Puerto Williams is a
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an port, located on
Isla NavarinoIsla Navarino is a Chilean island located strategically between Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, to the north, and Cape Horn, to the south. The island forms part of the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, the southernmost commune in Chile and in the world, belonging to Antártica Chilena Province in the XII...
facing the
Beagle Channelthumb|right|300px|Aereal view of Beagle Channel. The Chilean [[Navarino Island]] is seen in the top-right while the Argentine part of [[Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]] is seen at the bottom-left....
. It is the capital of
the Chilean Antarctic ProvinceAntártica Chilena Province is the southernmost and one of four provinces in Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region . The capital is Puerto Williams...
, one of four
provincesA province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....
located in the Magellan and Chilean Antartica Region. It has a population of a little over 2,000, including both naval personnel and civilians, and many of the houses in Puerto Williams belong to the
Chilean Navy-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
. Puerto Williams is the southernmost city in the world, a title that is disputed for commercial interests by
UshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
a larger Argentine settlement, located on the opposite, northern side of the Beagle Channel.
The settlement was named after
John Williams WilsonJohn Williams Wilson was an English sailor born in Bristol to a family with a long seafaring tradition. After acquiring his first sailing experience with his father, he traveled to South America, entering the Chilean Navy in 1824 and rising to the rank of lieutenant.Having participated in early...
who founded
Fuerte BulnesFuerte Bulnes is a Chilean fort located by the Strait of Magellan, 62 km south of Punta Arenas. It was founded in 1843 over a rocky hill at Punta Santa Ana, under the command of President Manuel Bulnes Prieto....
the first Chilean settlement in the
Strait of MagellanThe Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
.
Puerto Luisa was its original name. Since its foundation in 1953 the settlement has served primarily as a naval base. But recently navy personnel living in Puerto Williams have decreased while civil population has increased. In recent years tourism has contributed to an increase in economic activity at Puerto Williams.
Universidad de MagallanesUniversity of Magallanes is a university in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during the neoliberal reforms of the Chile's military regime as the successor of Universidad Técnica del...
has a university centre in Puerto Williams.
Overview
Puerto Williams is a major hub for scientific activity linked to Antarctica and the islands south of
Isla Grande de Tierra del FuegoIsla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan...
. The University of Magallanes has a university centre in Puerto Williams and weather stations and lighhouses in Cape Horn and
Diego Ramírez IslandsThe Diego Ramírez Islands are a small group of lesser islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile about south-west of Cape Horn and south-south-east of Ildefonso Islands, stretching north-south . Their land area is little more than...
are supplied from Puerto Williams. Puerto Williams has been instrumental for asserting sovereignty around Cape Horn and supporting Chile's Antarctic bases. The port is also frequently visited by tourists going to Cape Horn or Antarctica and has a tourism industry developed around the concept of
"the world's most southern" a niche it shares with the Argentine city of
UshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
. The Chilean Navy runs the city's airport and hospital as well as nearby meteorological stations. Puerto Williams also serves as provision and service centre for fishermen and has and is also used by the Chilean navy to enforce the Chile's fishing rights in the economic exclusive zone around the southern part of Tierra del Fuego where lucrative
lithodes santolla fishing is an important industry.
Demography and southernmost city claims
Based on some definitions of what a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
is Puerto Williams could be the southernmost city in the world. Chilean
mediaThe news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
and Puerto Williams administration report it to be the southernmost city in the world. A 1998 article in the Argentine newspaper
ClarínClarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
reported that the designation "Southernmost city in the world" had been transferred to Puerto Williams by a joint committee from Argentina and Chile, but this was denied by Argentine authorities, and the Secretariat of Tourism of Argentina continues to use the slogan in official documentation and web sites to describe
UshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
.
Puerto Williams' claim is based on the fact that there are no larger permanent settlements and no settlements with the same amount of services and infrastructure further south. Between 1982 and 2002 the population of Puerto Williams grew from 1,059 to 1,952: an increase of 84%. Puerto Williams, since 1982, is considered an urban entity by Chile's
National Statistics InstituteThe National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
(
INE), although the department itself classifies a city to be an urban entity with more than 5,000 residents
Demographic evolution of Puerto Williams
| Year | PW population |
| 2002 |
1,952 |
| 1992 |
1,550 |
| 1982 |
1,047 |
| 1970 |
696 |
| 1960 |
302 |
Local celebrations
Glorias Navales Regata: In the last week of May,there is a sailing competition with sailors from all parts of the world. The competition is on its 7th session and has more than 300 participants every year.The journey starts from the city's port and take the fjords route. The
regattaA regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
is part of the Chilean Navy's
Month of the Sea activities that conmemorates the Naval battle of Iquique in 1879.
Fiesta de la nieve: Celebrating the winter season on July, the city celebrates the winter with snow games, cars and rodeos,in a celebration that last 6 days.
Services and facilities
- Airport - Guardia Marina Zañartu Airport
- Bank - Banco de Chile
Banco de Chile , is the second biggest banking group of Chile, behind Banco Santander-Chile and ahead of BBVA Chile...
- Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
- Hospital - Naval Hospital of Puerto Williams
The Naval Hospital of Puerto Williams is a hospital in the city of Puerto Williams, run by the Chilean Navy....
