Tourists cannot visit Antarctica during the winter; pack ice extends 1000km (620mi) around the continent making ship access impossible and the darkness (almost 24 hours a day) does not lift until summer time. Add to this the midwinter 'chill' - temperatures can be -80 or 90° Celsius - and you begin to realize that summer might be slightly more pleasant anyway.

October and November are early summer when the pack ice is breaking up and the birds, especially penguins, are courting and mating. December and January are the height of the austral summer and bring with them warmer weather, up to 20 hours of daylight each day and the bulk of the region's tourists visit at this time. This is also the time when the penguins are hatching eggs and feeding chicks. In the late summer months of February and March there are terrific whale-watching opportunities and the adult penguins are ashore molting.

Events:
Antarctica's most important holiday is Midwinter Day, on June 22, when the long polar night is half over. There are celebrations in all the bases, which include feasting, games, songs and even local theatre productions. The last day of the sun and the first day of the sun are also important dates in the Antarctic calendar, although they fall on different dates depending on latitude. Visitors are unlikely to experience any of these festivities, however, because they occur during the long winter, but Christmas and New Year's Eve are celebrated with much enthusiasm and all the kooky style that a group of scientists and researchers can muster.

In 1995, more than 100 runners participated in the first Antarctic Marathon run over a 42km (26mi) double-loop course on King George Island in the South Shetlands, and the race was a near disaster. The runners started at the Uruguayan base of Artigas and passed through Russian, Chilean and Chinese stations and included some highly dangerous and unsupervised sections.

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