Places to Visit In Antarctica

If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting all 7 continents, and seeing where penguins and whales live without the constant intrusion of humans, or where the most hard-boiled adventurers of the early 20th century risked their lives to compete for international fame, Antarctica is the place to visit. For a complete Antarctic exploration, make sure to add the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetlands, and the various islands of Antarctica to your tour or cruise itinerary. These are all integral parts of an Antarctica trip package. Spot all types of penguins, marvel at large ice sculptures, look out for rare bird species, all while aboard a luxurious cruise ship or on exciting land-based excursions.

Antarctic Peninsula Cruises & Tours

Trips to Antarctica almost always include several days visiting the Antarctic Peninsula. This is the finger of land that reaches up towards the southernmost tip of South America. Most tours to Antarctica spend the majority of the time cruising around the peninsula with regular zodiac-landings for land-based excursions. The Antarctic Peninsula is a highly varied area and extremely rich in wildlife including penguins, seals, and whales.

On a typical trip to the Antarctic Peninsula, different types of penguins will be seen, usually in huge numbers. Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins are the most frequently seen species on the peninsula. Crabeater seals are often spotted, so too are fur seals and leopard seals. Seals can often be found laying on top of small icebergs floating around just off the shore. Penguins are by no means the only birds found in Antarctica, skuas are common too and snow petrels can be found on the peninsula too.

The Antarctic Peninsula has a number of scientific bases belonging to a range of different nations. Many cruises will include a visit to a scientific base, for example, the Ukrainian base of Vernadsky or the historic British base at Port Lockroy from where postcards can be sent home. Some bases will even put an Antarctica stamp in your passport! There are also other interesting sights such as Shackleton’s Hut and other research stations.

The South Shetlands

The South Shetlands are the first sign that Antarctica is nearing if coming on a cruise across the Drake Passage. If taking a fly-cruise, King George Island in the South Shetlands is where flights arrive. The islands are about 75 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula – or about half a day by boat. Many, but not all Antarctic cruises include at least one stop in the South Shetlands.

The islands have a rich history relating to the first explorers to reach Antarctica. Elephant Island is a popular stop and has a large colony of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is formed of an active volcano with the caldera flooded by the sea. Ships carefully navigate their way into the caldera and landings can be made to visit the remains of an old Norwegian whaling station and British World War II military base. The heat of the volcano warms the seawater a little and it is often possible to swim here. Livingstone Island can also be visited on some Antarctica tours and is rich in birdlife with macaroni, Gentoo and chinstrap penguins as well as giant petrels. Rather gruesomely a stop on this Antarctic island often includes a visit to see the iron vessel in which seal blubber was boiled by American sealers in the early 19th century.