Around Cape Horn (and Back Again): Fjords, Penguins, and One Very Windy Lighthouse

This was one of those trips that felt big before it even started. A cruise from Valparaíso, Chile through the Chilean fjords, around Cape Horn, over to the Falkland Islands, and back via Uruguay and Argentina isn’t exactly a casual getaway. It’s long. It’s weather-dependent. There are a lot of sea days. And if you’re anything like me, you spend weeks wondering if it’ll all come together the way you imagine.

Spoiler: it mostly did, just not always in the ways I expected.

Getting Out the Door (aka: the universe checks my patience early)

Calling a Lyft turned into our first travel-themed glitch of the trip. I watched our assigned driver literally drive in circles near our house for several minutes, then suddenly disappear from the app only to be replaced by a new driver coming from the opposite direction. We got in, double-checked (and triple-checked) that we were in the right car… and promptly passed the original driver driving down our street. I still don’t know what happened there, but it definitely felt like a small tear in the space-time continuum.

We stayed at an airport hotel near SeaTac that night, which turned out to be one of those deeply unglamorous but very smart decisions. With an 8 a.m. flight, not having to do early-morning house prep or wake our house sitter at an unreasonable hour was worth it.

View from our hotel room at SeaTac

Long Travel Day, Minor Panic, Major Relief

The next morning was smooth overall, though I had some anxiety around the Alaska–LATAM handoff since they’re no longer official partners. I didn’t fully relax until I saw our bag tags printed all the way through to Santiago.

Then came a brief moment of panic when the Alaska agent told us we’d need to check in with LATAM in LAX for our boarding passes. Visions of exiting security, standing in another line, and re-clearing everything flashed through my head - until I checked the LATAM app and saw our boarding passes sitting there, ready to go. Crisis officially averted.

In LAX, getting from Terminal 6 to Tom Bradley required a bus and more walking than expected (why is every airport always under construction?), but we made it with time to spare and treated ourselves to two aggressively overpriced burrito bowls. Seventy dollars later, we were fed and slightly offended.

The overnight LATAM flight was honestly excellent. The updated cabin was comfortable, the seats were great, and I slept better than I ever have on a plane. Landing in Santiago early the next morning felt remarkably civilized.

Our arrival at Viña del Mar

We arrived in Santiago around 5:30 a.m. and made our way to Viña del Mar, navigating a bit of driver confusion thanks to delayed messages and WhatsApp misfires. We eventually sorted it out and arrived at our hotel, where they very kindly had our room ready early.

Seth immediately collapsed into a nap (since he doesn't sleep on planes). I joined him shortly after. Our room faced west, and once we were functional again, we were rewarded with a beautiful Pacific sunset - the kind that makes you feel like you’ve officially arrived somewhere.

Viña del Mar and Valparaíso

The next day, instead of wandering on our own, I opted for a private tour of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. I’m so glad I did. Viña del Mar itself was pleasant but unremarkable but Valparaíso was where things got interesting.

We stopped to see the moai statue outside the Fonck Museum (the only one on mainland Chile), then headed to Plaza Sotomayor near the Chilean Navy headquarters. From there, we took a funicular up onto one of the 47 hills of the city.

Valparaíso’s street art was exactly what I’d hoped for and more. Entire streets, staircases, buildings - it was everywhere, not just in a curated pocket. We wandered through neighborhoods layered in color and texture, ducked into a gallery dedicated to street art, chatted with the owner and staff, and took in the view from their balcony. Seth even bought a piece, which felt like the perfect way to bring a bit of Valparaíso home.

Settling into Ship Life

We quickly settled onto the ship, although I will never enjoy handing over my passport for the duration of a cruise. Copies help, but it still makes me twitchy.

Our cabin was fantastic, the staff immediately welcoming, and once we unpacked and exhaled a bit, it finally felt like the journey had properly begun.

Our first sea day followed. I’d heard warnings about rough waters early on, but aside from some overnight movement, it was manageable.

Puerto Montt

In Puerto Montt, we did an excursion that took us past Osorno Volcano (mostly hidden by clouds), across Emerald Lake, and to Petrohué Falls which was absolutely worth the stop. The falls were powerful and dramatic, even in the rain.

Lunch in Puerto Varas was fine, though our table neighbors provided more entertainment than the food. We walked around town afterward and quickly realized it was a full-on tourist trap. It was also pouring rain, so we retreated to the bus and headed back to the ship without much regret.

Fjords and Glaciers

Cruising through the Chilean fjords was one of the highlights of the trip. The scenery was stunning - steep mountains, glassy water, and an ever-changing palette of blues and greens.

Seeing Amalia Glacier was a genuine wow moment for me. I’d never seen a glacier like that before, and the color alone was mesmerizing. I was able to catch a glacial calving event after hearing some initial cracking echoing around the fjord.

