13 Night Cruise sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso aboard Star Princess.

Depart from "the Paris of the South" and ride aboard Montevideo's historic steam train, stand within feet of a penguin colony in the Falkland Islands, take an epic sailing around Cape Horn, and even ski the beautiful Andes from Punta Arenas.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis - the "Paris of the South" - by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world's great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city's engimas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens - the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

The "Paris of the South" flaunts its European heritage. One of the pleasures of Buenos Aires is simply absorbing its charm and flavor, from Parisian-style confiterias - cafés - to the city's popular tango clubs.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Fleeing the economic devastation of England's Industrial Revolution, Welsh settlers immigrated to Argentina in search of cheap land. Led by Viscount Madryn, one group of settlers sailed for Patagonia, founding the small city of Puerto Madryn in 1865. Life in Patagonia, however, was not easy. There were lonely prairies, brutally cold winters, and unrelenting winds. Still the Welsh survived, and today visitors can still see their legacy in Puerto Madryn and its surrounding communities.

Puerto Madryn is your gateway to one of South America's largest breeding grounds for birds and mammals - Tombo National Reserve.

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Argentina
Magellan called it Tierra del Fuego, "the Land of Fire," having seen flames rising from the darkened islands. For over three centuries, the name struck fear in the hearts of mariners. Howling headwinds, mountainous seas and rocky coastlines spelled a sudden end to many voyages. Today, Ushuaia, a former whaling station and Argentine penal colony, serves as your gateway to this wilderness where snow-capped mountains plummet to the icy waters of the Beagle Channel.

In the late 19th century, Reverend Thomas Bridges spent years working with local tribes, compiling a dictionary of their Yaghan tongue. The work outlived the Yaghan: by the beginning of the 20th century, they had succumbed to disease and strife with settlers.

Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas lies atop rolling hills, looking out over the Strait of Magellan. In the days before the Panama Canal, this was a major port as ships plied the waters of Cape Horn. Punta Arenas remains a prosperous town today, thanks to its rich natural resources. The city is also the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, a maze of fjords, rivers, steppes, and mountains to the north. To the south lies the great frozen mass of Antarctica. Adventure awaits in any direction at this port located near the end of the earth.

Across the Strait of Magellan lies Tierra del Fuego, the lonely, windswept island discovered by Magellan in 1520. The region was settled by Yugoslavian and English sheep ranchers in the 19th century.

Puerto Montt, Chile
Puerto Montt is your gateway to Chile's magnificent Lake District. Here, snow-capped volcanoes gaze down on alpine valleys nestled among low hills. Glaciers carved out this terrain, leaving the jewel-like lakes in their wake. The Lake District was a magnet for German immigrants, and their legacy can be seen today in the manicured rose gardens of Puerto Varas, in Chile's "German Villages" like Frutillar and in Puerto Montt's gabled homes with elaborate balconies.

Despite a population of more than 130,000, Puerto Montt retains the feel of a small town. For a simple introduction to the city, walk along its waterfront road lined with tempting artisan's stalls and small cafés.

Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile
A bay bordered by steep hills, stately old Victorian homes, cable cars - no, it's not San Francisco, California. Welcome to Valparaiso. Founded in 1536, and named after the birthplace of conquistador Diego de Almagro, Valparaiso is Chile's oldest city. It is also the gateway to Chile's central valley and the capital of Santiago. With a population of over 5 million people, Santiago sprawls at the feet of the snow-capped Andes. The Maipo Valley, Chile's internationally renowned wine district is a short drive to the south.