If you are looking for a unique destination for your next trip, I highly recommend you take into consideration travel to Antarctica. This virtually uninhabited continent with a hostile environment offers an otherworldly experience that every adventurous traveller’s dreams are made of regardless of current destination preferences.
Even if you are not a winter person, you will fall in love with the White Continent. It shelters iconic wildlife and offers an opportunity to see striking passageways in the midst of imposing icebergs and glaciers. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that can turn your perceptions of life upside down.
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How can you visit Antarctica, what can you do there, and when should you embark on that life-changing voyage? Read on to find out.
Why travel to Antarctica?
The South Pole may be the coldest, driest, and windiest place on the planet, but you might experience such a unique climate only once in your life.
Why would you want to? Because the clear air and the pristine, snow-covered slopes glittering in the sun can make you feel alive! The cold can be invigorating as long as you are dressed adequately.
Icebergs as high and large as cathedrals, towering over the calm, glassy water, can make you appreciate nature like never before. They start popping up as soon as you cross the Drake Passage and enter the breathtaking world rich with extraordinary wildlife.
Antarctica is home to 235 animal species, some of which you cannot see anywhere else. Leopard seals, the pink-faced sheathbill, the blue-eyed cormorant, chinstrap and emperor penguins, and the wandering albatross are just a few. There are blue whales, Antarctic orcas, and even dolphins, too.
All those magnificent species may be the best reason to travel to Antarctica. The thriving life in the most unforgiving climate on Earth is enough to make you stop to take in all the sensations and reflect. No other place offers such an ethereal connection with nature.
Can you visit Antarctica without a visa or permission?
You do not need a visa to travel to Antarctica because no country owns the continent. Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, Antarctica is a continental condominium that is devoted to peace and science. A total of 54 countries are party to the Treaty.
However, if you travel to Antarctica from a signatory country, you will need to apply for a permit. Otherwise, you do not need permission, but some ports may require it.
Your tour operator will handle the process, but be sure to register your visit in advance if you plan on travelling on your own.
What can you do while in Antarctica?
When you travel to Antarctica aboard an expedition ship, you can enjoy whale sightings, marvel at the wandering albatross and predatory skuas, and see many other birds, land mammals, and marine animals.
You can walk among seals and penguins basking on the ice and visit the rugged Falkland Islands to watch penguin colonies, sea lions, and dolphins. The perfect places for spotting whales are Paradise Bay and the Schollaert Channel.
You can book many thrilling Antarctica cruises and tours, including activities like sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and camping trips. Zodiak cruises are quite popular, as they let you explore the marine life and impressive icebergs on small, inflatable watercraft. You can even visit research stations, which requires permission and organising in advance.
If you visit the Falkland Islands when you travel to Antarctica, stop by the Globe Tavern and the Victory Bar in Port Stanley to enjoy a pint from the most remote brewery in the world.
Remember to pack binoculars and a good camera to capture all the vivid memories of Antarctica’s magnificence.
How to travel to Antarctica?
If you are wondering how to travel to Antarctica, here are all the ways you can reach the continent:
- Sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctic Peninsula
- Flying from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the South Shetland Islands, the Union Glacier Camp, or the South Pole
- Flying from South Island, New Zealand, to Ross Island
- Flying from Cape Town, South Africa, to the South Pole
When can you travel to Antarctica?
The best time to visit Antarctica is from late spring to early autumn, that is, from late October to the middle of March. That’s when the sun in the southern hemisphere rises again after four months of complete darkness and brings about warmer temperatures and 24-hour-long days – a phenomenon known as the Midnight Sun.
Maximum summer temperatures rarely go above -20°C throughout most of the continent. However, the Antarctic Peninsula is a bit warmer, with the highest summer temperatures occasionally rising above 0°C.
Can you visit Antarctica in winter? No, because extremely low temperatures double the ice and prevent access by boat, while fierce storms make flights risky.
Key rules to follow when you travel to Antarctica
There are some strict rules to follow when you travel to Antarctica:
- Do not touch, feed, or disturb the animals;
- Do not collect rocks, pebbles, feathers, or any other biological material;
- Do not walk on lichens;
- Do not go near or disturb historical sites;
- Do not dispose of garbage.
Be responsible, follow all the guidelines, and respect Antarctica’s scientific community and abundant wildlife.
Will you travel to Antarctica?
The White Continent opens up a whole new world of beauties that can fill you up with joy and uncover new horizons.
It is an absolute honour to visit this untouched paradise at the end of the world. It will provide you with an unforgettable adventure that you will cherish forever. Once you witness all the snowy peaks, calm bays, wind-sculpted ice floes, and majestic wildlife, you will never be the same.
