Our adventure begins in Castro, the oldest city in the Chiloé Island. It was founded in 1567 with the idea to be the basis for the process of evangelization of the local Indians. Its main characteristics are its colorful houses on stilts and its cultural identity, which is a mixture of the local mythology from the original inhabitants of the Island and their traditions as sea people, which are kept until today. The main attraction of this visit is the Cathedral, where we can see a combination of neo-gothic and classic designs, along with the local building tradition, known for the use of noble timber such a cypress, southern beeches and cedar. For its attractive architecture it was declared by UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity in 2000. A welcome drink invites us to leave the harbor of Castro behind aboard the expedition cruiser Mare Australis and enjoy the hospitality of our crew. We navigate the Estuary of Castro, Channel Lemuy, Chonchi and Channel Yal to get to Point Centinela and prepare ourselves for the crossing of the Gulf of Corcovado.

It dawns near the small harbor of Melinka, capital of the Archipelago of the Guaitecas, to enter Channel Pérez North, en route to Jéchica, with our eyes set on the islands Velberde, García and Garrao. We cross Point Chonos to arrive at our destination across the estuary Chulle.
Jéchica is a Natural Sanctuary at the heart of the Chilean Patagonia, where the exuberant nature is found in a primitive state, the Sphagnum peat bogs contribute as a unique ecosystem for the storage of carbon. The disembark is scheduled after breakfast, to make a hiking through the centennial forests of Guaitecas Cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum), Chiloé’s Coihue (Nothofagus nitida), Chilean Firebush (Embotrium coccinium) and Mañíos (Podocarpus nubigena) among other species; and at the same time discover some of the 50 species of land and sea birds that have their home at the archipelago, like the Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), the White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albicep chilensis), the Austral Thrush (Turdus falklandii), the Patagonian Sierra Finch (Phrygilus patagonicus), the Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus), the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), the Red-legged Cormorant (Phalacrocórax gaimardi). We finish our adventure with a big Patagonian lunch with fresh seafood from the region and the typical “lamb at stake”, while we admire the impressive landscape of this shelter for other-time-sailors, where the waters of the Pacific Ocean meet the exuberant vegetation of the islands. We set sail at mid-afternoon, navigating the Channel Baeza and Pérez South towards the Island Tuap, arriving at Puerto Aguirre around midnight.

It dawns in front of the Islands Mogotes, across the estuary Elephants, to get ready to get through Passages Quesahuen and De Vidt, to arrive to the Lagoon San Rafael after breakfast. We will be witness to an overwhelming spectacle: climbing down the mountains and part of the Northern Ice Field, the San Rafael glacier, the sea glacier closest to the Equator and declared in 1979 World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, presents itself with full splendor.
The disembark, if the weather conditions are fine, is made aboard powerful Zodiac boats MKV, which allow us to get very close to the millenary ice under the most strict safety norms. Once we get closer to the glacier, we are able to see the different shades of blue, from the most intense tones to totally translucent. And, why not, we can also be witness to the fall of huge blocks of ice, which with a deafening sound break the calm while they get into the water with implacable strength. Hot chocolate and whisky wait for us on board to fight the cold but, most of all, to share our experiences. We raise anchors at mid-afternoon to prepare our navigation towards our next stop.

It dawns close to Tic Toc bay, at the heart of the National Park Corcovado, a privileged ecosystem that includes fjords, bays, rivers and volcanoes. We make a stop at this natural amphitheater to enjoy the view and take some pictures. If we are lucky, we can even take a look at some whales. The huge amounts of nutrients make this zone of fjords and channels one of the few feeding and raising areas of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the whole Southern Hemisphere, at least during the summer and autumn months. The well-deserved pause leads us to some navigation hours towards Chaitén, where we will disembark to be witness of the devastating effects of the eruption of the Chaitén Volcano, happened during the months of May 2008 and February 2009, after centuries of inactivity. We will cross woods that were consumed by pyroclastic flows that came down the valleys, to enter some paths on foot that go along an ancient Patagonian cypress forest, one of the few that got away from the predator effect of human beings, where we will be able to contemplate the beauty of these giant lead actors of the passing of time. We return to the ship and get ready to enjoy the last night crossing the Gulf of Corcovado to get to the channels Quehui and Lemuy to the city of Castro, which was the starting point to this adventure. We invite you to be a part of it, to live the experience, to tell your own story in the route of the Patagonian Channels.

Arrival to Castro, It was a great experience and hope to see again.
Landing at 08:00.