Chile's Patagonia Sur Maritime Terminal Opens 2026-2027 Cruise Season with HX Expeditions Expedition Cruise Ship as First Call

The Patagonia Sur Maritime Terminal (Terminal Marítimo Patagonia Sur) in Puerto Natales, Magallanes Region, Chile, has officially launched the 2026-2027 cruise season with the arrival of the international expedition cruise ship MS Fridtjof Nansen. The vessel arrived on October 24 and will remain docked until Monday, October 26. The terminal, part of the Skorpios Group (Grupo Empresas Skorpios), continues to handle international tourism vessels cruising Patagonia this season.

MS Fridtjof Nansen belongs to the international company HX Expeditions. It is a Norwegian-built hybrid polar expedition cruise ship with a length of 140 meters and a capacity of 530 passengers, primarily operating exploration routes to southern and Antarctic destinations.

During the vessel's call, the terminal carried out a range of port operations, including passenger and crew embarkation and disembarkation, fuel and supply provisioning, waste removal and logistics services. The terminal also handles the reception and dispatch of tour buses entering the port area to pick up tourists, transporting visitors to Torres del Paine National Park (Parque Nacional Torres del Paine) and other destinations in the region.

To support these operations, the Patagonia Sur Maritime Terminal is equipped with modern infrastructure, international certification under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (Código ISPS), and specialized equipment for handling expedition cruise ships and large yachts, meeting the operational and safety requirements of such vessels.

Constantino Kochifas Coñuecar, General Manager of the Skorpios Group, commented on the new season and the company's history in the development of Patagonian maritime tourism: "We are delighted to welcome MS Fridtjof Nansen once again and to open a new cruise season at our terminal. As the Skorpios Group, our history is closely linked to the development of tourism in Patagonia, a venture driven by our family decades ago. Today we continue this legacy, offering modern infrastructure, experience and logistics capabilities to serve these vessels, contributing to the tourism and economic development of the Magallanes region."

These tourism operations run in parallel with the permanent services the terminal provides to the regional and national aquaculture industry, expanding the terminal's capacity to serve different productive sectors.