Trips to Chile

Climate: In spite of its name, the Earth of the Fire - al just as the rest of the Patagonia- presents/displays temperatures low and strong winds, being frequent the untimely changes of the climatologic conditions, going of the strong air to the total calm or of the sun to rain.

Temperatures: In summer (December to March) the temperature varies between 6° C and 12° C; whereas in spring (September to December) and autumn (March to June) the thermometers descend until the 0 ºC. In winter (June to August), the cold is accentuated arriving at -1 ºC, although generally at this time the days are clear and is little wind.

One of the particularitities of this austral zone is that during the summer the sun illuminates up to 18 hours per day.

Distance of Santiago: 3,100 km

Earth capital of the Chilean Fire: Future

What to do: Trekking, strolls to horse or in bicycle, fishes, visit of stays, navigation by the Channel of Beagle.

High season: of November to February.
Season of observation of Hunchbacked Whales: of December to April, inclusively.

With running of the Earth centuries of the Fire, last portion of the American Continent, has resisted untiringly to the impact of the human development. Their unique arms have been their hostile nature and its rigorous climate, that have marked to the strong character of this island, overwhelmed by numerous histories of sacrifices and efforts.

Their limits are the Strait of Magellan by the north; the Channel of Beagle by the south; the Atlantic Ocean by the east and the Pacific Ocean by the west. This gigantic island is shared by Chile and Argentina, to those who the western and Eastern part corresponds to them, respectively.

The name of this great island does not come, like could assume, of the active volcano warm but of the vision that the famous navigator Hernando de Magallanes when exploring was of her his coasts. From his boats it descried many and surprising bonfires.

With these bonfires the natives - onas and yámanas- were protected then of the austral cold, in spite of the hard climate, as soon as they used clothes. Only the fire and its special metabolic adaptation (corporal temperature a degree superior to ours) maintained to them I warm up. They even carried bonfires ignited in the canoes of crust of lenga that used to fish and to hunt marine mammals.


Future:
Capital of the Tierra Del Fuego province. Although it is not a great city - its population does not exceed the 7,000 people counts on all the basic services (doctors and of communication), automatic hotels, restaurants and banks and tellers. One of the main characteristics of Future is its calm and safe atmosphere.

- Museum “Fernando Rusque Lamb”: It owns an interesting sample of fueguina fauna and a section of Archeology and Anthropology, where they emphasize the rest of the momificado body of a native of the island.

- The Place of Arms: In the place is the Church San Francisco de Sales, Old construction of aims of century XIX, risen thanks to the inspiration of Monsignor Fagnano, pertaining at your service Salesiana.

- The costanera: It includes the street Manuel Señoret and the avenue Santa Maria. In this one is the Place of the Flags, the Croatian Park, the Park of the Memory, that reunites an interesting sample of machineries of old vehicles, that date from aims of the XIX. In the place it emphasizes the Monument to natural wood the Selknam Indian, made.


Sites of interest in the island:

- Cord Baquedano and Circuito de Oro: they are two of Earth the stellar routes of the Fire. They are to 50 kilometers the east of the Future and the total route covers a distance with 115 kilometers. The traveller will enjoy magnificent images of the Strait of Magellan and will cross zones of gold extraction in which centennial techniques are used and where constructions raised with blocks exist of I graze.

- Historical Circuit cultural Useless Bay: To the south of Future, following the international way. In the passage Santa Maria enjoys itself the beauty of the lagoon, reserve of aquatic birds, between honor the swans of black neck, ivory palms, flamenco and other species of birds.
The route leads to the sector of Useless Bay, called thus by an expedition of British hydrographers who, in 1827, determined that a port in that place could not be constructed.

- Hill Hat: it is the capital of the commune Spring. One is in the Earth north of the Fire and at the end of the decade of the 50 it was an oil camping, constructed by North American architects who imitated the model of the cities of their country. In the Hill outskirts Hat, is the first oil well Earth shortage of the Fire, in 1945. To 60 kilometers, in direction the northwest, a playera strip of 15 kilometers exists, that have the particularitity of being interoceanic, that is to say, the Pacific and the Atlantic are in the union between. In the place it is possible to be observed abundant marine fauna and oil platforms. At the end of the section, next to the limit with Argentina, is the Cabo Light Spirit Santo, who guided the shipping traffic of the ships that furrowed the seas.

- Vicu6na Circuit Channel of Beagle: an impressive adventure in which it is possible to be fished seas bass and pejerreyes with the hands (is in the border when lowering the tide); to walk or to ride by footpaths that the guides only know experience; to appreciate forest virgin, Lagos hidden and spectacular glaciers.

- White Lake: ideal for the fishing of brown trouts and rainbow, with synthetic mosquitos. To 11 kilometers is the Valley of the Beavers, where these animal introduced to the Earth of the Fire from Canada, construct its docks before the engrossed glance of the travellers. A distance of 210 kilometers separates the White lake of Future.

- Bay Hills: it is an observatory of migratory birds, like chorlo playero that comes from the north of Chile and Argentina. Also it is possible to appreciate spice comings of the United States, Canada and until of Siberia. One is in Earth the North sector of the Fire.

- National Park Alberto de Agostini: it has an extension of 1.460.000 hectares and one is to 80 nautical miles to south-east of End Sands and the west of Port Williams. Its attractive main one is the mountain range Darwin, a chain that extend by ice fields and blizzards that slip down by slopes of their mountains, in the direction of fiords, sines and channels.

- Marinelli Glacier: he is most beautiful and extensive of the zone. It owns ice walls of a height of almost 40 meters. Their imposing presence and attractive line of vision justify the long trip, in which there is to cross the Strait of Magellan and to continue the route by the Whiteside Channel, between the island Dawson and the Earth of the Fire. The glacier is located in the Ainsworth bay and comprises of the mountain range of Darwin.

- Cabo de Hornos: she was the unique one communication channel between the Pacific and the Atlantic. Its discovery abrió the route of the marine commerce between Europe and America. Their waters were furrowed by boats to steam and trotamundos sailboats, until the construction of the Panama Canal. It was shortage in 1616 by the Dutch shipbuilders Shouten and Him Maire, that looked for a new one via in the Pacific. Since then it was the maximum challenge for the sailors of the world, many of which died when trying to draw for it. In tribute to those brave ones, a sculpture of an albatross in flight has been elevated.

- City of Port Williams: it is most austral of the world and main urban center of the Amber island. It has a population of 2,500 inhabitants and its name derives from the founder of the Bulnes Fort, Juan Williams. One is to the Earth south of the Fire and the north of the Cape Horn.

Recommendations: Due to the low temperatures and to strong patagónicos winds, he is indispensable to wear impermeable clothes of shelter, jackets and pants, thermal t-shirts and socks, caps with lappets and gloves; besides windbreak, shoe and glasses of sun with protection UV with rubber sole.
Also they must take some light articles, like short pants, necessary sandals and t-shirts, articles for the demurrage in the hotels (they have heating), besides solar protection (minimum factor 30) for face and lips, and repulsive of mosquitos.

A secret to enjoy the Earth excursions of the Fire to the maximum, is to get dressed in layers. First it must be synthetic fabric underclothes, that eliminate the sweating and maintain the body dry. They must avoid cotton articles, because these become damp with facility.

The intermediate layer must be light and to allow the passage of the corporal humidity; and, third, it must isolate the traveller of the external elements, like the water and the wind, although he is indispensable that counts on good ventilation.

To visit Tierra Del Fuego is a trip to the “aim of the world” and a door abierta to the imagination, remembering that way sailed Darwin, Cook and Magallanes.