Fly-cruise to Antarctica

5 or 7 nights from £5,310

5 or 7 night cruise

For those who are short of time, or are not keen seafarers, there is an alternative to cruising the often choppy waters of the Drake Passage in order to reach Antarctica.  Fly (1.5 hours) by jet (Bae 146-400, especially designed to operate  in cold climates) from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands  and pick up a cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula on the comfortable expedition cruiser, Ocean Nova. Or, for those who will try anything once, our 7-night expedition on board the Antarctic Dream allows you to experience the Drake Passage on the outbound leg, but includes a flight back to Punta Arenas.

You do not have to travel deep into the continent to see and feel the sheer scale and majesty of Antarctica. The Antarctic Peninsula  is a slim finger of land pointing up towards the southernmost tip of South America and defined by mountains considered to be the extension of the Andes.  It is the most accessible and mildest region, adorned with hundreds of tiny islands, and a rich breeding ground for Antarctic wildlife: seabirds, penguins and seals. Ships edge their way south through the slush and abstract patterns formed by the fractured ice and, like the early whalers, visitors may be excited to spot a humpback, orca or Minke or two. Place names recall the early explorers: Neumeyer Channel, Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island. New for 2012-13, selected departures of the Ocean Nova Fly-Cruise itinerary aim to reach the Weddell Sea, with its tabular icebergs.

Return to King George Island for the flight back to Punta Arenas.