Chile Intensive Cruise: Puerto Montt, Castro & Punta Arenas

Located in central Chile, north west of the capital Santiago, the historic port city of Valparaiso was once the most important merchant port on the Pacific trading routes of South America. Now it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering some of the best in Chilean food, art, and culture waiting to be discovered.

Puerto Montt is an urban oasis surrounded by the breathtaking volcanoes, glacial lakes, and parks for which the Chilean Lake District is known. As the region’s commercial hub, Puerto Montt offers the perfect blend of shopping, sightseeing, and history that elevates any South American cruise itinerary. Start with a trip to the Angelmo Harbor Market to enjoy the ocean breeze and peruse stalls selling everything from freshly caught fish to rainbow-hued alpaca wool goods sure to keep you warm during those chilly days at sea. For a taste of local flavor, try cancato—a famous Chilean favorite dish made of fish, chorizo, tomato, and cheese. After your meal, take a boat across the Tenglo Channel to Tenglo Island, where you’ll be treated to fantastic views of Osorno—a snow-capped volcano known as one of the most active in all of the southern Chilean Andes.

South of Puerto Montt, surrounded by majestic fjords, Puerto Chacabuco looks more like Norway than Northwest Patagonia. The town’s history as an important fishing village still holds true today. And with a population of just 1,200, Azamara® guests can expect a truly immersive experience on shore. Plunging waterfalls. Fathomless gorges. Dramatic coastlines. Puerto Chacabuco is your gateway to some of Chile’s most stunning natural wonders. Don’t miss the Río Simpson National Preserve: a protected park that boasts all three; plus, some of the best fly fishing in the world. A visit to Aiken del Sur Private Park promises the same, with an enchanting opportunity to get back to nature at serene Lake Riesco.

Perched on the western side of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas has long been a European trading point and is now the most commercially crucial city in Patagonian Chile. A relaxed, diverse city rich with vibrant pioneering history, this welcoming port is equally popular as a gateway for adventures to Antarctica.

Perched on the western side of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas has long been a European trading point and is now the most commercially crucial city in Patagonian Chile. A relaxed, diverse city rich with vibrant pioneering history, this welcoming port is equally popular as a gateway for adventures to Antarctica.

Surrounded on three sides by towering peaks, this former penal colony on banks of the Beagle Channel is spectacularly sited amidst waterfalls, glaciers, and beech forests, and marine life abounds offshore. This is the southern extreme of Tierra del Fuego, a national park with hiking trails and walking paths through thick forests, inhabited by native birds and beavers, where seals, sea lions, and sea birds can be found in abundance. The channel is named for HMS Beagle, which sailed these waters with a young Charles Darwin aboard. It was during that voyage that he began to formulate his theories of evolution.