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 Tierra del Fuego is the end of the inhabited world and is where South America finally dips into the icy southern waters that lead to Antarctica. The island of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) is separated from the mainland to the north by the Magellan Straits whilst to the south lies the Beagle Channel. The island is split territorially down the middle between Chile and Argentina. It gets its name from the fires lit by the indigenous Selk’nam inhabitants when Magellan first sailed through the newly discovered straits.
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and is snow bound from the end of May to the end of September although daytime temperatures in the Summer lie around 20 degrees centigrade. A boat trip from Ushuaia along the Beagle Channel will give you the chance to view seals, sea-lions, penguins, petrels, cormorants, Kelp geese and perhaps the black breasted albatross. From 1896, a notorious penal colony was established in Ushuaia with the objective of securing the recently claimed sovereignty and to open up the area to wider colonisation. Forced convict labour was used to build much of the local infrastructure and for logging the forests to help build the town. The prison had a reputation as a harsh regime until its final closure in 1947. The city lies on the southern coast and is nowadays the hub of tourism. It forms the main base for exploring the rugged beauty of the lands around the Beagle Channel.
 There is spectacular scenery around Ushuaia with mighty snow-capped peaks including the Darwin range to the west. The Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego has crystal clear lakes, mountains and wooded valleys of evergreen beech forests. The park can be explored by taking a rail trip along the track made by prisoners when the island was a penal colony. Nowadays, a small engine and miniature carriages ferry tourists through the park with stops at items of interest. The dinky little train even has a first class carriage if you can afford it! You can join a guided tour and continue through the scenic pak. There are many chances to spot interesting birds and wildlife such as the woodpecker given away by the distinctive sound of tapping against the bark. .
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