At one point, the captain even sent a small crew out to retrieve chunks of glacial ice, including the head of the kitchen, who I’m not entirely convinced signed up enthusiastically for being lowered and hoisted back up in a small boat.

Punta Arenas

I woke up to find a massive glacier right outside our window and then a beautiful rainbow over Punta Arenas. What a great start to the day!

After battling Punta Arenas traffic (yes, there are literally 5 cars lined up waiting for a light), I went out on a catamaran to Magdalena Island and was rewarded with so many Magellanic penguins. They were everywhere! Loud, awkward, and delightful. The chicks were just starting to show up. The chicks in the photos below are likely 2-4 weeks old.

The sunsets were getting later and later as we traveled south. We saw a stunning sunset around 10:00pm tonight.

Ushuaia, Beagle Channel, and Glacier Alley

The next morning, we started by passing through Glacier Alley as we entered the Beagle Channel (starting around 6am). I’d been worried about missing dramatic mountain scenery with the excursions I’d chosen, but Glacier Alley completely delivered.

Ushuaia itself was fine. The excursion involved more boat time than expected, but seeing sea lions and penguins (including gentoo penguins) made it worthwhile. The unexpected entertainment of the day was watching the crew wash the boat windows repeatedly (like 6 times in 2 hours!) for reasons I still don’t understand.

Cape Horn

Sailing around Cape Horn was… intense. As we turned west toward Hornos Island, the wind picked up dramatically. I tried going out on deck to take photos and was immediately reminded that nature does not care about your camera.

The wind was so strong I could barely hold my phone. It felt like watching news reporters leaning into hurricane-force gusts. We circled the island counterclockwise, with calmer conditions on the eastern side and rougher waters as we rounded north and headed down the west.

It wasn’t serene but it was unforgettable. And now I can say I’ve sailed the Drake Passage, which feels like a travel milestone.

The Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands were a standout with a trip out to Volunteer Point to see a king penguin colony.

The drive to the penguin colony was long and rough but totally worth it. The 4x4 trucks go in caravans in case one gets stuck (we got stuck twice!). Our caravan split between high and low roads to protect the terrain, and the drivers handled everything with impressive skill.

Before getting to the rough part, we stopped at Johnson's Harbor so all the trucks would start the tough part together. While we were waiting, Morgan, a 7-year old Falklander decided to show off her quad driving skills. She drove back and forth about 10 times until I stopped her to ask her name and a few other questions. Afterwards, our guide told us that she was the youngest of 4 kids at that spot and had likely been driving that quad for at least 3 years.

At the colony, we were free to wander among approximately 900 breeding pairs of king penguins. Seeing the chicks with their fluffy brown coats and watching the wind ripple through that fuzz was incredible. The sheer number of penguins, combined with their colors against the landscape, was unforgettable.

Our driver, a ninth-generation Falklander, navigated us back out with calm confidence. We got stuck twice (once on the way out and once on the way back) and another truck got stuck once. Watching the team troubleshoot recoveries so efficiently was impressive. It was all part of the adventure!

I had a little bit of time to walk around Stanley before getting back on the ship. A very small quaint town.

Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn brought more penguins at Punta Tombo - thousands of them, spread across a vast area with walkways weaving through their territory. The drive was long, but the payoff was worth it.

Ship Tours

I was able to attend a "back of house" tour which provided a fascinating look at what happens below deck. The ship's hotel GM led the tour and offered some great stories along the way, including one involving customs officials, milk ships, and suspected contraband just the previous day!

A bridge tour the next day was quieter but equally interesting. Seeing the navigation setup and hearing stories from the officers gave me a new appreciation for what it takes to move a ship like this safely.

Montevideo

Montevideo surprised me. Our “meat experience” was good (not life-changing, but enjoyable) and the setting was fun.

Afterward, I ventured out alone to grab supplies from a pharmacy and walked straight into New Year’s chaos. By mid-afternoon, the streets were already packed. I narrowly avoided squirt guns at first, then promptly got sprayed by someone driving past. Knowing ahead of time that water attacks were a thing helped (it was actually refreshing in the heat) but I was very glad to make it back to the ship.

New Year’s Day brought a private tour of Montevideo, which was lovely but quiet... everything was closed. Like, shockingly closed. Even grocery stores. Still, seeing the city by car gave us a good sense of place.

Journey Home and Final Thoughts

Our final day in Buenos Aires turned into a rest day instead. Both of us were battling colds and exhausted, so we rented a hotel room, rested, and headed to the airport later that evening.

When we landed in Houston, a text from Seth’s mom about being glad we were out of South America made more sense once we saw the news unfolding overnight. The final leg home to Seattle was smooth, and just like that, we were back.

This wasn’t a trip of constant motion or nonstop highlights. It was long, sometimes slow, occasionally uncomfortable, and absolutely worth it. The fjords, glaciers, penguins, and sheer scale of the journey left a lasting impression.