- Links: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean;
- Countries: Chile, Argentina;
- Separates: the island of Tierra del Fuego and the southern part of the archipelago Tierra del Fuego.
The Beagle Strait is a narrow strait connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic. It separates the southern part of the island of Tierra del Fuego from the archipelago and the islands of Oste, Navarino and others, while its more famous neighbor, the Magellanian Strait, traverses Tierra del Fuego from the north. Its width varies from 4 to 14 km, and the length is about 180 km. The strait is of strategic importance, since it divides the borders of Chile and Argentina. In the late 70s of the 20th century, the countries were on the verge of war because of mutual territorial claims to the strait of the country, but with the mediation of the Vatican the conflict was settled. The Beagle Channel is considered to be the southernmost strait on the Earth, and everyone who visits the tour receives a commemorative certificate attesting to this.
Story of the Strait
The name of the strait was given by the famous naturalist, the founder of the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin, in honor of his ship "Beagle", on which he sailed around the South American continent. The mountains surrounding the strait are called the Darwin-Cordillera and are very popular. On the shores of the strait, villages appeared, the largest of them Ushuaia, was an important port. After the discovery of the Panama Canal, the ships had no need to circumambulate the continent of the south, and Ushuaia became a place of exile for the prisoners. At the moment it is the largest tourist point of the strait, which is also the base for the following in the Antarctic and around-the-world liners.
What to see in the Beagle Channel?
Famous settlements on the banks of the Beagle Channel - the city of Ushuaia, the military base of Puerto Williams, and the small fishing village of Puerto Toro, officially considered the southernmost inhabited place in the world. During the sea walk along the strait you can see sea lions and seals, penguins, glaciers, a picturesque panorama of wild Chilean nature, feel the icy breath of Antarctica. A standard 2.5-hour excursion includes a visit to several islands, necessarily a bird's island and an island of sea lions, as well as islands with the lighthouse of Les Eclère, which is called the "Lighthouse on the Edge of the Earth." Further it is only a lighthouse on Cape Horn.
How to get there?
The southernmost Chilean city on the mainland is Punta Arenas . It can rent a car, cross a ferry to Porvenir - a city on Tierra del Fuego , and through the island go to the strait or to the city of Ushuaia. This trip will need to cross the border of Chile and Argentina, and this should be warned the customer. A visa is not required to enter Argentina, but documents on the trip will not interfere.