Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the southern tip of South America, divided between Chile and Argentina and including the large central island known as Isla Grande. It is characterized by rugged mountains, subantarctic forests, peat bogs, and a deeply indented coastline.

Landscape highlights include lenga forest, mountain ridges, fjords and channels, and coastal wetlands; wildlife includes seabirds and marine mammals in surrounding waters. The Argentine side contains Tierra del Fuego National Park, which provides marked trails and visitor infrastructure near Ushuaia.

The archipelago has been inhabited historically by indigenous Fuegian peoples and later settled by European colonists; in modern times it is administered by two national governments and hosts ports and towns that serve as bases for Antarctic and regional sea travel.

Geographically it occupies the southernmost part of the South American landmass, separated from the Antarctic by the Drake Passage and bordering the Strait of Magellan to the north; principal population centres are Ushuaia (Argentina) and Porvenir (Chile).

• Political division: The archipelago is politically divided between Chile and Argentina, with principal towns including Ushuaia on the Argentine side and Porvenir on the Chilean side.

What to See #

• Isla Grande: Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego - the archipelago's largest island, shared between Chile and Argentina, containing towns, mountains, and forested interior areas.
• Tierra del Fuego National Park: On the Argentine side, Tierra del Fuego National Park protects subantarctic forest, peat bogs, and mountain scenery and offers marked trails and visitor facilities near Ushuaia.