As you watch the lights of Buenos Aires disappear slowly into the horizon in the evening, you can look forward to Christmas holidays full of different experiences. Take a walking tour* of the capital of Uruguay to start things off. MONTEVIDEO is said to have been founded on 24 December 1726, and some of the Spanish colonial buildings in the old town have stood the test of time. Argentina’s animal paradise awaits you around PUERTO MADRYN. Sea lions raise their young on the rocky coastline of the Valdez Peninsula* and, with a little luck, you will spot the tail fins of whales breaking the surface of the deep-blue ocean. Another natural spectacle awaits you at Punta Tombo*, the breeding site of the world’s largest colony of Magellan penguins which chatter as they forage for food along the beach.

The first few days of the new year will bring you spectacular views: glacier snouts calve icebergs into the deep-blue waterways of the CHILEAN FJORD LANDSCAPE and bizarre icebergs rise out of the glassy water through which the EUROPA cruises leisurely to one of the most majestic glaciers in the world: the PIO XI GLACIER. Even PUERTO MONTT is surrounded by natural beauty. The picturesque lakes of the CHILEAN LAKE DISTRICT* shimmer like emerald-green jewels in the sun with the snow-capped peak of Osorno volcano in the background. The poet Pablo Neruda wrote: “Whoever does not know the Chilean woods does not know this planet.” A hike through the millennia-old cloud forests of Alerce Andino National Park* therefore promises to be an extraordinary experience. You will arrive at VALPARAISO with this and many other unforgettable memories. And where could this cruise come to a more colourful end than against the backdrop of colourful houses that inspired so many poets?

* The shore activities are not included in the cruise price and are in the planning stage. Subject to change.