What is it like to travel to Antarctica with EYOS? Find out all you can see and do in just a week with an experienced team of guides and captains.
Skip the Drake
EYOS pioneered the option to fly to and from Antarctica. Crossing the Drake Passage by air instead of by sea will provide a safe, fast, and efficient crossing of one of our planet’s most notorious bodies of water, deemed by many to be the roughest seas in the world. Using a multi-engine jet aircraft cuts the crossing time from two days to under two hours. Flying from mainland Chile to Antarctica is perhaps one of the most exclusive trans-continental flights possible!
Day 1: Punta Arenas to King George Island, Antarctica
Arrive in Punta Arenas the day prior and overnight. The following morning, transfer to the airport for your flight scheduled to depart at 8:00am. The exact time will be confirmed the day prior, as it is probable the timing of the flight will be adjusted due to weather. Flying time to King George Island, Antarctica aboard your Bae-146 aircraft is approximately 90 minutes.
Please note that these flights are subject to weather conditions in Antarctica. If the flight is delayed, the group will wait for the weather to improve, at which point the flight will continue south.
You will be landing on the airstrip belonging to the Chilean ‘Presidente Eduardo Frei M.’ base. Russia’s ‘Bellinghausen’ base is located nearby, and you may have the opportunity for a quick visit. Transfer to the waterfront where Zodiacs will take you to your yacht for embarkation. This afternoon you will have briefings on Antarctic safety and landing procedures, and depending on the time, may make your first landing.
Days 2-7: The Antarctic Peninsula
Your itinerary is flexible to make the best of the weather and ice conditions. Your Captain and Expedition Leader will discuss options with the group, and your movements will be decided on a day-to-day basis.
The South Shetland Islands
Plan to visit some of the other islands surrounding King George Island. These wildlife-rich islands are the very northern extent of Antarctica, on the edge of the Drake Passage. There are numerous penguin colonies, seals, and seabirds around the islands. As the most accessible land in the Antarctic, the South Shetlands have an interesting history from the sealing and whaling eras. Most of the Antarctic logistics and research stations are located there as well, and you may see some stations as you explore the islands.
Deception Island
Deception Island is the flooded caldera of a volcano that last erupted in the 1970s. In addition to the fascinating geology and a history of shore-based whaling, the island is home to one of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies. It’s also the warmest place in Antarctica to take a swim, thanks to the warming action of hot rocks beneath the sea.
Antarctic Sound and The Weddell Sea
Known as Iceberg Alley, Antarctic Sound is at the very northeastern point of the Antarctic Peninsula, where large tabular icebergs drift north from the Weddell Sea. We may land and visit Adélie penguin colonies at Paulet Island, Brown Bluff or Devil Island or elsewhere in the area. If you decide to spend some time exploring the northern fringes of the Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula you and your sharp-eyes guides will search the ice floes for emperor penguins, which breed during the winter on nearby Snow Hill Island. The magnificent emperor penguins are hard to see during the summer months when their colonies have dispersed, but dedicated searching can yield the sighting of a newly fledged juvenile resting on the ice.
The Danco Coast & The Gerlache Strait
On the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will spend several days exploring numerous islands and channels of this breathtakingly scenic region. You will visit Gentoo penguin colonies; and possibly visit an active scientific research station. Cruise among icebergs in Zodiacs, passing immense glaciers and ice cliffs. Sites you may experience include; Paradise Bay, The Errera Channel, Neko Harbour, Port Lockroy, Cuverville Island, the Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island, Booth Island, Pleneau Island and possibly the US Antarctic Base, Palmer Station. The choices are many, and all offer amazing experiences. Each day you will discuss the options and choose the best sites with your Expedition Leader.
Day 8: Flight to Punta Arenas
Arrive off King George Island in time for your flight north to Punta Arenas. The flight time will be confirmed nearer departure, and as on the southbound flight, is subject to weather delays. Your yacht will remain at anchor off the station, and you may remain on board until it is time to leave for your flight. Weather permitting, arrive in Punta Arenas this afternoon for onward travel.
SOME CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS TO MEET YOUR SCHEDULE & NEEDS
Private Jet or Charter Air Whether you’re arriving on your own aircraft or need logistical support in moving your party from one or varied destinations, EYOS will arrange flights for direct travel from specified locations and return.
Extend your time in the region You may decide to spend time in Patagonia, perhaps at the splendid Singular Hotel, prior to or after your Antarctic expedition. Or in Santiago or Buenos Aires before heading home. EYOS can handle all the logistics necessary to get you to and from the vessel and engaged in exploring Torres del Paine or a cityscape.
To follow in the footsteps of early explorers and venture into the White Continent, contact EYOS at [email protected] to inquire about the 2024 season and start your journey.
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