- Hostal
A hostal is a type of lodging found mostly in Spain and Hispanic America. Hostales tend to be cheaper than hotels. They normally have a bar and/or a restaurant/cafeteria where drinks and food are sold to guests and locals alike....
s
- Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
- Lakataia
- Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
- Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
- Micalvi Yacht Club
- City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
of AntárticaThe Chilean Antarctic Territory is the territory in Antarctica claimed by Chile. The Chilean Antarctic Territory ranges from 53°W to 90°W and from the South Pole to 60°S, partially overlapping Argentine and British Antarctic claims...
and Cabo de HornosCabo de Hornos is a Chilean commune located in the south of Tierra del Fuego archipelago, in Antártica Province, Magallanes Region. The municipality of Cabo de Hornos, located in the town of Puerto Williams, also administers the Antártica commune...
communes
- Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
- Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum
- Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
(Retén de Carabineros)
- Primary and secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
- Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s
- Sea port and cruise home port
- Tourism office
- University centre of Universidad de Magallanes
University of Magallanes is a university in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during the neoliberal reforms of the Chile's military regime as the successor of Universidad Técnica del...
- Roman Catholic Church
Climate
The climate of Puerto Williams is a subpolar oceanic climate (
Cfc) according to the
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The summer are short, cool while the winters long, wet, but yet moderated. Rainfalls are around 3000 mm (118 in) a year and temperatures are steady throughout the year. Snowfall can occur in summer. The cold and wet summers help preserve
glacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s. Exposed areas around Puerto Williams possess subantarctic climate typical of
tundraIn physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
that makes the growth of trees impossible. Regions in the world with similar climates to southern Tierra del Fuego are:
Aleutian islands,
IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
,
Alaska PeninsulaThe Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
and
Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
.
Tourism
Tourism is one of the main economic activities of Puerto Williams. The community has a small airport. Most lodgings for tourists are hostels. There are several trails for multi-day hikes and back-packing trips in the
Dientes de NavarinoDientes de Navarino are a mountain range in Navarino Island located just south of Puerto Williams, along the Beagle Channel coast....
mountains south of Puerto Williams. Remains of Indian campsites and fishtraps can be found along the coast east of the city. Puerto Williams is home to the Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum, which depicts the lives of both the
YamanaYamana may mean:* Yámana, an alternate name for the Yaghan language and people, in Chile and Argentina* Yamana clan, a Japanese clan * Yamana Gold Inc., a Canadian-based gold mining company operating in South and Central America...
or Yahgan and
SelknamThe Selk'nam, also known as the Onawo, lived in the Patagonian region of southern Chile and Argentina including the Tierra del Fuego islands...
peoples who once inhabited
Tierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. For easy exploration of some of the subantarctic forest, the
Omora Ethnobotanical ParkOmora Ethnobotanical Park is a protected area of Chile located west of Puerto Williams on Navarino Island in the extreme southern Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region. The Omora Park is a research, education and conservation center for the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve...
is five kilometres down the road to the west.
The
Cape Horn National ParkCabo de Hornos National Park is located in the Cape Horn Archipelago, which belongs to the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, in the Antártica Chilena Province of Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region. It was created in 1945 and includes the Wollaston Archipelago and the Hermite Islands. The park covers...
may be reached by boat from Puerto Williams. During the summer months (January–March), private sailing boats and charter yachts use "PW" as a departure port for Cape Horn and the
Antarctic PeninsulaThe Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
; the half-sunken M/V Micalvi serves as a yacht club.
Transport
Access is by daily air service provided by
Aerovías DAPAerovías DAP is an airline based in Punta Arenas, Chile. It operates scheduled and charterservices in the southern Patagonia area, Antarctic continent and also operates flights on behalf of the state-owned oil company, ENAP. Its main baseIs Carlos Ibanez Del Campo International Airport, Punta...
or by weekly ro-ro ferry 'Bahía Azul' from Punta Arenas, 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) to the north. In the summer months it is also possible to reach Puerto Williams by either the RIB 'Calafate' which connects
UshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
with Puerto Navarino or by chartered light aircraft or yachts. Berths can sometimes be found on yachts sailing between the two ports. There is no regular link with Argentina and connection to Ushuaia is restricted for political reasons.
Naval base
Puerto Williams is one of the principal naval bases of the
Chilean Navy-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
. The base is used as start point for patrol, reconnaissance missions and rescues in the areas of
Beagle Channelthumb|right|300px|Aereal view of Beagle Channel. The Chilean [[Navarino Island]] is seen in the top-right while the Argentine part of [[Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]] is seen at the bottom-left....
,
Cape HornCape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, Drake's Passage and the
Antarctic PeninsulaThe Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
. The Chilean Navy operates Guardia Marina Zañartu Airport and the
Naval Hospital of Puerto WilliamsThe Naval Hospital of Puerto Williams is a hospital in the city of Puerto Williams, run by the Chilean Navy....
in Puerto Williams. Navy personnel makes up a considerable portion of the population although the navy personnel population has diminished in recent years. The following
patrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s and ships are stationed at Puerto Williams:
- PSG Sibbald
- PSG Isaza
- LSG Hallef
- LSG Alacalufe
- PM Puerto Williams
See also
- Southernmost settlements
Southernmost settlements are cities, towns, weather stations or permanent military bases which are further south than latitude 45° S. They are closely related to the Southern Ocean or either the Roaring Forties or Furious Fifties.- Southernmost city :...
- Beagle conflict
The Beagle Conflict was a border dispute between Chile and Argentina over the possession of Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands and the scope of the maritime jurisdiction associated with those islands that brought the countries to the brink of war in 1978....
- Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve
- Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
External links