From The Amazon To The Antarctic

Everyone knows the name, but only an intrepid handful of travellers get to experience the remarkable sights and sounds of the Amazon.

Everyone knows the name, but only an intrepid handful of travellers get to experience the remarkable sights and sounds of the Amazon.

Everyone knows the name, but only an intrepid handful of travellers get to experience the remarkable sights and sounds of the Amazon.

An optional opportunity to join the naturalists among your onboard Ventures by Seabourn expedition team on a zodiac adventure exploring the banks of the Guajara River -- a tributary of the Amazon. At riverside buffalo farms, take advantage of the chance to interact with the 'caboclos' - the people who have adapted to living and working in close association with the river, and to learn about their lifestyle. As you pass through an area of gallery forest, keep an eye out for some of the many colorful tropical bird species that inhabit the region, as well as reptiles and mammals that may be glimpsed either in the trees or on the banks. The elusive pink river dolphins called 'botos’ frequent this area as well. Caboclo legend maintains that the dolphins possess the capability to transform themselves into handsome young men at night, and seduce unwary maidens living in the riverside communities.

On the north channel of the Amazon, at the river’s broad mouth, Macapá sits smack on the Equator, cut off from the rest of Brazil. The Marco Zero monument is a place where you can hop from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern. San Jose de Macapá Fortress, which supposedly guarded against riverine invasions, is an historic site, in a rather subdued way. Apa do Curiaú is a village of descendants of escaped slaves, with some unique local customs and commemorations. The Casa de Artesão sells handcrafts from the area’s indigenous tribes, as well as balatas, unusual ceramics covered in rubber.

Natal was built on the right bank of the River Potenji, right where the river meets the Atlantic; the soil is very sandy, with dunes and bays protected by reefs which appear all along the shore line. This "City of Dunes" invites you to ride in a dune buggy over huge sand dunes with sweeping views of the sea.

Hot all year round and with a tropical rainforest extending down to the sea, it’s easy to understand why Rio de Janeiro is known as “Cidade Maravihosa” (“The Marvellous City”).

As one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world, Parati, which means "white fish," is protected by UNESCO. The city exudes a magical and romantic ambience with its gas lights, well-preserved colonial houses, gardens and winding streets. Parati's history goes back to the early 1530s and is full of tales of pirates, gold, romance and mystery. As the second most important port in Brazil, Parati Harbor was built in the 17th and 18th centuries for the export of gold to Portugal, and as the center of southern Brazil's slave trade. The economy of Parati later turned to sugar cane with a multitude of mills that produced Brazil's high quality spirit known as "pinga" or cachaça.

Founded as a Spanish citadel in the eighteenth century, Montevideo has grown into a bold, intellectual and cosmopolitan city.

Wind-swept New Island, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, lies on the western fringe of the Falklands Archipelago. Its gentle, low-lying eastern shores are indented with white, sandy bays and coves beaming with turquoise water. Gradually rising, these slopes are transformed into rugged sea-battered cliffs on the island’s western side. A place of colorful landscapes, New Island supports some of the largest concentrations and diversity of wildlife in the Falklands, with over forty species of nesting birds. Four species of penguins, including 13,000 gentoo and 26,000 Southern rockhopper penguins call the island home. Embracing winds and seas below, 60,000 black-browed albatross soar along the cliffs. New Island’s history is as rich and plentiful as its natural wonders. The island has known human presence since the late 1700s, especially with many whaling ships finding refuge in its coves and bays from tempestuous weather.

The capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley, offers you a base from which to explore South Atlantic wildlife, sights and natural beauty.

Albatrosses have long captured the imagination of sailors, roaming the vast oceans, embracing storms and winds far from the safety of land and so at ease in the roughest sea conditions. In summer, a large colony of black-browed albatrosses come to breed on West Point Island. Along with rockhopper penguins, they reside between the rocky ledges and among the tussock grass. Other species can also be seen throughout the island: fur seals and sea lions visit its shores and dolphins frequent its harbor. Cliff Mountain, its highest point, rises to 1,250’ (381 meters) above the highest sea cliffs in the Falklands. The Napier family, descendants of the original farmers, still own and operate West Point Island as a traditional sheep farm. Living in a modest family house sheltered by weathered Monterey cypress trees, they welcome visitors in for a cup of tea. Experience West Point’s spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and its human population of just two, Lily and Roddy Napier.

Wild and remote Saunders Island, is the site of the first British settlement in the Falklands, Port Egmont in 1765. The small population remains true to its origins, nowadays with the descendants of the early farmers, still living on the island and sheep farming largely in the traditional style. Five species of penguin can be found here: king, macaroni, gentoo, rockhopper and the occasional magellanic. Five hundred steamer ducks, white-bridled finches and 22,000 black-browed albatross breed on the island. Dolphins often visit its harbor, while Southern right whales can be spotted in the distance. West Point Island’s highest point, Cliff Mountain, rises to 1,250’ (381 meters), and has the highest sea cliffs in the Falklands. Experience West Point’s spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and its human population of two, Lily and Roddy Napier. Descendants of the original farmers, the Napier family still own and run West Point Island as a traditional sheep farm. Living in the modest family house sheltered by weathered Monterey cypress trees, they welcome visitors in for a cup of tea.

The capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley, offers you a base from which to explore South Atlantic wildlife, sights and natural beauty.

Antarctica! The name alone conjures up images of boundless ice, towering icebergs, comedic penguins, epic snowstorms, great sailing ships held tightly by ice and the hardy explorers striving to survive wrapped in thick, heavy parkas. All of this is, or once was, true. Today, vessels have changed and the level of safety on a journey to ‘The Great White Continent’ has increased immensely. Antarctica is the truest of wild places, the majesty of its pristine natural landscapes is second to no other location on earth. The animals that thrive in the rigors of the Antarctic climate are present in such great numbers and concentrations that they must be seen to be believed. This untouched oasis harkens back to a time when the world was untouched by humanity, pure in its natural innocence. Antarctica has been a source of natural inspiration for as long as humans have been aware of its existence -- and it may produce in you one of the most exceptional emotional sensations it is possible to experience on our great planet.

Widely considered to be the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia’s sea, mountain and forest views have captivated tourists for years.