Itinerary: 

Please note that this is a suggested itinerary. The actual itinerary will depend on the weather, the aspirations of the paddlers, and other external factors. We will decide day-by-day whether to paddle between locations, or sail to a new place and paddle or hike once we are there.  Luckily the area is truly stunning, there are sheltered bays to kayak in and many beautiful hiking options.

Day 1: We’ll meet in Ushuaia, the Southernmost City in Argentina. Come aboard, stow your gear, take in the briefings, and make sure your kayak fits. We set off to sail down the spectacular mountain lined Beagle Channel to the tiny Chilean Naval outpost of Puerto Williams. After clearance formalities and depending on weather conditions we could explore the port, go for a paddle, or hike up a hill behind the village to enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.

Day 2: Sail/ paddle to Caleta Olla.

We make our way to the beautiful sandy bay of Caleta Olla where we may see foxes, an endemic species of the Andean mountains. While the yacht is in transit we could paddle part of the way along the Beagle Channel, passing The Chilean Armada Control Post of Yamana. We may be able to visit the Chilean family who are stationed here for a year. While they are not far from Puerto Williams, they have to have their appendix removed before taking the job because bad weather could mean that a medical evacuation is not always possible. 

Day 3: Caleta Olla to Caleta Morning.

We have several hiking options at Caleta Olla including a 3 hour return trip up a gentle slope to a beautiful panoramic view of Holanda glacier and it’s lake. We can also paddle all, or part of the way to our next anchorage at Caleta Morning past the impressive Italia and Romanche glaciers  (approx. 25km). The anchorage is stunning.

Day 4 and 5: Seno Pia glaciers.

We head into Seno Pia Eastern Arm which has a beautiful glacier at it’s head. The fjord is quite shallow so it’s perfect for exploring in kayaks, where other boats can’t go. We can kayak up to the glacier and land on the flats in front of it to explore the area. There are hikes to waterfalls and the chance to have a barbecue on the beach.

Day 5: Paddle about 8 nautical miles to the Seno Pia Western Arm which has 3 glaciers tumbling into the fjord. We can get picked up by the yacht at the Glacier or paddle back down the Fjord to the anchorage half way down the Western Arm. There are short beautiful walks around glaciated areas. 

Day 6: Garibaldi Fjord

We head to Garibaldi fjord, where a stunning 14 mile long inlet cuts between high mountains. At it’s head is one of only 3 glaciers in Patagonia where the ice is advancing, rather than retreating. The glacier is particularly active in Summer when large blocks can tumble violently into the water. The ice can choke up large sections of the inlet giving opportunities to paddle through bergy bits. There is a sealion colony in the inlet. We will spend the day exploring this deep Fjord in the kayaks and spend the night anchored at Isla Pirincho, part way down the Fjord. If there’s time, we can also hike through deep mossy forest to a waterfall coming down from a glacier, allowing us to overlook Garibaldi glacier, the fjord and surrounding steep mountains.  

Day 7: Seno Ventisquero  

Explore this beautiful deep fjord by kayaks and hopefully visit the family at the Armada station.

Day 8: Bay of 1000 Cascades

We head down through Paso Darwin to canal Barros Merino and spend the day in the Bay of 1000 Cascades. A magnificent tidewater glacier lies at the head of this beautiful bay and “1000 waterfalls” run down the slopes of the fjord. We can spend a full day exploring, hiking and / or paddling.

Day 9: Estero Coloane

We head to Estero Coloane, named after the eminent Chilean writer Francisco Coloane. It’s a pretty inlet with beautiful landscapes and a large glacier at it’s head. It’s a fantastic start point for some hikes; the most spectacular walk involves climbing for an hour up a steep but easy slope leading to a fantastic panorama over the area.  We can continue for another half hour for glacier views.

Day 10: Estero Fouque

Exploring the Biggest/deepest Fjord in the area. Anchorage at Caleta Augusto

Day 11: Bahía Yendegaia

We will sail to Bahia Yendegaia which is the site of an old Estancia (farm). The name Yendegaya is the original Indian name from when the Yamana Indians lived here in almost no clothes and with fires to keep them warm. Today there are horses on the land and we can see the remains of the farm, including the ruins of an old boiler. We can kayak in the bay or there are hiking options in the surroundings. We hope to buy some King Crabs from local fishermen.

Day 12: We return to Puerto Williams to sign out of Chile and then make our way back to Ushuaia. We usually go out for a group meal in Ushuaia in the evening. We may be able to return to the smaller Chilean port of Puerto Navarino to sign out of Chile but we will not know this until the start of the trip as the rules change frequently!

DATES: March 11th-23rd 2023

Cost: US $ 7,995 per person, payable in instalments.

Includes: All permits and fees, all food and alcohol on board the yacht, hire of kayak, spray deck, paddle, pogies, PFD, crew and guides.

Doesn’t include: Transport to and from Ushuaia, accommodation in Ushuaia, personal insurance.

Kayaks & Kit: The kayaks are Boreal Desgins Epsilon P100, P200 & P300s. There are Werner paddles, Kokatat PFDs, Seals sprayskirts, Pogies and Pumps available for use at no extra cost. There are a limited number of Drysuits available for hire.

Pre-requesites: This trip is for intermediate to advanced kayakers. You should be able maintain a speed of 3 knots and be comfortable paddling for 6 hours in a day. It can get windy quickly so you must be comfortable in winds of up to 20 knots.

Cancellation policy: If the trip does not fill by 30 September 2022 then we reserve the right to cancel the trip and give everyone a full refund of any money paid so far. We feel confident that we will fill the trip, but we can’t guarantee that.If the trip is cancelled by the organisers (at any time before departure) or if the trip gets cancelled by force majeure (including governmental flight restrictions), you receive a full refund (minus any bank fees). If you pull out of the trip, you forfeit all payments made until that date, unless a replacement is found for you. If a replacement is found you receive a refund, minus bank fees, minus $800 cancellation fee. To secure your place, you need to pay a 20% deposit. 

Interested?: Initially contact Justine at justine -at -cackletv.com. Justine can answer any questions you may have and ultimately put you in touch with Darrel Day, the owner of Spirit of Sydney, who will answer questions about the sailing aspect and take payment.