If you’ve never planned on visiting Tierra del Fuego in the very south of Argentina, put it on your to-do list right now. Known as one of the world’s final frontiers, this breathtaking spot in Patagonia is home to the town of Ushuaia, dubbed ‘the end of the world’ after its location at the very tip of South America, as well as incredible wildlife and landscapes.

Where is Tierra del Fuego?

Photo: World Atlas

Tierra del Fuego (Spanish for "Land of Fire") is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, with an area of 48,100 km2 (18,572 sq mi), and a group of many islands, including Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez Islands. Tierra del Fuego is divided between Chile and Argentina, with the latter controlling the eastern half of the main island and the former the western half plus the islands south of Beagle Channel and the southernmost islands. The southernmost extent of the archipelago is just north of latitude 56°S.

The earliest known human settlement in Tierra del Fuego dates to approximately 8,000 BC. Europeans first explored the islands during Ferdinand Magellan's expedition of 1520. The name Tierra del Fuego stems from sightings of the many bonfires that the natives built.

Photo: Swoop Patagonia

Settlement by those of European descent and the great displacement of the native populations did not begin until the second half of the nineteenth century, at the height of the Patagonian sheep farming boom and of the local gold rush. Today, petroleum extraction dominates economic activity in the north of Tierra del Fuego, while tourism, manufacturing, and Antarctic logistics are important in the south.

Climate of Tierra del Fuego

Photo: Bradt Guides

The Tierra del Fuego region has a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfc) with short, cool summers and long, wet, moderately mild winters: the precipitation averages 3,000 mm (118 in) a year in the far west, but precipitation decreases rapidly to the eastern side. Temperatures are steady throughout the year: in Ushuaia they hardly surpass 9 degrees Celsius in summer and average zero in winter.

Snowfall can occur in summer. The cold and wet summers help preserve the ancient glaciers. The southernmost islands possess a sub-antarctic climate typical of tundra that makes the growth of trees impossible. Some areas in the interior have a polar climate. Regions in the world with similar climates to southern Tierra del Fuego are: the Aleutian islands, Iceland, the Alaska Peninsula, the Faroe Islands, Macquarie Island, and the Heard and McDonald Islands.

Reasons to visit Tierra del Fuego

It’s Patagonia in a nutshell

Tierra del Fuego has all the trappings that Patagonia offers to thrill seekers, nature lovers and adventurers the world over. Looking for natural wonders, pristine glaciers, a taste of the wild and some of the most unique cultural experiences on the planet? Tierra del Fuego has it all – national parks, lakes, rivers and waterways, expansive nothingness and untouched corners that no one has even ventured into. In essence, all of the magic and beauty that Patagonia is renowned for.

It has a fraught and fascinating history

Tierra del Fuego shares a border between Chile and Argentina, but this invisible line has been pretty malleable over the years as the two countries have been engaged in turf wars to lay claim to the southern province. It was the last territory in Argentina to be declared a national province, with this status only being bestowed upon it as recently as 1990. Tierra del Fuego was also home to indigenous cultures who controlled the region until the 1870s. And, of course, the notorious Falklands War took place on the Malvinas Islands (Falkland Islands in England) in 1982. Argentina claims that the Malvinas are part of Argentine territory, while they are internationally recognized as belonging to Britain.

It has attracted many an intrepid adventurer

History has seen its bravest and best head south over the centuries with a mission to conquer these inhospitable lands. From Ferdinand Magellan to Charles Darwin and Francis Drake, people coming in search of gold, anthropological study and the great unknown have considered Tierra del Fuego one of the most inimitable lands on earth.

It’s the land of fire and ice

Ok, well it may not be the land of fire and ice in the Game of Thrones sense, but it is definitely a literal land of fire and ice. The name Tierra del Fuego literally means ‘Land of Fire’, and was coined by Ferdinand Magellan when he thought he saw fires on land from his ship and that the native Yaghan population was setting about to ambush him. ‘The land of ice’ is because it is rife with ancient glaciers, the iciest of all ice.

