All activities / Sailing / Ushuaia
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Sailing in Ushuaia
The southernmost city in Argentina, on the Beagle Channel, and the departure port for most Antarctic Peninsula voyages.
Why here
Ushuaia is where the Antarctic sailing season opens, and it is the one place in this collection where the product is a berth rather than a course. Two operators sell individual places to travelers who want to stand watch across the Drake Passage and work a boat in high latitudes: a purpose-built expedition yacht and a 1911 steel barque where guests are formally called voyage crew and take turns on lookout, at the helm and handling sail. No sailing experience is required on the tall ship. What you get is mile-building with icebergs, which is not available anywhere else on earth.
Best months
The Antarctic Peninsula season opens in November and runs to March, and the November and December departures are the early-season ones, with more ice and longer daylight. The Drake Passage crossing takes roughly two to three days each way and is genuinely rough more often than not; this is the least comfortable and most demanding entry in the sailing set. Voyages run 20 to 28 days. Berths sell out far ahead: the November and December 2026 departures are already at waiting-list or last-berth status.
Getting there & around
Fly to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires and allow buffer days either side, since a missed connection means a missed departure. Berths are sold per person and include accommodation and meals aboard; expect roughly 12,000 euros for the tall ship and around 22,000 pounds for the expedition yacht, for three to four weeks. Book a year or more ahead. One important caution: not every voyage by these operators leaves from Ushuaia, since some use Puerto Williams in Chile or Port Stanley in the Falklands, so confirm the embarkation port for your specific departure rather than assuming. Neither operator is a certifying school and no qualification is issued.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Bark EUROPA
Outfitter1911 steel barque running Antarctic Peninsula voyages from Ushuaia where guests sign on as voyage crew, standing four-hour watches on lookout, at the helm and handling sail alongside the permanent crew.
Pelagic Expeditions
OutfitterHigh-latitude expedition yacht operator selling individual berths on Antarctic Peninsula voyages, with guests standing watches across the Drake Passage and helping sail the boat.
Also good for sailing in November:
Torn between Ushuaia and Aswan for November?
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