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Experts since 1991, making Cold Oceans Expeditions for thousands of delighted guests.



VICTORY ADVENTURE'S SOUTHERN OCEANS EXPEDITIONS

AN OCEAN VOYAGE IN CHILEAN WATERS


VICTORY TALL SHIP (Now sailing with the hotel Lakutaia)

Majestic mountains dipped in snow... Crystalline waterways...
Whales, seals, soaring Andes condors...
Ice-blue Glaciers that shimmer like jewels...

"From both sides of the channel not more than 3 miles wide,
the ice covered Andes rise before us, from which are set loose huge glaciers".

Experience at the "ends of earth", the breathtaking beauty of glaciers, fjords,
waterfalls and wildlife.

This precious place of land and water is home to many varieties of sea birds,
wild geese, ducks and penguins.

There are various kinds whales, sea otters and sea lions for
you to see in the channels along the way.


The Marvelous Pia Fjord
For Larger Images of Pia Fjord
and the Beagle Channel (93K total)

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The Beagle Channel

Unique Features

      • Our yachts take you on 7 to 14 day
        Adventure Excursions of Tierra Del Fuego and Cape Horn.
      • You will be marking the same course taken by
        Charles Darwin's in the summer of 1832 on his
        sailing during the "Voyage of the Beagle" (83 KB)

      • You will navigate glacial etched channels and
        stunning fjords.

        An exact 19th century replica, the VICTORY is
        so similar a ship that she was featured
        (starred!) as the "BEAGLE" in a 1990
        documentary recapturing Darwin's voyages.

        You will get a close look at these
        magnificent glacier regions and fjords by
        rubber boat, foot and/or by sea kayak
        excursions.

        This trip will provide you with a rare
        glimpse at ancient Yagan Indian settlements.

        The tours are built for all ages; You may
        optionally hike, camp, go trout fishing and
        have a wonderful barbecue of Patagonian lamb
        or King Crab on the beach along the way.
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Cape Horn --------->


Map of Chile showing the 12 regions and location
of Puerto Williams, only 60 miles from Cape Horn

Map with Major Cities listed

Brief Description

"For those coming from a hurried and modern life,
visiting the Beagle Channel is like going back in time. "
      • Imagine unspoiled beauty, breathtaking and forgotten places.

      • At Puerto Williams, capital (population of 2000) of the Chilean
        Territory of Antarctica, one still finds ancient settlements of
        the all but extinct Yagan Canoe Indians.

      • As late as the end of the 18th century, an estimated 4,000 Yagan Indians
        paddled among these beautiful islands, still fjords and channels.

      • Two older women (*Photos of survivors are 133KB*)
        are the only living survivors, of
        this irreplaceable Yagan Indian tribe.

      • This voyage is for adventurers only. There may be
        narrower bunks than you are used to, wind, cold
        and other unfavorable weather conditions.



Captain Ben & his Chilean wife, Monica

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Getting To Puerto Williams

        • Getting to the Puerto Williams is no problem at all.

        • Airlines fly to the capital city, Santiago-Chile, from all over the world.

Safety & Comfort

        • Chile is one of the safest, and most stable
          countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
        • It is the only Latin American compay with a US trade agreement.

        • Because of this, Chile is considered by many
          entrepreneurs to be a very good country for investment.

        • Chileans love foreigners and try to copy them in every way.

        • They will make you feel very much at home even
          if you do not speak Spanish.

        • Many American hotels exist in Santiago such as the Hyatt Hotel.


Santiago, Chile

View of Santiago with info
(60K total)

        • To get here: You may fly into Santiago, Chile first.
          Then take Lan Chile or one of several other airlines such
          National to Punta Arenas for an overnight stay.
          The following day you take a beautiful 1 hour
          flight on DAP AIRLINES to Puerto Williams
          over Tierra Del Fuego Island seeing many
          glaciers, lakes and the snow capped Andes
          where they end plunging into the sea.
          Also there are connections available now to Puerto
          Williams via Ushuaia, Argentina 25 miles away.
        • In Puerto Willaims you may stay at the world's most
        • Southern Hotel, the Lakutaia.

        • We will be glad to help you with your stay in
          Punta Arenas or Ushuaia and your
          transportation to and from Puerto Williams.


          You will have an overnight stay in Punta
          Arenas {poon'-tah ah-ray'-nas} It is the
          capital of Chile's Magallanes province and
          the southernmost mainland city i n the world,
          lies on the Strait of Magellan. The
          population is 111,700 (1987 est.). Sheep
          raising, lumbering, canning, coal mining, and
          shipping petroleum from TIERRA DEL FUEGO are
          the main economic activities. Founded in 1847
          to strengthen Chilean claims to the strait,
          Punta Arenas became a coaling station for
          ships en route to California. Good places to
        • stay are the Hotel Cabo De Hornos a seven-story Commercial Hotel facing central Plaza in world's southernmost city.

