Page 164 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

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NATURAL WONDERS

FORGET THE
NORWEGIAN FJORDS?

THE BUILD-UP Designated a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, Norway’s fjords are some of the
world’s longest and deepest, including
Sognefjord, Hardangerfjord, and
Geirangerfjord. The beautiful, rugged landscape
is also a big draw to this region.
ABOVE A boat sailing past a mountain of ice, part of the Darwin
Mountains, Tierra del Fuego, Chile THE LETDOWN Having fallen victim to their
own beauty, these fjords play host to thousands
The through a labyrinthine network of channels, islets, of tourists each year. Sightseers throng them,
kayakers paddle them, base-jumpers chuck
and inlets. As you sail, the extreme beauty of the
Patagonian fjords reveals itself. Mountains rise precipitously out themselves into them, and the plain lazy drive
through them. Search for silent majesty and you
of the sea, glacier after gorgeous glacier cascades
find cruise ships. The landscape is marred by a
Fjords down rock faces, and waterfalls plunge into deep new power line – the world’s second longest –
channels. Boat excursions magnify this thrilling
straddling Sognefjord.
drama that unfolds at water level – approaching
the great Glaciar Pía, visitors can watch in wonder GOING ANYWAY? Head for Norway’s less-
vs the Norwegian Fjords as one giant block of turquoise ice after another visited Naeroyfjord and Lysefjord. The latter is
calves from the glacier’s face into the Pía Fjord in a overlooked by the stunning 1,970-ft- (600-m-)
high Pulpit Rock.
A magical world of water and ice, Patagonia’s concerto of thunderous cracks and booms.
fjords eclipse Norway’s famous waterways Small boat excursions also bring you incredibly
close to some spectacular marine wildlife. In the
escort of playful dolphins, you skirt the shorelines
NEED TO KNOW of coves and islets where enormous elephant seals
slumber and smaller sea lions bask. Onshore, hikes
LOCATION The fjords form 4BOUJBHP reveal lush forest and cross-sheltered beaches
part of the archipelago at the
southernmost tip of the American "3(&/5*/" where thousands of cute Magellanic penguins and
continent, Tierra del Fuego, shared cormorants form their nesting colonies.
between Chile and Argentina $)*-&
VISITORS PER YEAR "UMBOUJD After four days of navigating sheltered waters,
12,000 1BDJmD 0DFBO you reach the desolately beautiful Cape Horn.
DAYTIME 0DFBO Here, looking out across the Cape to where the ABOVE Vehicles lined up for loading into car ferries at Hella,
TEMPERATURES Atlantic and Pacific oceans collide, one is struck by Sognefjord
Jan: 52°F (11°C); Apr: 45°F (7°C);
Jul: 36°F (2°C); Oct: 45°F (7°C) 1VOUB "SFOBT 1"5"(0/*"/ the utter remoteness of the place. Ice-floes pepper
'+03%4
the powerful sea and the howling winds that once
thwarted so many expeditions here lash against
At the bottom of the Earth lies a dazzling world steep, ragged cliffs. It’s not difficult to believe that
of hanging glaciers, floating icebergs, gushing Antarctica and the ends of the Earth are just PRACTICAL INFORMATION
waterfalls, and towering peaks that rise sheer from 500 miles (830 km) away.
Getting There and Around Where to Stay
blue-green seas. The Patagonian Fjords may sound
There are daily flights from In Punta Arenas, stay at Hotel
fantastical but their existence is real, and the drama Santiago to Punta Arenas in Nogueira (www.hotelnogueira.
of their unspoiled beauty eclipses even that of southern Chile, the departure com). Mare Australis boats have
Norway’s well-visited waterways. Accessible by point for cruises to the three cabin categories. Book
luxury sailboat only, these haunting wonders Patagonian fjords. Four-night ahead for cheaper options.
cruises sail to Cape Horn before
receive just 12,000 visitors each year – a fraction of disembarking at Ushuaia in When to Go
the number that descends on their Norwegian Argentina. Seven-night cruises January or February, when days
are long and wildlife abundant.
rivals. For the few that sail their waters southwards return to Punta Arenas.
Budget for Two
to mythical Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos) and the Where to Eat US$5,900 for a 7-night cruise
world’s end, the sensation is one of awe. La Leyenda del Remezón (tel.
+56 61 241 029) in Punta including boat excursions and
The Patagonian Fjords experience begins in the onboard activities.
Arenas offers fresh seafood.
city of Punta Arenas in Chile, from where cruise Meals on board are four-course Website
ships cross the legendary Magellan Strait (Estrecho affairs served with Chilean wines. www.australis.com
de Magallanes) and float south to the Cape ABOVE A sea lion perched on a rock, Beagle Channel

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