Navarino Island

Navarino Island (Isla Navarino) lies at the southern tip of Chile’s Tierra del Fuego archipelago and is part of the Region of Magallanes. It is one of the southernmost inhabited islands and is notable for its rugged, largely roadless terrain and subantarctic ecosystems.

The island contains the town of Puerto Williams, which serves as the main population and service center and as a naval base. Outdoor visitors come for the multi-day Dientes de Navarino trek, sea kayaking, birdwatching, and to use the island as a staging point for voyages to Cape Horn and Antarctic routes.

Navarino’s landscape includes steep ridges, glacial valleys, peat bogs, and a coastline of fjords and channels. The climate is cool, windy, and often wet, which shapes the island’s vegetation and travel conditions.

Geographically the island sits south of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, separated by channels of the Beagle Channel system, and lies within Chile’s far south, administered from Puerto Williams.

• Puerto Williams: Home to Puerto Williams, often described as the southernmost town in the world and a gateway for Antarctic voyages and local patrols.
• Outdoor access: The island is a base for trekking and sea excursions into the Beagle Channel and the surrounding subantarctic landscapes; weather is changeable and trails are remote.

What to See#

• Puerto Williams: Puerto Williams, the main settlement and naval base on the northern shore that functions as the island’s administrative and logistical hub.
• Dientes de Navarino trek: Dientes de Navarino, a rugged mountain ridge and trekking area offering multi-day routes and panoramic views over channels and fjords.

Access is typically by regional flights into Puerto Williams or by sea from Ushuaia; from Puerto Williams local boats and ferries reach parts of Navarino Island. Travel arrangements are usually organized via charter operators or expedition companies.