It’s home to the most incredible wildlife

Sea lions and penguins in Tierra del Fuego | © McKay Savage/Flickr

Patagonia itself is known for the amazing variety of wildlife that can be seen in this vast region. Tierra del Fuego doesn’t disappoint when it comes to being home to innumerable amounts of species, whether flora or fauna. See the penguin colony at Martillo Island, come across woodpeckers in the forests, and take in eagles soaring over the channel.

It has some of the most charming sites in the world

The Lighthouse at the End of the World | Photo: alina gnerre/Flickr

The town of Ushuaia, as well as being the southernmost town on earth, is also picturesque and quaint. Sail the Beagle Channel and pass by the Lighthouse at the End of the World, or take a trip to one of the city’s numerous museums (one even includes a jail), eat some delicious chocolate sold at one of the town’s Alpine-like stores and send your family and friends a postcard from the depths of South America.

Ride the train at the end of the world

Tierra del Fuego is also home to the Southern Fuegian Railway, a steam train that used to transport timber to the jail in Ushuaia, but is now a tourist attraction.

Originally known as the “Train of the Prisoners,” the rail carriages now have the name “the Train at the End of the World,” because this is the most southernly railway on earth.

Tourists can travel in luxury into the Tierra del Fuego National Park and appreciate beautiful vistas over the landscape, as well as learning about the indigenous peoples of the area and their history.

Visit the end of the Pan American Highway

The Pan American Highway is a road that runs through the Americas from Alaska in the very far north to Tierra del Fuego in the very far south, breaking only once in between Panama and Colombia to make way for the small matter of a rainforest. In Tierra del Fuego you can visit the final destination at the end of this world-famous route; you may decide to make it your goal to one day see the start of the route, too.

Learn all about the Antarctic

Tierra del Fuego is just a stone’s throw away from the Antarctic and is often the last port of call for travelers wishing to visit the southern pole. At the Antarctic Coast Reserve Interpretative Centre you can learn all about the Antarctic, its climate, flora and fauna, and the threat it is under as a result of climate change; a good reason to leave the city and head up the coast to the Rio Grande region, where the centre is located.

Photo: Flickr

What to see in Tierra del Fuego

Porvenir

Photo: Eugene Kaspersky

Porvenir, the most populated town in Tierra del Fuego, is a peaceful place that invites you to discover it. Its unique promenade and buildings will take you back to the past and welcome you to the end of the world.

Come by plane or by ferry from Punta Arenas, crossing the famous Straits of Magellan, while watching diverse animals like dolphins, penguins and even whales.

Karukinka National Park

Photo: Pinterest

Located at the end of the world, this natural park amazes you with its majesty. The extensive Magellanic landscape, unique in the world, is a treat for the eye.

Hike along any of the five paths with different lengths and degrees of difficulty. Among forests of lengas, snow-capped mountains and a diverse native flora and fauna, its wide open 300,000 hectares may be a challenge for nature lovers.

Puerto Williams and Cabo de Hornos

Photo: KMS Travel

Can you picture yourself in the southernmost town in the world? Visit Puerto Williams, be amazed by its great biological diversity and impressive natural beauty and discover the ancestral Yagán ethnic culture.

Like Charles Darwin, explore Wulaia Bay, a living treasure of the southern geography and relive the past in the most important settlements of the Yamana culture.

Surprise yourself with the majesty of the Cape Horn National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and get lost riding a horse along the shores of the Beagle Channel and the Dientes de Navarino mountain range.

Cabo de Hornos National Park

Photo: Chile Travel and News

Navigate this park, the southernmost in Chile, and conquer the southernmost forest ecosystem in the world.

Thanks to the natural value of the region, it was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and all its species, such as leopard seals, dolphins, whales, sea lions and birds, are protected.

In addition to touring the island on a tourist ship, you can venture out and go sailing in its extreme waters. Explore every corner of the island through its trails, breathing the pure air of the end of the world!

Canal Beagle

Photo: Flickr

Experience the Yamana culture, and the people who sailed the Beagle Channel in their canoes. Discover the journey of the English naturalist Charles Darwin, who would later write the theory of evolution, inspired from his trips to the edges of the world.

The Beagle Channel is limited to the north with the island of Tierra del Fuego, where the Argentine city of Ushuaia is located on its shore, and to the south by the Nueva and Navarino islands among others.

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