Porvenir:
Provenir was settled during the goldrush, in 1883, by foreigners:first came the British, and then Croatian refugees during World War II. Filled with colorfully painted corrugated-iron houses, with the pristine Plaza de Armas at its center, the town has only a couple points of interest. The town cemetary (open Mon-Sun 8am-6pm) is a good place to "read the history of the town in the names of the dead" (Rough Guide). The Museo Provincial Fernando Cordero Rusque (north corner of the plaza, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat and Sun 11am-4pm; CH$500) holds photographs of miners and machinery from the gold rush era, and a few cameras from the early years of Chilean film. The museum doubles as a tourist office.

Cerro Sombrero:
Some 100km northeast of Porvenir lies Cerro Sombrero, Chilean Tierra del Fuego's other large town. Though it really holds no point of interest, its a good place to stock up on fuel or simply to rest.

Drive through the Baquedano Hills:
A small road leads east out of Porvenir into and accross the Baquedano Hills. This was where most of the gold in the region was discovered, and it surely shows: remnants of old mining machinery dot the area. The beginning of the drive offers a gorgeous view, looking back accross Porvenir.

Lago Blanco:
Though the northern parts of Chilean Tierra del Fuego could be called lifeless, arid plain, in the south there are thick forests where you can camp, fish, and hike. Lago Blanco is a beautiful sight. To get there, you'll need a rental car. Take the road from Porvenir that follows the coast - a very picturesque route. You'll pass through Bahia Inutil, and 99km after that, turn south at the crossroads. You'll pass a tiny English cemetary, filled with tombs with curious inscriptions, and as you drive, you'll get nice views of the bay. Just before the once - Scottish village of Cameron, the road winds inland and soon becomes surrounded by dense forest. After roughly 60km, during which you'll pass an old gold rush era dredge, you'll reach Lago Blanco. It is a sight to behold, hugged all around by densely wooded hills and snow-topped mountains. There are now some cabanas, but for the most part it makes an ideal place for escape. Making lodging arrangements can be difficult, as there are no phonelines, only radio phones.

Isla Navarino:
Isla Navarino is home to a naval base, Puerto Williams, an interesting place to visit. But apart from this, the island is largely unihabited wilderness, the landscape composed of stark peaks and quiet, remote valleys. The Cordon Dientes del Perro ("Dog's Teeth Rampart") has a 70km hiking trail called Los Dientes Circuit. This trail is fascinating, for it is more the product of the wanderings of indiginous gaunacos than of man. It leaves form the statue of the Virgin Mary, ikm west of town. The hike takes 4-7 days. Take ample supplies and be sure to anticipate bad weather. Puerto Williams's claim to fame, the main city on the island, is that it is the most southerly town in the world. Surrounded by the Cordon Dientes rough peaks, it is a small place. The only attraction here is the Museo Martin Gusinde (Comandante Aragay 1, Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and 3-6pm. Sat and Sun 3-6pm; CH$1500) Well displayed charts and maps help show how the region was settled and explored, since the time of the Fuegian Indians, through the gold rush era, to the current commercial shipping. There are also some trinkets collected from Cape Horn by kayakers.

Parque Etnobotanico Omora:
(whitethroatedcaracara@yahoo.com, www.vivalda.com/alp) is a private park named for the world's southernmost hummingbird. The park, near to Puerto Williams, is intended to serve partly as a reserve, protecting ñire and lenga forest. Here you can see different varities of birds, flora, and other wildlife.

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego:
12km from Ushuaia, in the Argentinian half of Tierra del Fuego, is the National Park that bears its name. This park protects 630 square kilometers of mountains, lakes, swamps, tundra and lush coastline. The park is divided into three main sections: Bahia Ensenada and Rio Pipo to the east, Lago Roca in the west, and the Lapataia to the south of Lago Roca, which includes Lago Verde. Here you can see a rainbow of different species of birds, and mammals such as guanacos, the rare sea otter, ibises, and the native and endangered Fuegian fox. The park also offers a variety of trails, most of which are very short--completed in under an hour. The Senda Costera (Coastal Path) is a recommended hike, as is Cerro Guanaco, located on the north side of Lago Roca.