Hot photos. Heavenly places.
Included Shore Excursions:
Step ashore at any of these South American ports and you step into another world entirely. At each port, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in exclusive shore excursions that allow you to make your vacation to this magnificent continent a deeply personal one.
What better way to develop your photo skills than stopping at some of the South Atlantic’s most famous ports of call? We’ll photograph local wildlife, geography, geology and culture. Your photo instructor will be with you at each excursion to help you capture those once in a lifetime images.
Port Stanley, Falkland Is Feb. 17
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Visit the penguin rookery Bluff Cove, home to approximately 1,000 pairs of Gentoo penguins and a small breeding colony of Kings. Departing the pier by minibus, you'll set off on a journey over paved roads before a 4x4 off-road ride to the Lagoon. Home-baking and restrooms are found at the cafe on the beach.
Sensible outdoor shoes, warm layered clothing and a waterproof jacket and hat are recommended. Due to the bumpy nature of the cross-country off-road ride, this tour is not recommended for persons with back, neck or mobility problems.
Ushuaia, Argentina Feb. 22
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Cruise the Beagle Channel and travel out to Sea Wolves Island Nature Reserve onboard a catamaran that features enclosed rooms and open deck space for your best viewing opportunities. Your narrated trip will take you into the waterways of the Beagle Channel passing the Isla de los Pajaros (Bird Island) where many species of birds congregate, including a large colony of cormorants. Farther along you will cruise around Isla de los Lobos (Sea Wolves Island). The rocky outcrop is home to a large number of seals and sea lions. Your catamaran cruises close into the shore, offering great photo opportunities. You will also view the Faro del Fin del Mundo "Les Eclaireures" the Light House at the End of the World.
Arriving at Lapataia Bay, you will board a motor coach and continue your tour through Tierra del Fuego National Park. This 150,000-acre park extends from the Beagle Channel in the south along the Chilean border to beyond Lago Fagnano in the north. Photo opportunities abound including Lapataia Bay and Lake Roca.
Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes are recommended. Tour order may be reversed. In the event of unfavorable weather, the tour will be approximately 5 hours in duration.
Puerto Madryn, Argentina Feb. 25
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Located roughly 18 Km from Puerto Madryn is Peninsula Valdes, one of the finest wildlife reserves in South America. At the entrance to the reserve, the Visitors' Centre has a small exhibit of local fauna and flora. Your adventure continues to Estancia San Lorenzo, located on the extreme north eastern part of Peninsula Valdes to view the famous penguin colony.
Since the road to the rookery is barely a path, at the estancia you will board special 4x4 vehicles for an approx. 15 minute drive to view the penguins. The sea water is so clear that you may see them swimming as they approach shore and if you are very lucky you may even see a few sea lions swimming by. You will have time to watch the colony of over 2,000 Magellan penguins including many species of marine birds and flora and fauna from a strategically located bench overlooking the beach. Explore the scenery during your 4x4 ride back to the Estancia, where you will be treated to a traditional Patagonian barbeque.
Punta Norte is your final destination. From a cliff viewpoint you'll see an elephant seal and sea lion colony in their natural habitat. Elephant seals are huge grey masses of flesh that haul up on the beach and go to sleep in overlapping sets of 6 or 8. Easily mistaken for large outcroppings of grey rock, they occasionally give themselves away by yawning - but you may also see some spectacular fighting during the mating season.
A portion of this tour is conducted off-road in 4x4 vehicles. This tour not recommended for persons who are pregnant or who have neck or back problems. Flash photos of penguins and sea lions are not permitted.
Montevideo, Uruguay Feb. 27
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Traveling approximately 2.5 hours (180km) to the west from Montevideo, you'll reach the province of Colonia. Colonia is a small city founded by the Portuguese in 1680, a time when Spain and Portugal were in the midst of confrontations. For over a hundred years both Empires fought over it, until the Treaty of Saint Ildefonso awarded it to Spain. Today the Old City has much to say about its Colonial past.
You will visit the picturesque streets of Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest city in the country, and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO: Santa Rita, San Gabriel, the Matriz Church, San Pedro Road, the Bastion del Carmen, the famous "Calle de los Suspiros" (Street of Sighs) used so often as a scenery for historical films, Puerta del Campo, and Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo.
The past can still be felt in the city's cobblestone streets and stone walls. Colonia complements its archaeological values with natural beauty, the permanent company of the Uruguay River, and the emblematic monuments that stand out on the horizon, including the cathedral, the lighthouse, and nearby, the Real de San Carlos bullring. Before returning to Montevideo, lunch is provided at a local restaurant.
