Located on the Reclus Peninsula, Portal Point is a truly spectacular spot on the Antarctic Peninsula. This long stretch comes down from the Polar Plateau and gets its name from the fact that it was used by the British after they built a refuge hut at this site in 1956, enabling them to use a nearby snow slope as a gateway up onto the Peninsula plateau. This hut was occupied between 1956 and 1958 but was dismantled in 1997 and taken to the Falkland Islands where it is now an exhibit in the museum at Stanley.

Aside from the chance to walk high up and gain fantastic panoramic views, Polar Point is also home to colonies of Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, who can be seen building their rocky nests above the ice cold ground. Other fantastic spots for seeing Antarctica's fauna include Neko Harbour and Half Moon Island in the South Shetland Islands.

Find out more about visiting Portal Point on an Antarctic Cruise