        Hotel Details

        * 92 Rooms / 8 Floors
        * Built in 1962
        * Laundry Room
        * Fax (For Guests)
        * Babysitting or Child Care
        * Business Center

        * Car Rental
        * Administrative Services
        * Pets Allowed
        * Currency Exchange
        * Smoke Alarm in Rooms
        * Computer Use Available

        * Photocopy Service
        * Meeting Facilities
        * Common Area High speed Access
        * A-V Equipment Rental
        * Room Service
        * Multi-lingual Staff
        * Restaurant in Hotel

        Room Amenities

        * Telephone
        * Television (Cable/Satellite)
        * Non-Smoking Rooms

        * Television
        * Daily Maid Service
        * In Room Broadband Internet Access

        * Safe (In Room)
        * Mini-Bar

        Here is what they say about it:

        I would highly recommend Hotel Cabo de Hornos to any visitor who loves a quiet ambience, very earthy colors, beautiful surroundings and artifacts, warm lighting and excellent service.
        The refurbished hotel has very professional staff and it is a walk away from the shopping.
        My experience was a wonderful one and I will return here again.

        This is a beautiful, modern, newly renovated hotel. The food is excellent, the interior attractive, and the rooms are good sized. Views of the Sound are amazing and the location is in the very center of Punta Arenas.
        The city itself is not a terribly exciting place, but this Hotel certainly is.

        and the Hostal Califate in Punta Arenas which offer a
        discount to Victory Yacht Cruises'
        passengers.

        For reservations send mail to:CaptainBen@victory-cruises.com

        Punta Arenas is close to the world famous
        national park "Torres Del Paine". With time
        permitting, you may want us to book you a
        quick 2-4 day tour at this beautiful place as
        part of your holidays

        Torres Del Paine on map of 67KB.
        (To get back here just press the back button on your browser)

        • Puerto Williams, your destination is just
          a short 45 minute hop from Punta Arenas,
          flying over the beautiful ice fields, Beech forests,
          glaciered valleys and the snowy
          Andes mountain peaks of Tierra Del Fuego.
          (Sit by the window and get some photos if it is clear)

        • In Tierra Del Fuego you will breathe some of
          the purest air in the world supplied by
          15,000 miles of unobstructed and
          uncontaminated open ocean winds.

Torres Del Paine in Patagonia

After visiting the fjord area of Tierra Del Fuego and
the Beagle Channel one may visit the famous
Torres Del Paine National Park on the
southern edge of the Patagonia Ice Cap. The
area is easy to get to from Punta Arenas with
transportation of buses, taxis and minibuses.
It is possibly the most famous national park
in South America with 60,000 visitors last
season. It is some 100 km north of Puerto
Natales. It is a 2422 sq. km park that was
given the World Heritage status in 1978 by
UNESCO. It gets it's name from three
wonderful and very easily seen polished
columns of pink granite, the Towers of Paine
(Torres Del Paine). Cerro Paine Grande, the
tallest of the peaks, is covered by ice
mushrooms a phenomenon peculiar to the
Southern Andes. The park lies between the
great windswept plains of Patagonia and the
vast southern continental icesheet. Here you
may go backpacking and trekking, or you can
join programs to do the mountain climbing as
well.

Nandu and Guanaco (Ostrich and Alpaca like
animals) are frequently seen in the park
refuge. There oad diversity of fauna y
flora. Backpackers should have experience
with overnight trips in rough country; those
who desire to make ascents should have
mountaineering ice and snow climbing
experience. The Torres Del Paine lookout is
the most spectacular in the park and is a
short trek. The summit of the tallest tower
is almost 10,000 ft above sea level. The best
season is from November through April. A map
of the area is issued free upon entrance to
the park. Good information and maps on the
area are found in the Lonely Planet publication:
"Trekking in the Patagonian Andes".



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Come Join Us On An Adventure!
        • VICTORY ADVENTURE EXPEDITIONS invites you to come
          aboard and LIVE the adventure.

        • We offer you sailing the Beagle Channel , Antarctica,
          the Darwin Cordillera glaciers and fjords
          in this crazy geography that time and nature produced.

        • You will witness a stunning drama at the ends of
          earth which is directed with a raw freedom
          which can only be appreciated in a wild territory
          such as this.

        • A truly memorable voyage awaits you.

Testimonies from OUR Passengers

        For FREE monthly newsletter , The Pagagonian Newsletter Monthly,
        containing         info on Patagonia, Tierra Del Fuego and Antarctica,
        mailto:sailing@victory-cruises.com         and write "subscribe".

Some passenger's comments

~ Climbed a 1200 meter summit of an unnamed
peak, Andean Condors gliding overhead. What
was it I need to go back home for?

~ Incredible country - 4000 meter mountains
rising straight out of the fjords. The area
looks much like New Zealand. Chile is
generally more beautiful.

~ We're eating the local fare - King crab and
roast lamb. Wonderful seabirds - albatross,
Cape petrel, Skuas, Penguins. It's all very
new, even the stars. This is the life - puts
it all in perspective.

~ The Horn was great, But I really like the
Beagle Channel: Snow covered mountains and
glaciers. A few bergs were clear ice - just
like glass - that is very old ice. Then some
had a beautiful blue color.
"All men dream: but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses
of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity,
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men,
for they may act on their dream with open eyes,
to make it possible."

T. E. Lawrence

 

For your FREE monthly newsletter, The Patagonian Newsletter Monthly,
with information (Email only) on Patagonia, Tierra Del Fuego,
Antarctica, Cape Horn and South Georgia,
send mailto:sailing@victory-cruises.com and write "subscribe"

A subscribers Comment: Wonderful newsletter! Thanks so much.