Insight: Cruising Chile’s Southern Seas

Beyond the Lake District, Chile breaks up into a mass of islands. Boats can take you to the most beautiful, unspoiled parts that roads cannot reach.

Boats reign supreme in southern Chile’s inhospitable but stunningly beautiful fjord region. They are the life-support system of the area’s isolated fishing villages during the harsh winters, and in summer they ply a bustling tourist trade. The main attraction is the majestic San Rafael glacier, two days by boat out of Puerto Montt. This spectacular ice wall is the destination of the luxury Skorpios cruise boats, as well as several more modest services.

Another popular trip takes passengers from Puerto Montt down to Puerto Natales, gateway to the beautiful Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Tourist cabins are modest, but the views and the atmosphere on board more than compensate. Puerto Montt is the starting point for any journey into the fjords, including Chiloé Archipelago. But if you suffer from seasickness, beware. The narrow inland waterways are glassily calm, but the Gulf of Corcovado or, farther south, the Gulf of Penas, can test even the best sailor.

Several services run from Punta Arenas to the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. One of the best – and most expensive – is the luxurious three- or four-day Australis cruise between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. There are also many enjoyable boat trips in the Lake District. One of the best starts from Petrohué on Lago Todos los Santos and ends 12 stunning hours later in San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina.

The blue icebergs that glisten in the fjords of Chilean Patagonia are a beautiful sight, but also a reminder of the shrinking of its glaciers.

Patrick Poendl/iStockphoto

Wildlife of the Fjords

Sea mammals such as seals and sea lions are a common sight in southern Chile’s remote fjords. In the most remote areas, you may also be lucky enough to see a blue whale – which migrates to the fjords in summer in search of krill – or an orca, often referred to as killer whale but actually a member of the dolphin family.

A sure companion for any boat trip south of Puerto Montt is the tonina, or Chilean dolphin. These fast-moving, playful animals usually swim in small groups and delight in chasing a boat, darting from side to side.

Closer to the shore, there are also plenty of Magellanic penguins and, occasionally, a gentoo penguin with its characteristic orange-red bill. In summer, black-necked swans, South America’s largest waterfowl, also grace the area’s fjords and bays. The steep sides of the fjords are covered with many native trees, including a type of cypress, and ferns – some of them almost tree-size. The dense vegetation is also home to an enormous variety of birds, including a colorful red-headed woodpecker and a tiny hummingbird.