Chilean Fjords and Punta Arenas - Feb 24-26

Following our visit to Laguna San Rafael, we had two full days at sea, cruising the Chilean Fjords, many of which run parallel to the coast among hundreds of forest clad islands. The views are stunning and human habitation is sparse, focused on salmon farms every few miles.

On February 26 we awoke docked in Punta Arenas, in the Magellan Strait, which the departure point for many Antarctic expeditions and the base for many of the icebreaker ships which service the Antarctic research stations. The icebreakers are amazing ships, but I would not want to sail in one - they have a rounded keel to avoid getting trapped in ice, which means they roll like crazy at sea! In Punta Arenas we went for a nice guided hike along the coast and the views kept coming. :-)

And in case photos are not enough, here are a couple of videos where I try to show the grandeur of the Chilean coast and fjords, and then a view of the Straits of Magellan as we left Punta Arenas close to sunset