Many tourists who are in Chile , rush to the southernmost point of the planet to see the attractions of the archipelago Tierra del Fuego. The place is famous for its pristine nature, rich history and an interesting location. Visiting this object will not leave anyone indifferent and leave a sea of impressions.
History of Tierra del Fuego, Chile
Many travelers are interested in knowing where Tierra del Fuego got the name, which is very unusual. The roots of this story go back to the XIV century, it is closely related to the name of the famous seafarer and discoverer of geographical objects of Fernando Magellan. In the specified period he and his team made another voyage, the way lay near the coast of the island. The local population was Yaganam Indians, who were very surprised at the appearance of the ship on the horizon. To avoid danger, they lit a large number of fires that were visible far beyond the mainland. Seeing the island, which was as if absorbed in fire, Magellan gave him the name "Tierra del Fuego", which has survived to this day.
Tierra del Fuego on the map
Tourists, who for the first time wondered about visiting the island, come to mind the question: where is Tierra del Fuego? For the territory there were long disputes between the two states: Argentina and Chile. The result was the division that occurred in 1881. The western part, which occupies a large area, moved to Chile, and the eastern part remained behind Argentina. If you consider the island of Tierra del Fuego on the map, you can see its belonging to these two countries. It is distinguished by its large dimensions, which make up 47,992 km², it occupies the 29th place in the world among similar geographic objects.
Tierra del Fuego - climate
Tierra del Fuego is characterized by a rather harsh climate, in winter storms often arise here, which are formed due to ice air masses from the Arctic. The area is characterized by short nights, high humidity. Even in summer, the air temperature does not warm above 15 ° C. Due to such weather conditions, there is very scarce vegetation. The population of the island of Tierra del Fuego often suffered from hunger. For example, 1589 was marked by the arrival of Spanish settlers in these parts, but soon they all died out.
Places of interest in Tierra del Fuego
Tourists, who were lucky enough to taste the island, will be able to feel at the edge of the world. They can find here a lot of exciting activities:
- Visit the national reserves of Alberto de Agostini and Tierra del Fuego ;
- to go skiing or snowboarding at a local ski resort;
- to climb the mountain Darwin - the highest point of the island, or Mount Guanaco ;
- to go fishing on the rivers of La Pattaya and Ovando or to swim on a boat;
- to travel on the world's southernmost railway;
- Visit the Black Bay , which was named because of the large amount of peat on its bottom, thanks to which the water is painted black;
- Enjoy the stunning views from the bay of Lapataya ;
- make for the memory of the delightful photo of the island of Tierra del Fuego.
How to get to Tierra del Fuego?
To get to the island of Tierra del Fuego, Chile , you can go sailing by ferry, which goes from the town of Punta Delgada, located in the city of Punta Arenas , a walk will take only about half an hour.