Xmas Antarctica

Welcome to elegant, cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, with its European colonial architecture and colorful mix of cultures. Each district has its own style: enjoy Palermo with its mansions and parks; shop in the chic boutiques of Soho and Hollywood; and soak up the Italian flavor of La Boca where tango dancers and artists display their talents for passersby. Then top it all off with an Argentine steak, perfectly grilled over a fire of glowing coals, and washed down with an excellent glass of Malbec.

Montevideo exudes European charm and elegance, with broad boulevards, fountains, stately squares, and irresistible sidewalk cafes. The city maintains a low-key atmosphere despite its position as Uruguay’s commercial and political hub, and there are few skyscrapers on the horizon, though there are some surprising contrasts – an Art Nouveau pedestrian mall, Art Deco Centenary Stadium, and an American Embassy designed by I.M. Pei. Most of the nation’s countryside is farm or ranchland, and the life of the cowboy, or gaucho, is part of the local lore. Take a peak at the Gaucho Museum, or visit an estancia, and see them in action.

Surrounded on three sides by towering peaks, this former penal colony on banks of the Beagle Channel is spectacularly sited amidst waterfalls, glaciers, and beech forests, and marine life abounds offshore. This is the southern extreme of Tierra del Fuego, a national park with hiking trails and walking paths through thick forests, inhabited by native birds and beavers, where seals, sea lions, and sea birds can be found in abundance. The channel is named for HMS Beagle, which sailed these waters with a young Charles Darwin aboard. It was during that voyage that he began to formulate his theories of evolution.

Drifting through a world of bright white punctuated by implausibly blue icebergs, you may find the experience surreal. This frozen continent at the ends of the earth cannot sustain permanent inhabitants, but the part it plays in the earth’s weather and water levels is so crucial that 28 nations maintain research stations here. The peninsula sweeps up towards the tip of South America, and is the only part extending outside the Antarctic Circle. It provides many good habitats for penguin rookeries, and these beguiling birds return each year ready for a party, dressed in their best tuxedos. Several species of seal are in residence as well, including the enormous elephant seal.

Drifting through a world of bright white punctuated by implausibly blue icebergs, you may find the experience surreal. This frozen continent at the ends of the earth cannot sustain permanent inhabitants, but the part it plays in the earth’s weather and water levels is so crucial that 28 nations maintain research stations here. The peninsula sweeps up towards the tip of South America, and is the only part extending outside the Antarctic Circle. It provides many good habitats for penguin rookeries, and these beguiling birds return each year ready for a party, dressed in their best tuxedos. Several species of seal are in residence as well, including the enormous elephant seal.

Drifting through a world of bright white punctuated by implausibly blue icebergs, you may find the experience surreal. This frozen continent at the ends of the earth cannot sustain permanent inhabitants, but the part it plays in the earth’s weather and water levels is so crucial that 28 nations maintain research stations here. The peninsula sweeps up towards the tip of South America, and is the only part extending outside the Antarctic Circle. It provides many good habitats for penguin rookeries, and these beguiling birds return each year ready for a party, dressed in their best tuxedos. Several species of seal are in residence as well, including the enormous elephant seal.

These remote, windswept islands with a human population of about 3000, support half a million sheep, and as many as a million penguins during the summer nesting season, making it one of the world’s great penguin capitals. Five of the 17 species are represented – Rockhoppers, Magellenic, King, Gentoo, and Macaroni – and observing their antics is a most pleasurable pursuit. Get a glimpse of the lives of the Falklands’ human residents as well, and learn what it means to inhabit this far off corner of the earth.

Patagonia has one of most unique eco systems on the planet. Vast, windy, and devoid of trees, its stark, glacier-strewn landscape is rich in native flora and fauna. A wealth of marine life is easily seen around Puerto Madryn – along the shoreline are sea lion and penguin colonies, and elephant seals, their massive mature bulls weighing in at over three tons. Off the coast are breeding grounds for southern right whales, and an innovative group of orcas that have developed their own hunting strategy adapted to the coastal conditions. Inland are rheas, armadillos, and large herds of guanacos.

Known as the Saint-Tropez of Latin America Punta del Este is a favorite summer playground of the rich and famous of southernmost South America, with a pristine 20-mile shoreline offering two distinctly different types of beaches. Big waves beckon surfers at la Brava, while calmer waters create ideal conditions for sailing or just plain relaxing at La Mansa.

This dynamic city set on a magnificent bay is famed for its carnival, its natural beauty and friendly people. See the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.Shop till you drop in the modern and sophisticated shopping centre.