No. In addition to the seniors, I met several young couples on their honeymoon. The boat remains "intimate" with only 100 very comfortable cabins equipped with bathrooms. If the restaurant and the bar were very nice, I especially loved my cozy bed. I slipped into it while reading “Histoires du bout du monde”, by Philippe Grenier, borrowed from the ship’s library. This block brings together the stories of explorers, including Darwin, in Patagonia. Still from my bed, in the early morning, I saw the fjords and the red or white mountains pass by in milky colors, through the large bay windows. Magic!
No, or very little. The guides gave us the history of the region. Most Indians were decimated by colonizers, sometimes unwittingly. As they were often naked (a mystery in the freezing temperatures!), we tried to dress them. But the clothes were full of parasites… Many died. Sad story. Today, the crew members of the "Stella Australis" collaborate in scientific research in Tierra del Fuego by making surveys and an inventory of biodiversity. They are among the first to see the results of climate change.
The Chilean shipping company Australis offers several tours around Cape Horn, including a 3 or 4 night cruise between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia or vice versa, from €1,100 per person. full board, excursions included. Australis is the only Chilean shipping company with the right to sail between the fjords of Tierra del Fuego and disembark on Cape Horn.
More info:Argentina Tourist Office; Chilean tourist office.
