Antarctica - the last place on earth.

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Cruise the Antarctic Peninsula on an ice-breaking explorer yacht

Antarctica is the last great wilderness. There are no trees, and no land-based animals. Human habitation is scarce. Getting there involves either a three-day cruise from Argentina or Chile or a two-hour flight from Punta Arenas landing at King George Island in the South Shetlands. The rewards are more than worth it, though, with jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery and some of the planet’s most spectacular wildlife.

Charters on ice breakers such as 77.4m LEGEND and 72m CLOUDBREAK start and end at King George Island, on the continent’s north-easternmost tip, then it’s a case of going with the flow.

‘The orcas decided to come and play, ducking and diving around us’

For Burgess broker Seonaid Thomas, the highlight of her trip on LEGEND was seeing a pod of orcas up close, as well as humpback whales, gentoo penguins, and leopard and crabeater seals.

‘What happened was so thrilling,’ she says. ‘The orcas decided to come and play, ducking and diving around us – we could have touched them if we had dared.’

There were plenty more memorable moments, too, from sailing through the stunning icescape of the Lemaire Channel to visiting the Vernadsky Research Base, where scientists first discovered the hole in the ozone layer

Those brave enough can even experience the Antarctic Ocean for themselves with a polar plunge. ‘This consists of jumping in the freezing water and getting out as fast as you can,’ says Thomas – luckily with a warm towel, a glass of champagne and the heated aft deck pool waiting for you on the other side.

‘There is so much to bring back from a trip like this,’ she says. ‘The glowing blues of the icebergs, the science and history, the animals and the sheer untouched, penetrating beauty of the landscapes. Antarctica is the most intense experience.’