Overview
Drake Passage Cruise Port
The Drake Passage is a vast, roughly 800-kilometer (500-mile) wide stretch of ocean located between the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn, Chile) and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. This iconic waterway is where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans converge, and it is the narrowest point through which the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows uninterrupted around the globe. While famously known for its potentially rough seas, it is also a place of immense beauty and a crucial rite of passage for anyone venturing to the Antarctic continent.
The Drake Passage is not a cruise port of call but rather the essential sea route for nearly all expedition cruises traveling to the Antarctic Peninsula. It is typically transited over two days in each direction at the beginning and end of an Antarctic voyage. Passengers spend this time at sea, preparing for their Antarctic adventure, attending lectures, and marveling at the unique wildlife and ocean phenomena that characterize these formidable waters.