7 DAYS IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND ISLA DE LOS ESTADOS

Embark in Ushuaia and settle into life on board as the yacht glides out across the bay, framed by snow brushed peaks and the distant line of the Beagle Channel. A gentle shakedown cruise takes you past working docks, classic expedition vessels and the red and white Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, often called the lighthouse at the end of the world. Return to a quiet anchorage near town or in a nearby cove, ready for the voyage to begin in earnest.

Depart Ushuaia and follow the coast west into Tierra del Fuego National Park, where steep wooded slopes drop straight into the water and small bays offer sheltered moorings. Bahía Ensenada Zaratiegui sits at the edge of the park, close to walking trails, quiet beaches and the famous southernmost post office.

Leaving Bahía Ensenada at first light, the yacht turns west along the Beagle Channel towards Glacier Alley, the celebrated sector where a series of tidewater glaciers named for European countries descend directly from the Darwin Range into the sea. The day is devoted to slow navigation, camera in hand, as you drift beneath cliffs of blue ice, listening for the echo of calving.

Today you retrace your wake eastward through the Beagle Channel, passing rugged islands and the occasional small settlement before turning towards Gable Island, a low, windswept island with peat bogs, lenga forest and rich birdlife. Anchor off a quiet beach and go ashore for gentle hiking or a guided naturalist walk to learn about the ecology and history of the Yaghan people.

Continue east along the less visited stretches of the Beagle Channel to Bahía Sloggett, a remote and often windswept anchorage. This bay lies beyond the more frequented cruising grounds and has a powerful sense of isolation and open sky. Here you feel the full scale of Tierra del Fuego, with low hills, tussock grass and the constant presence of sea birds riding the wind.

From Bahía Sloggett the yacht shapes a course towards the eastern tip of Tierra del Fuego, timing the approach to the Le Maire Strait before crossing to Isla de los Estados, an island reserve of steep ridges, waterfalls and wave carved inlets. Landing is strictly controlled, so your experience focuses on coastal exploration, wildlife viewing and the dramatic setting of historic anchorages such as Puerto Cook or Puerto Parry. The wider circuit through these waters has a distinct expedition character that few yacht charters undertake.

Turn back towards the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia, with an early departure from Isla de los Estados to take advantage of tide and wind in the Le Maire Strait. As the yacht re enters the Beagle, the coastline of Tierra del Fuego rises once more to port, with familiar peaks now seen from a new angle. A final afternoon of easy cruising brings you back to Ushuaia, where you disembark with a deeper appreciation of this remote region at the far edge of the chart.