There are a few places on earth that travel by ship is nearly essential. Spitsbergen, Alaska's Inside Passage and Patagonia - here cruise ships are not just floating pleasure palaces, they are a valuable mode of conveyance. In today's featured region of Patagonia, a cruise will save you time & money thus allowing you to extend the reach of your vacation.
Patagonia: why did they name it after an expensive line of urban active wear? Since most of our readers are from the US, let's have a brief geography lesson. Patagonia is a non-political land mass. It is neither a country nor a state, and it is not occupied by a single nation of people. Think of it as the Great Plains, or the Pacific Northwest or the Himalayas if that helps. It is the landmass at the southern end of South America covering the lower latitudes of both Chile and Argentina. Named by Magellan, it is a diverse area of tidewater glaciers, the Andes mountains and low grasslands each filled with a variety of distinct wildlife and stunning vistas.
My list of dream vacations includes Patagonia primarily because of the penguins. I know the thought of penguins usually bring up an image from "Happy Feet," "March of the Penguins" and Antarctica. But did you know that there are many species of penguins in South America and points beyond the icy waters of the Southern Ocean? One of my former colleagues took a cruise similar to the version above and she returned with amazing close up photos of Magellanic Penguins from Beagle Channel in Chile. Off the mainland, the Falkland Islands have an even larger species: King Penguins. On my list of dreamy & remote places - who can think of anyone who's been to the Falklands? It's that special of a place, and best visited by ship.
On that same theme, national parks play an important part of Patagonia's universal appeal to nature lovers. Chile's Torres del Paine National Park is home to guanacos - the native cousin to the domesticated llama. The park's jagged peaks, alpine lakes and inland glaciers are now a UNESCO World Biosphere. For those following along on the map above, Torres del Paine is accessed by shore excursion from Punta Arenas.
The second important park is Tierra del Fuego National Park of Argentina. From the port of Ushuaia, this area is typified by the Beagle Channel (named for Darwin's ship). Here you will find sea lions, penguins and abundant migratory birds.
Finally, you've got to love this dream vacation for its contrast of nature and pulsing urban icons. Buenos Aires - birthplace of the tango and Evita. Rio de Janeiro - sultry, Latin and home to one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. To wrap this 16 day trip with these icons will surely leave one appreciative of the contrasts found in Patagonia and beyond.
If this dream vacation is of interest to you, the above itinerary sails aboard Holland America's Veendam in the height of the Austral Summer: December-February. A travel agent can assist you with your plans if you're convinced.
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