Puerto Williams is a town on Isla Navarino (in Chile's Magallanes Region) and the world's southernmost settlement. The town overlooks the Beagle Channel and, beyond that, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego's southern coast. To the south, the jagged teeth of Dientes de Navarino tower over the tiny town. The impressive mountain range is home to world-class trekking and packs of wild dogs.
Named after John Williams Wilson, a British-Chilean navy commander, the town was established in the 1950s as a base for the Chilean Navy. Today, many of Puerto Williams' residents are active military-service members. The town's port serves as a hub for tourism and scientific excursions bound for Antarctica and the islands south of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Separated from mainland Chile by a 32-hour ferry ride through rugged fjords and uninhabited islands, the town is served by Aeropuerto Guardiamarina Zañartu. Residents of Puerto Williams are granted a number of subsidized flights to the Chilean mainland each year. Most tourists opt to arrive via ferry, from either Punta Arenas or Ushuaia.
Best in Puerto Williams
Eat
Simon & Simon
Largest supermarket in Puerto Williams, featuring a wide range of groceries, including beer, wine and fresh produce. The store is owned and operated by Simon, a local legend who keeps the mood upbeat with smooth, groovy tunes. Credit cards accepted. Located on Calle Piloto Pardo.
Stay
Refugio El Padrino
Bright hostel located across from the ferry docks. The hostel features a beautiful garden, cozy living area and fully-equipped kitchen, where guests often prepare delicious, home-cooked, shared meals. If you prefer to camp, check out nearby Camping El Padrino (owned and operated by the same good people).
Ferries from Puerto Williams
To Punta Arenas
La Ruta del Yaghan
Epic ferry ride through the Chilean fjords, out into the Pacific Ocean, then into the Strait of Magellan. Glaciers and marine wildlife can be admired from the deck. If there are a sufficient number of empty sofa-bed seats, pullman-seat passengers might be upgraded to Sofa-bed seats, free of charge, after boarding.
Duration: 32 hours
Rates: $109,000 (Pullman seat); $152,000 (Sofa-bed seat)
Distance: ~560 km
To Ushuaia
Beagle Channel Crossing
Bus from Puerto Williams to Puerto Navarino, board a small boat and cross the Beagle Channel. Crossings are daily (except Sunday) and often cancelled due to inclement weather. Buses leave from the building across the street from Turismo Shila. Due to passport-control procedures taking place in Puerto Williams, it is not possible to cycle to Puerto Navarino and skip the bus portion of the crossing.
Duration: 2.5 hours
Rate: ~ $135 USD (+$20 USD for Saturday/holiday crossings)
Distance: 54 km (land); 7.4 km (channel)
Service: Turismo Shila
Isla Navarino is traversed by one road: the southernmost highway on earth. From end-to-end, the highway (Y-905) is ~80 km. Puerto Williams is located ~23 km west of the the route's eastern-most point. Puerto Navarino, a port where ferries depart for, and arrive from, Ushuaia sits at the highway's western terminus.
The highway overlooks the Beagle Channel and, beyond that, the south coast of Tierra del Fuego. The road itself is 100% ripio, in decent condition, and with some short-but-steep ups and downs. Consider leaving some of your pack at your accommodation in Puerto Williams. You won't regret it on the uphills. It can get extremely windy along the coast, especially in areas exposed to the prevailing westerly winds. Plan your wild camping spots accordingly. East of Puerto Williams, the highway experiences very little traffic. West of Puerto Williams, the highway is undergoing construction. Local traffic is minimal, but fast-moving. As always, be alert. Look for seals, marine birds (including cormorants), geese, wild dogs and horses.
Trek Isla Navarino
Dientes de Navarino Circuit
An extremely difficult 50-kilometer (4-5 day) trek around Isla Navarino's jagged centerpiece, the Dientes de Navarino. There isn't really a trail and trekkers must follow cairns (stacked stones) and painted symbols. It's very common for trekkers to take a wrong turn as the trek passes through forests and alongside lakes. The surrounding area is protected land (Omora Ethnobotanical Park) and used for research/education. The trek should only be attempted during summer. Be prepared for unpredictable weather conditions! Be sure to register your plans with the police in Puerto Williams (in case you go missing!)
Lago Windhond Sendero
Follow the Río Uquika valley into Isla Navarino's rugged interior. The poorly marked trail descends into Lago Windhond, where the trail ends. There, trekkers can take shelter in Refugio Charles. Near Lago Windhond, trekkers may choose to navigate a difficult 8 km mountain pass (Monte Bettinelli) which connects with the Dientes de Navarino Circuit. This trek should only be attempted in the summer and, even then, the weather is severely unpredictable. The trek begins south of Puerto Williams. Look for the invasive North-American beaver.
History Spotlight
John Williams Wilson
John Williams Wilson (1798-1857) was a British/Chilean sailor. Born in Bristol, England to a seafaring family, Wilson learned to sail at an early age. At the age of 25, he traveled to South America to enter the (newly organized) Chilean Navy under the command of Lord Cochrane. After arriving in Chile, he hispanicized name, becoming Juan Guillermos.
In 1843, Guillermos commanded a Chilean ship throughout southern South America, claiming the Strait of Magellan and adjacent territories on behalf of Chile. On this expedition, Wilson supervised the construction of Fuerte Bulnes on the Brunswick Peninsula (a location that proved to be too isolated and its population was later moved to Punta Arenas).
