect its geographic location. While the albatrosses - that flash white feathers in the rugged cliffs above the waves - are the most well known residents they are far from the only animal inhabitants of this remote isolated land. A huge army of birdlife calls the island sanctuary home overwhelming the tiny human population and sheep that roam West Point Island's grasses. Meet the Rockhopper Penguins who scamper and burrow along the coast's boulders as well as the imperial cormorants who rest here in great numbers. You're also liekly to encounter Magellanic penguins during your explorations. Hike the island's quiet landscapes and look out for endemic plants like Felton's flower the green interior. Decorated with some of the archipelago's most dramatic scenery explore this wind-lashed distant land of soaring cliffs and towering coastal precipices. Cliff Mountain is the island's standout - a towering sandstone monolith and the archipelago's highest cliff falling away to swirling waves below. Look out to the waters to spot Commerson's dolphin chasing each other around the island's wave-washed footprint. Whales also visit as well as the fur seals who you may spot lounging around West Point Island's inviting shores.

Despite it being a stalwart of Britishness, Stanley more resembles Patagonia than Portsmouth. But, despite the windswept, vast and achingly beautiful landscape of the Falkland Islands, don’t be too surprised to find the odd pub serving ales and even fish’n’chips. While landmarks such as Christ Church Cathedral, with its whalebone arch are 100% local, there is a also good smattering of imported garden gnomes and Union Jacks to remind you whose territory you are really on.The Falkland Islands’ ownership has long been a matter of controversy, ever since colonisation in the 18th century. At various points in their life they have been considered French, British, Spanish and Argentine. The Falklands War in 1982, despite only lasting for a short while, proved that the Brits clung to this remote outpost and the islands remain part of the British Commonwealth today. Margaret Thatcher, under whom the war was masterminded, remains something of a local hero as can be seen in the street signs (such as Thatcher Drive). For those who want to dig deeper into the past, the Historic Docklands Museum provides lots of information on the chequered historical and political background of the Falklands.However, the true heroes of Stanley are of course the thousands and thousands of penguins. Five species nest here during mating season (including the rare rockhopper penguin). There are virtually no barriers between you and the wildlife; allowing for a truly interactive, authentic and totally unforgettable experience.

Few voyages ignite the imagination like a journey down to one of the planet’s most remote extreme and enchanting wilderness Antarctica. An adventure in its purest form only a handful of people will ever be lucky enough to experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome landscapes first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first encounters of this whitewash kingdom located at the northerly tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego, South America’s most southerly point, otherwise known as the ‘End of the World’. Taking its name from the first ship to brave the passageway between the peninsula and the Joinville Island groups back in 1902, the Sound is a raw sensory assault of imposing iceberg slabs broken away from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Come face-to-face with stadium-sized islands of ice and meet the extraordinary birdlife that call this whitewash kingdom home. Watch on as colonies of Gentoo penguins hop around and cape petrels sweep overhead as the continent’s unique wildlife thrives around you. If you’re planning your first venture into Antarctica you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills in advance to capture this unforgiving continent in all of its unrestrained glory.

The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and for many offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations.

The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and for many offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations.

The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and for many offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations.

The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and for many offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations.

The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and for many offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations.

The ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region of mainland Antarctica lying a mere 480-miles away from South America across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. Lying close to the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula separated by the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here and with plump elephant seals and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie Penguins also calling the islands home it can even feel a little crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable island hosting the majority of the research stations - some of which are populated all-year-round by tiny hardy crews. Don’t be fooled though these islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote locations on earth. The triple peaks of Mount Foster tower above the archipelago. Hike the luna landscapes within and even dip into the improbably warm geothermally-heated waters of Pendulum Cove. Elephant Island meanwhile is written deep into the annals of Antarctic expedition legend as the site where Ernest Shackleton and the stricken crew of the Endurance miraculously survived a harsh Antarctic winter in 1916.

As the largest of all the South Shetland Island, King George is considered the gateway to Antarctica. At just 120 kilometres from the Antarctic Peninsula and the only airport in the South Shetlands, it is the connection between “real life” and “Antarctic life”. More than 10 different nations have year-round or summer-only scientific research stations on the island (considering that 90% of the island is covered by snow and ice, that is quite an achievement!). Maintaining a base on the island allows membership of the Antarctic Treaty. There is even a Russian Orthodox church, with a permanent on-site priest.The island might be home to a few international scientists, but they are very much outnumbered by the diverse wildlife that considers King George Island rightfully theirs. Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins all commute to and from the Antarctic peninsula from the island, while Weddell and leopard seals are regular visitors and can be spotted either in the water or on the shore. Naturally, this brings a huge amount of birdlife: skuas and southern giant petrels are regular summer residents, attracted by the warm climate (warm being a relative term, average temperature is between 1.5 and -6.5˚C).The island was named after King George III after British explorer discovered it in 1819. Since then the island has been claimed by both Chile (1940) and Argentina (1943), but remains part of British Antarctic Territory.