The White Continent at the Bottom of the World
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, centred on the South Pole and almost entirely covered by an ice sheet, known for icebergs, glaciers, penguin colonies, whales and extraordinary light. It is larger than Europe in area and holds the vast majority of the world's fresh water as ice. No country owns the continent: the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, reserves it for peace and science, and research stations from many nations operate across the ice.
The experience is one of scale and stillness. Zodiac boats nose between icebergs of impossible blue, humpback and minke whales surface beside the ship, and colonies of Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins fill the beaches in summer. The history is gripping too, from Shackleton's Endurance expedition of 1914 to 1917 to Scott and Amundsen's race for the Pole, and visitors on the Peninsula can see historic huts and whaling stations that recall that heroic age.
Zodiac Landings, Penguins and Expedition Cruising
Most visitors go by expedition ship to the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of the continent, crossing the Drake Passage from Ushuaia in Argentina. Landings at sites such as Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy and Deception Island give a mix of wildlife, history and scenery, with expert naturalists guiding every outing. Port Lockroy has a restored British base and a post office, and Deception Island's steaming black beaches are a famous stop for ships.
Longer voyages add the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, where king penguins gather in their tens of thousands at St Andrews Bay. Activities can include kayaking, camping on the ice, snowshoeing and polar photography workshops, and a few operators fly guests to the interior for ice-camp stays. A booking platform can package these voyages for adventure travellers, and many guests link them with Rio de Janeiro, the Galapagos Islands or New Zealand, from where Ross Sea voyages also depart.
Read the full Antarctica guide on Visit Travel Group, or see AntarticaHolidays.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.