In late March 2026, I joined the HX ship MS Roald Amundsen to travel up the coast of Chile.
The adventure started in Buenos Aires where we spent the night before flying down to Ushuaia to board the ship. There had been the first sprinkle of snow that autumn.
Cape Horn
Our first adventure was to attempt a landing at notorious Cape Horn. Cape Horn marks the boundary of the Drake Passage and is where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet. The waters around Cape Horn can be dangerous with strong currents and winds. There was no guarantee that we would be able to land – it all depended on the weather. The expedition leader had tried three times previously to land but without success.
The sea was a bit choppy but the expedition team made it to land and decided it was safe enough for us. We climbed in the boat and went on shore. It was a bit difficult getting out the zodiac because of the waves.
On shore we climbed 157 steps to the top then across a boardwalk to the Albatross memorial dedicated to sailors who had lost their lives at Cape Horn. There was also a lighthouse to visit.
Coming back was more hazardous as the waves had picked up. One boat left the shore but had to return as water was entering. They reduced the number of passengers from 12 to 8, so that the boat would be a bit higher in the water. This worked and we were all able to get off. The expedition team were wonderful – a hardy lot standing thigh deep in the water all day ensuring our safe landings.
Puerto Williams
It was bright and sunny as we approached Puerto Williams. There were seals around the boat and turkey vultures overhead. After clearance by Chilean authorities we could go ashore. We chose to go on the long walk in the countryside surrounding the town.
There were beautiful views and we saw many birds including a thorn-tailed ryadito, crested duck, kelp goose, upland goose, caracara, cormorant and black-faced ibis.
Later in the evening we saw dolphins around the ship playing in the water. There were also magellanic penguins.
Pia glacier
We went for a zodiac ride to the edge of the Porter glacier. The weather was perfect – sunny and still. The sides of the fjord had trees growing on the granite slopes and there were several waterfalls. While coming back a Chilean dolphin joined us jumping in and out of the water alongside. There are only about 5000 Chilean dolphins in the world and they are endemic to the Chilean coast.
Back at the Pia glacier we went ashore to get a closer view. We could hear rumbles every now and again as pieces of the glacier fell into the water. The water itself had many pieces of ice from the glacier drifting about. On shore we walked though a small forest. There were also several bushes covered in berries. This was autumn.
Back on our ship we watched a seal and then sailed through the fjords.
Through the fjords towards Puerto Natales
It was very breezy on deck this morning and a bit rainy and cold but there was a rainbow. In fact there were several rainbows both this morning and during the trip. We saw black-headed albatrosses, petrels, seals and whale blows.
We passed Cape Froward, the most-southerly point on the mainland. All places further south, including Cape Horn, are islands.
We travelled through the Magellan Strait and then later through the White Narrows- the mountains at either side were so close it felt as though we could touch them.
I saw my first Andean Condor flying above the mountain tops.
Puerto Natales
This was our first view of Puerto Natales. When we had docked we went on a bus tour round Puerto Natales. We started at the main square and saw the museum and church. There was also an impressive mural.
We then went onto the Milodon cave.
Here bones and skin from a prehistoric mylodon – ground sloth – were found in 1896. There is a life-sized statue of a mylodon in the cave.
The cave was huge and had amazing views. The rock looked like huge slabs of concrete.
The weather improved and it got warmer and sunny with little wind.
The next day, the weather changed and it was misty and rainy. We went to the Torres del Paine national park. Torres del Paine was beautiful, although we couldn’t enjoy it fully because of the rain. We walked to see the waterfall – Mirador Salto Grande.
Originally there were 39 people who had planned to do the long walk to the Mirador Cuernos, but because of the rain only seven of us did it in the end. The path was well laid out but there were so many puddles that had to be negotiated. We didn’t see the mountains at the viewpoint because of the low clouds. Some people who came after us saw them and also some guanacos. And then it snowed.
It had still been an enjoyable walking through Torres del Paine.
We left Puerto Natales. There were many, many black necked-swans and later on a few flamingos.
We passed through the White Narrows again. On our way to Puerto Eden we saw Chilean dolphins, several condors, storm petrels and whales. The weather was sun, rain and many rainbows.
Puerto Eden
There was quite a bit of low lying cloud and mist as we approached Puerto Eden. Later it was sunny and the water was calm. Puerto Eden has only 90 people living there. They have one doctor plus an assistant and a hospital. There is a school for children until they are 14. Then they had to go away to continue their education. Now they can opt to learn online. Some children leave school at 14 and join the family fishing business.
