Patagonia & Argentina 14 Nights • Buenos Aires, Argentina • CELEBRITY EQUINOX

The capital of Argentina throbs with creative energy. In this melting pot of cultures—native American, Spanish colonial, Italian, French, British, and more—the local

Porteños greet you warmly with a kiss. Connoisseurs of culture find 300 theaters and 160 museums. Explore the French neoclassical Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, near the port, or Teatro Colón, an opera house with interiors as beautiful as the acoustics, in the Centro. You'll shop till you drop in Buenos Aires, a leader in design. Find clothing, jewelry, and art at lavish Galerías Pacifico, near the port, or browse the fashionable Recoleta quarter for exclusive boutiques. Shop elegant Calle Florida, bustling with bustling with office workers by day and street performers at night. Look for native leather, antiques, and crafts. Eat and drink like a king on your cruise to Argentina, from elegant 19th-century bars to contemporary cafés and restaurants. Discover maté,

the local tea, and don't miss the renowned steaks and excellent Malbec wines. Find pizza, pasta, and ice cream on every corner. For dessert, try alfajores, chocolate-covered double-decker cookies filled with dulce de leche.

Montevideo is a thoroughly modern city with a rich artistic tradition, the reach of the rural estancias is all around you. If ever there were a time you were inclined to indulge, delicious steaks are the specialty of the house in virtually every restaurant.

Commune with the roughly 2,000 intrepid souls who call this remote former whaling outpost home. As you hike through the rocky, windswept landscape you may observe a few of the island’s flightless residents—including Magellan penguins burrowing underground, and rockhoppers carefully observing you from outcroppings.

Ushuaia, Argentina: No city on the planet has a more southerly latitude. As a result, the sun shines for 18 hours during each summer day, providing ample opportunity to view the mix of glaciers, forests and sea, all framed by Mount Martial to the west and Mounts Olivia and Cinco Hermanos to the east. There’s a magnificent wealth of history and culture to discover on an Ushuaia cruise. The town was formerly a missionary base, penal colony, and naval base, but has increasingly become a major tourist destination with many attractions, including restaurants, sight-seeing, and casinos. Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park on a day hike through the wilderness, or hike along the coast and glacial lakes. The End of the World Museum offers a wonderful glimpse into the history and culture that shaped this city and includes collections of artifacts and pieces from the first expeditions, as well as the indigenous people who once inhabited the region. Savor authentic Argentinean specialties made with the freshest seafood, like king crab, seabass, ceviche, and grilled octopus or the ever popular, slow-cooked Fuegian lamb, and delicious regional wines.

Strait of Magellan, Chile: This 350-mile journey is a bucket-list experience for most cruisers. Named for the 16th century Portuguese explorer and navigator, Ferdinand Magellan, the Strait of Magellan connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the far Southern Patagonia region of Chile. On a Strait of Magellan cruise, you'll encounter the raw beauty of Tierra del Fuego plains in the distance, the imposing Amalia glacier, stunning Seno Eyre fjord, humpback whales, colonies of Magellanic penguins, and much more. You are certain to leave with amazing memories, and pictures, of the breathtaking scenic highlights as you make your way through this corner of the world.

South America isn't all tropical rainforests. Around Punta Arenas you'll find soaring mountains, beautiful national parks, vast ice fields and towering glaciers. The city itself has been a hub of commerce and trade for generations, thanks to its access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Trek through Magallanes National Reserve or visit the penguin colony at Seno Otway.

This deep water port was founded in 1865 by Welsh immigrants. Extending out into the Atlantic from Puerto Madryn is the Península Valdés, a wildlife sanctuary where vast numbers of sea elephants, whales and penguins far outnumber the few human visitors who make it out this far.

If South America had purposely created a place to compete with the Riviera, this would be it. Leisurely browse through the chic shops and galleries of Calle Gorlero, or spend a relaxing afternoon people watching from a beachside café while the assorted sun lovers and jet setters around you enjoy one of the continent’s most storied playgrounds.