Australis is celebrating the 500-year anniversary of the Strait of Magellan’s first sailing with specialised music and history tours.

Taking place in October 2020, the tours will begin with a handful of themed journeys, including musical pieces and live song, just as would have been played back in 1520 during the original crossing.

Australis’ European manager Frederic Guillemard said: “Navigating these waters, knowing all the historical value that they and the landscapes hold will be a unique experience, only adding to this journey at the End of the World, which still remains intact – just as it was and would have been seen by Magellan and Elcano, 500 years ago.”

The Straight of Magellan is a corridor of icy cliffs across untouched Patagonia linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, first undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. It opened up trade routes between east and west, but also proved the world is round, added Guillemard.

The five-day live-song expedition cruise will depart from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia on 19 October in conjunction with the Festival of Ancient Music of Aranjuez.

The concerts will be hosted by European soprano Raquel Andueza, who has played on global stages such as the Proms in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. Next to him will be Jesús Fernández Baena, playing the lute and vihuela.

The second part of the tours will be a historical element, courtesy of emeritus professor Enrique Martinez Ruiz, of the Complutense University of Madrid, an expert in military history.

Taking place from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas departing on 31 October and from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia on 4 October, guests will hear details of the explorers, the preparations needed for the original expedition, internal disagreements, tales of mutiny and the trial in the Bay of St. Julian.

In addition, there will be discussions around the exploration of the passage, difficulties navigating the Pacific and maps taken from the time.

For more information, visit australis.com.