Puerto Williams
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Puerto Williams is a small Chilean port, located on Isla Navarino facing the Beagle Channel. Its latitude and longitude are . In 2002 the population was 1,952.
Puerto Williams is the capital of Antártica Chilena Province, one of four provinces located in the Magallanes Region. The much smaller village of Puerto Toro shares Isla Navarino with Puerto Williams, and lies to the southeast. Puerto Williams sometimes is said to be the southernmost "town" in the world, on the basis of this distinction in size.
The town was named after Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo, who founded Fuerte Bulnes (Fort Bulnes) on the Brunswick Peninsula in the 19th century. Puerto Williams, started as a naval base in the early 20th century, has a population of nearly 1,900, including both naval personnel and civilians. Access is by air or barge service from Punta Arenas, 350 kilometers to the north in Chile, or by private yacht charter from Ushuaia, Argentina. There is, however, no direct, continuous commercial link with Argentine territory.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism to Puerto Williams, now Comuna de Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn City) and Isla Navarino is being encouraged. The community is home to both an airport and lodging services. There are several trails for multi-day hikes and back-packing trips in the mountains south of Puerto Williams. Remains of the native peoples' campsites and fishtraps can be seen along the coast east of Puerto Williams. Puerto Williams is home to the Martín Gusinde Museum, which depicts the lives of the Yamana and Selknam peoples who once inhabited Tierra del Fuego. The Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) National Park may be reached by boat from Puerto Williams. The town serves as a useful jumping-off point for exploring this and other far-flung destinations.
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