Traveling Tolins 2

Chilean Fjords A pristine paradise of soaring peaks, countless lush islands teeming with wildlife and a tapestry of glaciers and rivers spilling into shimmering waters, the fjords of Chile are heralded as one of the most rugged and untamed places on earth.   Sailing in the wake of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, naturalist Charles Darwin and other renowned explorers, we saw this untouched wilderness much as they did.   As we cruised along, we marveled at breathtaking vistas:   Vast ice fields, described by Darwin as “many glaciers beryl blue,” flow to the water’s edge from Andean mountainsides.   Serene fishing villages hug tranquil shores against backdrops of dramatic forested hills.   Filigreed rivulets careen down steep slopes.   We even spotted resident elephant seals and sea lions lounging on rocky beaches.   This is scenic cruising at its most dazzling. Wednesday evening into Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning we traveled from ...

Beagle Channel Stretching some 150 miles between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and a mere three miles wide at its narrowest point, the breathtaking Beagle Channel unfolds before you in an endless canvas of soaring mountains sloping down to pristine shores.   To the north, marvel at the untouched wilderness of the legendary Tierra del Fuego, part Argentine and part Chilean, its snowcapped peaks crowning the region’s largest island.   To the south, countless small islands form one of the most scenic archipelagos in the world, draped in lush forest and the occasional colony of sea lions.   Like Charles Darwin, after whose ship this picturesque waterway is name, you may also admire the “many glaciers beryl blue” that drape into the shimmering waters.   The glaciers were named after five European countries by the 19 th century explorers who documented the region.   They named them Holanda (Holland), Italia (Italy), Francia (France), Alemana (Germany), and E...

The islands around Cape Horn between South America and Antarctica. Cape Horn Rising like a pillar above the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge, Cape Horn, named for the Dutch city of Hoorn in The Netherlands, home of the land’s discoverers, is part of the Hermite Islands archipelago.  This remote, stark, and treeless place is often considered the continent’s southernmost point, though the lesser known Diego Ramirez Islands are farther south.  The highest point of the Cape soars from Hornos Island, a massive prehistoric looking massif of Jurassic volcanic rock.  The historic lighthouse is near the water’s edge.  A beacon of assurance and safety for countless sailors since 1991, it is the world’s southernmost traditional style lighthouse.  As we approached the Cape from the east, we saw this rainbow even though the sun was not out due to fog and clouds. Cape Horn  ( Spanish :  Cabo de Hornos ,  pronounced ...