The Most Instagrammable Places to Visit in Antarctica

Why don't you visit Antarctica? Covered in thick layers of snow with icy seas, isolated icebergs, and snow-covered deserts, your holiday photos of this remote continent will surely leave your Instagram followers in awe.

If you're interested in visiting the continent and wondering which places to highlight on your Instagram feed, here are the most Instagrammable places to visit in Antarctica.

1. Port Lockroy

Many expeditions to Antarctica offer a chance to visit Port Lockroy, a former base along the stunning bay of Goudier Island, close to the Antarctic Peninsula. If you want to feature an incredible sight on your Instagram account, consider visiting this picturesque harbour. It is located in the British Antarctic Territory and is surrounded by stunning glaciers.

Due to its strategic location at the intersection of three sea routes, Port Lockroy was established as a base where humans live. It was first discovered by the famous French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot on his expedition in the 1900s, where he stumbled across this natural harbour and named it after the politician who paid for voyages.

During the 1900s, Port Lockroy was a hub for whaling. Many factory ships would dock here to wait for whalers from the sea. Thus, you'll find giant rusty mooring chains crumbling along the shore on your visit to the harbour, which makes for a perfect Instagram shot, especially with the massive glacial ice in the backdrop.

Among the structures in Port Lockroy is the Bransfield House, Base A's main building. It's home to a post office, considered the most southern post office in the world, still in operation. It also doubles as a souvenir shop and a museum dedicated to the scientific era of the 1950s.

2. The Drake Passage

If you want to feature giant ocean waves on your Instagram feed, the Drake Passage is perfect. Connecting Antarctica to the rest of the world, the massive body of water is considered one of the world's most dangerous passages traversed by world-famous explorers.

The passage is extremely deep, having an average depth of 11,150 feet, although the ocean floor could reach up to 15,700 feet close to the southern and northern sections. Its location interests explorers journeying through Antarctica since it extends from South America's Cape Horn to the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, offering the shortest possible route to rich Antarctica.

Aside from the opportunity to photograph giant waves, sailing through the Drake Passage is an incredibly thrilling experience. Due to the convergence of oceans, the passage has very rough waters, with the occasional cyclones forming in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and sweeping towards the cape.

Thanks to advanced technologies that allow for modern forecasting, sailing along the Drake Passage is safer than ever. In fact, crossing the Drake Passage is on the bucket list for adventurers and intrepid explorers seeking to experience the thrill of passing along one of the world's most dangerous water passages.

3. The South Pole

Considered one of the southernmost human-occupied places on Earth, the South Pole is literally covered with a thick ice sheet, making it one of the most Instagrammable places to visit in the Antarctic. For thousands of years, the snowy region was only a theory until its discovery in 1820. Nowadays, the area is a busy scientific community that you can visit on a cruise to the Antarctic.

Reaching the South Pole is a dream for many intrepid explorers. You can visit the Antarctic by luxury cruise ship or explore the region by plane, ski, or foot. While many cruises can take you to explore Antarctica's coastline, getting to Antarctica's vast interior, including the South Pole, requires flying on a private plane. However, Antarctica's harsh and changeable weather makes flying tricky and susceptible to delays. Therefore, you must make sure to plan your visit well.

Nowadays, chartered flights to the South Pole are increasingly popular. Flying is also ideal for those who want to avoid the Drake Passage. The flight departs from Punta Arenas in Chile and is your best bet for reaching the region.

4. Mount Vinson

Mount Vinson is Antarctica's highest mountain. A truly incredible sight, the magnificent snowy peak will look great on your Instagram feed. If you're adventurous enough, consider joining a guided trekking expedition to Mount Vinson.

For those trekking Mount Vinson, the adventure starts in Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost point. From there, you will take a plane for a flight to the blue-ice runway and sleep on a tent at the Antarctic continent's Union Glacier. When the weather permits, you will take a Twin Otter aircraft to fly to the base camp of Mount Vinson, from where you will start your climb. Depending on the weather, it should take five to six days to complete.

Climbing Mount Vinson is not extremely difficult. However, the area is very remote, and conditions can be rough sometimes. Therefore, you must be physically fit. Don't forget to bring your camera and take as many pictures as possible on the trail. These photos will surely make your Instagram followers swoon with envy.

5. Deception Island

Another fascinating sight that deserves a spot on your Instagram account is Deception Island, an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands. Featuring unique landscapes of ash-covered glaciers and barren volcanic slopes, it's undoubtedly one of Antarctica's most Instagrammable places to visit.

Deception Island was behind the largest volcano eruption in the Antarctic region. A major eruption 10,000 years ago formed a horseshoe-shaped caldera. Officially discovered in 1820 by British sailing captain William Smith, Deception Island was used for seal hunting and whaling before being converted into an area for scientific research and tourism.

The island was formerly claimed by the UK, Argentina, and Chile, and it provides scientists with a unique, contained environment in which to monitor a volcano beneath the ice. However, its eruptions in 1967 and 1969 were unpredictable, a remarkable failure in volcano monitoring. Only the observatories in Spain and Argentina remained.