TIERRA DEL FUEGO AREA

PORVENIR CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD

Porvenir, city capital of Tierra del Fuego Province has 5,406 inhabitants and a surface of 3,321 sq. km. It was born as police detachment in 1883 during the gold fever and was founded as a city in 1894, to serve the new cattle ranches.

TIERRA DEL FUEGO ISLAND

Tierra del Fuego island is located in the south extreme of America, approx. 52 degrees south. Its boundaries are the Magellan Strait by the north, the Beagle Channel by the south, the Atlantic Ocean by the east and the Pacific Ocean by the west.

Chile and Argentina, countries that own the west side and the east side, respectively, share this gigantic isle.

Its discoverer, Fernando de Magallanes, gave the name of Tierra del Fuego to the island in 1520, when he saw from the sea the numberless fires on the coast made by the Selknam or Onas. The original name given by the natives to island is Karunkinka, that means "our land".

This basic tour includes the crossing of the Magellan Strait from Punta Arenas to Porvenir. The crossing may be done daily by airway (15 minutes) or seaway (2,5 hours).


This small city has hotels, restaurants and basic and public services to satisfy any need and has interesting attractions that are necessary to see.

Leaving in the morning from Punta Arenas, airway (15 minutes) or seaway (2,5 hours) across the Magellan Strait is Porvenir, the capital city of Tierra del Fuego. The town tour includes a visit to the Fernando Cordero Rusque Museum, which has an interesting sample of local fauna, an archeology and anthropology section, where is the mummified rest of an island aborigine. At the History section it is possible to see testimonies of Chilean pioneer filming, the discovery and exploitation of gold and an interesting photograph sample of the Selknam.

The square is an attraction to photograph. Around it is the San Francisco de Sales church, an old building from 19th century, erected thanks to salesiano monsignor Fagnano.

It is also interesting to visit the seaside promenade with its Flags Square, Croat Park and Memory Park that gathers an interesting exhibition of machinery and ancient vehicles from the end of 19th century. In this place outstands the Monument to the Selknam Indian, made with natural wood. At the end of the tour it's necessary to return to Bahia Chilota, ferry terminal to sail back to Punta Arenas..

Leaving early from Punta Arenas by airway and crossing the Magellan Strait to Porvenir starts the Gold circuit. In this 115 km tour (round trip) through Cordon Baquedano, there is a spectacular view of the Magellan Strait, besides visiting the place where local miners extract gold in the same conditions as one hundred years ago. There exist curious shelters made of turf.

The way back is by Bahia Inutil (Useless Bay), south of Porvenir.

From this city is also possible to visit the area on horseback. The tour lasts 5 hours during which is possible to see Tierra del Fuego landscape in its entire splendor. The visit includes ancient mine shafts from the colony time where it is possible to see miners working in the same conditions as the first gold prospectors that arrived in 1881.1.

This tour starts leaving Porvenir southbound by the international road. The first visit is to Santa Maria lagoon, a reserve of water birds, outstanding black neck swans, taguas, flamingoes and other species. Further on is Bahia Inutil, named so by British technicians who were making a hydrographic survey in 1827, because the bay had no useful port. Further on is Puerto Nuevo, where used to be an animal fat industry of former estancia Caleta Josefina. In 1918 were built there some country houses and afterwards a private dock. Nowadays it is possible to see rests of the installations and numerous machinery.

Continuing by the route, at km 100 is Onaisin, the former estancia Caleta Josefina, the first ranch founded bySociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego. Some buildings are preserved.

In the same area is Onaisin Cemetery, at the left side of the road leaving Onaisin, declared national monument in 1976. In the cemetery are buried settlers of the estancia.

Going on 41 km further is the San Sebastian Cemetery, a few meters from San Sebastian, at the left side of the road. Declared national monument in 1976, in the graveyard are buried settlers of the ancient estancia San Sebastian, founded in 1895, and its sections Rio Chico and Filaret.

Primavera commune is located in the north sector of Tierra Del Fuego Island and its main city is Cerro Sombrero, a former oil camp created at the end of the fifties.

The historical -cultural circuit starts with the crossing of the Magellan Strait arriving to the island by the sector named Bahia Azul. At 12 km. from there is Manantiales, where is located the first oil well, discovered in 1945. Further in (20 km.) is estancia Springhill, pioneer in cattle activity in the north side of Tierra del Fuego Island. 15 km. from Springhill is Cerro Sombrero, a village of special design and buildings.

At 60 km. to the northeast of Cerro Sombrero the visitor may cover 15 km of beaches bathed by waters of two oceans, where may be seen abundant sea fauna and oil platforms. At the end of the section, by the Argentina border, is the Cabo Espiritu Santo lighthouse, that has a strategic situation for the sea traffic and allows to the visitors a panoramic view of the setting.

