Atlas/americas-caribbean/Deep field file

Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03

Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego

The world's 29th-largest island, shared by Argentina and Chile: Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel and the 'end of the world'.

54.000° S68.500° W
site access marine
Ushuaia – Malvinas Argentinas (USH)
Beagle Channel
Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Formation
Sub-Andean cordillera in the south (Darwin range, glaciated); Patagonian steppe and peatlands in the north
Population
200,000
Water
Atlantic Ocean / Pacific Ocean
Access
moderate
01

Every required movement

The passage
to Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

Fly to Ushuaia (USH) or Río Grande (RGA); drive in via Ruta 3 with the Punta Delgada–Bahía Azul ferry; Punta Arenas–Porvenir ferries on the Chilean side.

  1. 01
    Ushuaia – Malvinas Argentinas (USH)

    Nearest recorded air access

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  2. 02
    Water crossing

    Transbordadora Austral Broom: Punta Delgada–Bahía Azul (Primera Angostura) and Punta Arenas–Porvenir crossings.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  3. 03
    Entry check

    Argentina/Chile entry rules; no special island permit.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify

Research, then reserve

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What the chart cannot hold

What becomes visible when you follow ushuaia ('end of the world') beyond the familiar map?

Main island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the tip of South America. Its Argentine east holds Ushuaia and Río Grande; the Chilean west holds Porvenir. Gateway for Antarctic cruises and site of the former Selk'nam and Yámana homelands.

Selk'nam, Yámana and Kawésqar homelands; sighted by Magellan 1520; divided between Argentina and Chile by the 1881 Boundary Treaty; gold rush and sheep estancias; Ushuaia founded 1884.

02

Field ledger

The useful
details.

Coordinates
54.00° S · 68.50° W
Sovereignty
Argentina and Chile · part of country
Nearest mainland
Patagonian mainland across the Strait of Magellan (~4 km at Primera Angostura)
Best recorded window
November–March (austral summer; Antarctic cruise season).
Permits / entry
Argentina/Chile entry rules; no special island permit.
Languages
Spanish
03

Community intelligence

Notes from
the crossing.

Share firsthand conditions, access changes, respectful observations, or a question for someone who has been.

No traveler has left a public note here yet.

The empty ledger is part of the mystery—and an invitation to be useful.

Travel information changes quickly. This field file was last revised 2026-09-03. Confirm all transport and permit details before booking.

Official source