There were boardwalks around the town. Large bushes of hardy fuchsias grew wild. There were many green-backed hummingbirds in them. They wouldn’t stay still long enough for me to photograph, although I did manage to capture an austral thrush and a Patagonian Sierra Finch. There were many ferns and cycads amongst the damp undergrowth on the cliffs.
Later we went on a zodiac cruise around the islands nearby, seeing the mussels which the inhabitants of Puerto Eden fish for. Although they are unable to fish at the moment because of algae in the waters.
We set out for Caleta Tortel going through the British Narrows, having to do 90 degree turns, sounding our horn to warn that the ship was turning to port.
Caleta Tortel
It was very foggy first thing, but the fog gradually lifted and we could see the town of Caleta Tortel.
This town has no streets, just boardwalks. We walked all around in the sunshine with local dogs guiding us. The community put on a display of music and dancing.
There were fuchsias and hummingbirds – but not as many as Puerto Eden. There didn’t seem to be much wildlife at all. We heard chirping from a bush and this turned out to be a house sparrow. They are similar to the ones in the UK but with much more grey rather than brown.
There were several wooden carvings around the town.
At sea
We spent most of the day on deck watching for wildlife and there was plenty. We saw dolphins, porpoises, shearwater, albatross. There were about twenty whales – fin, humpback and sei. Then later on we saw 4 blue whales. These are the largest creatures to ever have lived – a blue whale can weigh as much as 30 T-rex. The blue whales were so close you could hear the sound of their blow.
There was also an amazing sunset.
Castro
It was cloudy at first in Castro, but then it turned sunny. We saw lots of gulls, turkey vultures and lapwings.
Several buildings at the water’s edge are built on stilts. The town has very steep roads from the quay to the town. We had dogs guiding us again. If any of the dogs strayed into the territory of another dog they would start barking and the new dog would take over guiding us. Their kennels were beside the street.
In the main part of the town was the Church of San Francisco. It is built entirely of wood but in the style of a Gothic stone church.
We then had a coach tour to Chiloe National Park. We walked over wooden boards in the forest, learning about the plants and trying various berries. I particularly liked the Murta berry. There was a young turkey vulture sitting on top of a viewing platform. It didn’t seem bothered by us.
There were plants with huge leaves known as Chilean rhubarb. Fuchsias were growing and were being pollinated by the Patagonian bumble bee which was big fluffy and orange. This species became endangered after the introduction of the European bee.
Some of the trees were growing in a dark part of the forest. The trees grow several stems which blocked out the light so nothing was growing underneath. They live like this for about a hundred years, then they fall and one or two of the horizontal trunks will twist together and grow shoots. They can then live another couple of hundred years.
We also saw a white-throated tree runner at the top of a tree – we have similar birds in the UK which we call tree creepers. We also saw some dark-bellied cinclodes.
Niebla
There were lots of whales, on our route to Niebla, including blue whales. I saw a couple before breakfast and heard their blows. There were also South American sea nettles in the water – these are large poisonous jellyfish. Northern royal albatrosses were flying around.
The ship stopped at Niebla and we had a coach ride to Valdivia. There we had a tour of the highlights of the city. We stopped at the main square and walked down to the river. As in many of the Chilean towns we visited the power cables were all overhead.
There was an old Oberon class submarine. It had been built in the UK and after decommissioning from the Chilean navy became a museum piece.
We walked to the fish market, but as it was afternoon most of the fish had been sold. The turkey vultures were sitting waiting for scraps. There was a stall with hundreds of mussels. Other stalls were selling fruit, including murta berries which we had tried earlier. Another stall had home made rose hip syrup – rosa mosqueta. It was being sold in random plastic bottles.
We went to the museum and saw several rooms dedicated to the Mapuche and showing a lot of their silverware. Other rooms were associated with Lord Cochrane who helped Chile in their wars of independence in the 1820s.
We came back to Niebla and tried to find our way to the fort. Only a ten-minute walk we were told. We walked for ten minutes then asked again. Only a ten-minute walk we were told. We walked again, but couldn’t find it so we came back to the quay and caught the last tender back to the ship.
At sea heading towards Valparaiso
It was a sunny day, there were big waves and it was windy but warm. I spent the day on deck wildlife watching. There were lots of whale blows in the distance. We saw both the norther royal albatross and Salvin’s albatross as well as petrels.
Valparaiso
It was misty when we arrived in Valparaiso where we left the ship. Valparaiso is a thriving port. We had a coach tour round the city – getting off several times to look around. We also took a ride in the funicular railway.
The street art was very impressive. It began in the 1960s/1970s.
Santiago
We drove to Santiago to stay overnight before leaving. Most people were returning home but I was off to Easter Island.
Nannie RaRa 