Sailing through the Southern channels and fjords can be an unforgettable experience, and that is the reason why many tourists take this alternative not only no enjoy Chile's natural beauty, but also to meet other fellow travelers.
Most of the trips start from Puerto Montt, the harbour from where set sail the boats that cover the routes towards Carretera Austral, Laguna San Rafael and Puerto Natales (Torres del Paine). There are also some short excursions to Laguna San Rafael that start at Puerto Chacabuco. From Punta Arenas, on the Magellan Strait, there are boats that set sail towards Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia (Argentina); and there is also the possibility to take a boat to Antartica.
The ships also have the important mission to connect this distant area with the rest of the country, since there are no roads through the huge ice fields that isolate this region. That is why there is a diversity of boats covering these routes: from cargo ones, others that take cargo and local passengers, and also exclusive touristic cruisers. But be aware that with "Cruiser" we don't mean the huge ships that carry thousands of passengers. On the contrary, the cruisers through the Southern channels are for up to 150 people, and the biggest boat in the area, the Navimag ferry "Evangelistas", has a capacity of 260 passengers.
North of Puerto Montt there are two interesting alternatives for travelling between Chile and Argentina: You can cross the Andes on a combination of road parts by bus and navigating lakes inserted in the mountains. The better known one connects Puerto Montt/Puerto Varas with Bariloche, formerly called "Cruce de Lagos" or "Lake Crossing", now advertised as "Cruce Andino". Since 2008 there is a new option connecting Pucón with San Martín de los Andes called "Travesía Navegando Chile Argentina".