Starts in Manantiales, where is the first oil well discovered in Tierra del Fuego in 1945. It is a must to visit Cerro Sombrero, village linked to oil activity with offices and other installations of the national oil company (ENAP). By the east mouth of the Magellan Strait, 60 km. to the north, is the battery reception of crude (BRC) where is received the oil produced by the oil platforms in the Strait. At the inside of the island, northbound, is the industrial complex Planta Cullen, a plant that processes mainly natural gas. 60 km. from Cerro Sombrero, in the way to Porvenir, are the port terminals of Clarencia and Puerto Percy, used to ship crude oil and natural gas.

The building of this village started at the end of the fifties. North American architects, copying cities of their country made the town-planning. Outstands the church, the sports complex, cinema, houses. There are ENAP installations linked to the productive oil activity. The village has a top-level sport and recreational facilities, as much indoors as outdoors, including heated swimming pool, movie, gymnasium, recreational rooms (machines and pool), bowling alley, solarium with botanical garden, children's game park, camping.

LTimaukel is the name given to God by Onas or Selknam aborigines. Is the main town of Cameron village, which is the old quarter of an ancient estancia that received its name after one of the most renowned estancia managers of the Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, Alexander Cameron, a sheepfarmer of New Zealand origin. Nowadays Cameron has 650 inhabitants, including timber companies, scattered along its great territorial area.

Geographically the village is located on the bank of Bahia Inutil and placed among hills with beautiful native woods, where it is common to sea the flight of condors.




The cultural circuit is a run by the village and the old quarter of Cameron estancia, to know its history and the way of life of the inhabitants of this southern community.

VICUNA - BEAGLE CHANNEL TOUR, Leaving Cameron and crossing on foot or horseback paths that only "baqueanos" (familiar with the region) know, through virgin native woods, hidden lakes, Darwin mountain chain and spectaculars glaciers.

More information of the Villa Cameron

- Sea Corrals, original formation of rocks and stones of different sizes covered by high tide that when descending leave fish trapped.

- Beavers valley. Among beautiful woods and abundant local fauna it is possible to watch dams made by beavers, a surprising spectacle.

- Visit to glaciers of Tierra del Fuego, sailing from Punta Arenas, in a 7 days and 6 nights tour. A trip through channels and fiords, admiring the luxuriant flora, fauna and landscapes of national park "De Agostini". Also visits to Puerto Williams (Chile) and Ushuaia (Argentina)..

Located in the north sector of Tierra del Fuego Island, this extensive bay is an excellent observatory to study migratory stream of birds such as beach plovers, from the north of our country and Argentina and other from far regions like Canada, United States and, possibly Siberia, that come to these coasts every Spring to fulfill its cycle.

It is located at 80 nautical miles to the southeast of Punta Arenas and the west of Puerto Williams, with a surface of 1,460,000 hectares in a mountainous area where stands out Darwin mountain chain. The area comprises a vast peninsula and associated islands, strongly mountainous, covered by extensive ice fields and a great number of glaciers and snowdrifts that climb down by the hillsides to the different fiords, small bays and channels.

As for the climate, the year oscillation of the average temperature is small; it does not go up more than 10°C in summer and does not go down more than 0°C in winter. There is heavy rainfall, reaching 1,000 mm. yearly, with a relative air humidity of about 80%.

EThis is doubtless the most important tourist option of this area, owing to the generous number and size of its species. In most of the watercourses and in the lake's banks, the estancias are opening their doors to serve visitors, offering lodging and food. The main courses are lakes Blanco, Deseado, Escondido, Lynch, Fagnano, and rivers Grande, Azopardo, etc.


The richness of trouts such as Borran, Rainbow, Sea Run, Brook y Steelhead, make of this area the best spot in Latin America for sport fishing of this specie, whose weights fluctuate between two and fourteen kilos. Rivers and lakes of the area guarantee a fishing that shall satisfy the most demanding fisherman, allowing him (or her) to complement several fishing spots in a short time. There are installations and equipment in the area that allow fishermen to enjoy an excellent fishing with an appropriate comfort..

This is a full board program (sleeping bag, mat, personal effects, tent and food included), 4x4 vehicles, specialized guides, rowboat and launch. Horses when required.


Season: October 15th to April 15th.


Fly-fishing lines advisable: Sinking or Extra fast sinking. Flies: Streamers, nymphs, of dark colors.


"For further information visit this page: Pesca Deportiva en la Patagonia. (Sport Fishing in Patagonia)"

The diversity of landscapes and conditions or the difficulty degrees allow horse riding of flexible length, depending on the visitor interest. The imposing Darwin mountain chain, the prairies populated with wild horses and guanacos, the condors in high plateau crossings, are opportunities worth enjoying in this program.

The number of days and the difficulty degree are factors to be evaluated in coordination with the Travel Agency.

Season: December to March.

This absolutely virgin zone allow us a trekking by Tierra del Fuego south areas where it is possible to admire thousand-year-old woods never touched by man. At the numerous rivers it will be observed the work of beavers and in the prairies the guanacos and wild horses. Darwin mountain chain will be our companion and one might fish in the lakes of the area.

The lodging is in tents and the stage march is no longer than 8 hours, visiting lakes Deseado and Fagnano, among others.

Season: December to March.