Between November and March Navimag offers departures to Laguna San Rafael in the modern cruiser Mare Australis from the city of Castro in the Chiloé Island. Most journeys are round-trips, for some dates there are also shorter trips of 4 days and 3 nights from Castro to Laguna San Rafael finishing at Puerto Chacabuco, and then there is the same trip the other way round.

Navimag no more offers their traditional trip to Laguna San Rafael with a ferry (there are only a few departures with this vessel during the winter) >

Day 1
Our adventure begins in Castro, the oldest city in the Chiloé Island. It was founded in 1567 with the idea to be the basis for the process of evangelization of the local Indians. Its main characteristics are its colorful houses on stilts and its cultural identity, which is a mixture of the local mythology from the original inhabitants of the Island and their traditions as sea people, which are kept until today. The main attraction of this visit is the Cathedral, where we can see a combination of neo-gothic and classic designs, along with the local building tradition, known for the use of noble timber such a cypress, southern beeches and cedar. For its attractive architecture it was declared by UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity in 2000.
A welcome drink invites us to leave the harbor of Castro behind aboard the expedition cruiser Mare Australis and enjoy the hospitality of our crew. We navigate the Estuary of Castro, Channel Lemuy, Chonchi and Channel Yal to get to Point Centinela and prepare ourselves for the crossing of the Gulf of Corcovado.

Day 2
It dawns near the small harbor of Melinka, capital of the Archipelago of the Guaitecas, to enter Channel Pérez North, en route to Jéchica, with our eyes set on the islands Velberde, García and Garrao. We cross Point Chonos to arrive at our destination across the estuary Chulle.
Jéchica is a Natural Sanctuary at the heart of the Chilean Patagonia, where the exuberant nature is found in a primitive state, the Sphagnum peat bogs contribute as a unique ecosystem for the storage of carbon.
The disembark is scheduled after breakfast, to make a hiking through the centennial forests of Guaitecas Cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum), Chiloé’s Coihue (Nothofagus nitida), Chilean Firebush (Embotrium coccinium) and Mañíos (Podocarpus nubigena) among other species; and at the same time discover some of the 50 species of land and sea birds that have their home at the archipelago, like the Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), the White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albicep chilensis), the Austral Thrush (Turdus falklandii), the Patagonian Sierra Finch (Phrygilus patagonicus), the Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus), the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), the Red-legged Cormorant (Phalacrocórax gaimardi). We finish our adventure with a big Patagonian lunch with fresh seafood from the region and the typical “lamb at stake”, while we admire the impressive landscape of this shelter for other-time-sailors, where the waters of the Pacific Ocean meet the exuberant vegetation of the islands.
We set sail at mid-afternoon, navigating the Channel Baeza and Pérez South towards the Island Tuap, arriving at Puerto Aguirre around midnight.

Day 3
It dawns in front of the Islands Mogotes, across the estuary Elephants, to get ready to get through Passages Quesahuen and De Vidt, to arrive to the Lagoon San Rafael after breakfast. We will be witness to an overwhelming spectacle: climbing down the mountains and part of the Northern Ice Field, the San Rafael glacier, the sea glacier closest to the Equator and declared in 1979 World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, presents itself with full splendor.
The disembark, if the weather conditions are fine, is made aboard powerful Zodiac boats MKV, which allow us to get very close to the millenary ice under the most strict safety norms. Once we get closer to the glacier, we are able to see the different shades of blue, from the most intense tones to totally translucent. And, why not, we can also be witness to the fall of huge blocks of ice, which with a deafening sound break the calm while they get into the water with implacable strength.
Hot chocolate and whisky wait for us on board to fight the cold but, most of all, to share our experiences. We raise anchors at mid-afternoon to prepare our navigation towards our final stop, Puerto de Chacabuco.

We start to leave behind the Northern Ice Field and one of its main glaciers; the River Témpanos marks the beginning of the last part of our adventure. The sun sets in the horizon while we cross the Gulf Elephants and the Passage de Vidt to get to the estuary Elephants and the Passage Quesahuen when the night has just begun. The calm navigation invites to review this trip, the new experiences, and enjoy the last night on board.
We leave behind the Island Raimapu and prepare the entrance to the Fjord of Aysén to go all the way through it, arriving after breakfast to Puerto Chacabuco, which surroundings of cliffs, craggy rocks and bays offer a secure place to anchor our ship and a privileged set for the disembarking.

We invite you to be a part of it, to live the experience, to tell your own story in the route of the Patagonian Channels.

The trip the other way round visits the same places.

Route Castro > LSR > Puerto Chacabuco
Day 1
Departure from Castro Estuary Castro / Channel Lemuy Chonchi / Channel Yal Point Centinela	18:00 19:00 20:00 24:00
Day 2
Melinka Channel Pérez North Stop at Jechica Island (Includes excursion and lunch) Departure from Jechica Island Channel Baeza / Channel Pérez South Tuap Island Ferronave channel Puerto Aguirre	04:00 05:00 07:30 17:00 18:00 22:00 23:00 24:00
Day 3
Channel Costa Island Raimapu Island los Mogotes Estuary Elefantes / Strait Quesahuen Gulf Elefantes / Strait de Vidt Stop at Laguna San Rafael Navigation in the Laguna San Rafael Excursion in zodiac - (Activity according to weather conditions) Departure from Laguna San Rafael Gulf Elefantes / Strait de Vidt Estuary Elefantes / Strait Quesahuen	01:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 17:00 18:00 22:00
Day 4
Raimapu Island Arrivat at Puerto Chacabuco	02:00 07:00
Note: Itineray subject to weather and navigation conditions, changes may occur without notice.

Route Pto. Chacabuco > LSR > Castro
Day 1
Departure from Puerto Chacabuco Aysén Fjord	20:00 21:00
Day 2
Costa Channel Raimapu Island Estuary Elefantes / Strait Quesahuen Gulf Elefantes / Strait de Vidt Stop at Laguna San Rafael Navigation in the Laguna San Rafael Excursion in zodiac - (Activity according to weather conditions) Departure from Laguna San Rafael Gulf Elefantes / Strait de Vidt Estuary Elefantes / Strait Quesahuen Tuap Island	01:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 24:00
Day 3
Costa Channel Pilcomayo Channel Ferronave Channel Puerto Aguirre Tuap Island Channel Baeza / Channel Pérez South Stop at Jechica Island (Includes excursion and lunch) Departure from Jechica Island Channel Pérez North Melinka	01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 16:00 17:00 20:00
Day 4
Point Centinela Channel Yal / Chonchi Estuary Castro / Channel Lemuy Arrival at Castro	02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00
Note: Itineray subject to weather and navigation conditions, changes may occur without notice.

In each direction, there are three journeys scheduled

Depatures Season 2011/2012
	Castro > LSR > Pto. Chacabuco				Pto. Chacabuco > LSR > Castro
December 11	4				7
January 12	11				14
February 12	26				29

Low Season

High Season

Cruise 3 Nights - Castro > LSR > Pto. Chacabuco or v.v.
Cabin	Low Season	High Season
AAA	US$ 1.050	US$ 1.240
AA	US$ 975	US$ 1.170
A	US$ 900	US$ 1.090
B	US$ 825	US$ 1.020
For more information and photos of the boat: