At the bottom of the world is the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego (land of fire) separated from Patagonia by the Strait of Magellan. It lies at the very tip of the South American continent and is divided between Chile, with the larger portion, and Argentina. Windswept steppe dominates the northern half of the Isla Grande (big island) where Rio Grande, an old oil town, is the only centre of population. There are a couple of fabulous estancias, Viamonte constructed by Lucas Bridges and Estancia Maria Behety, famous for its brown-trout fishing.

At the centre of the Argentine side is the village of Tolhuin. It lies at the eastern end of Lago Fagnano, which is largely surrounded by Fuegian woodland. The southeastern part of Isla Grande is for the most part inaccessible. Just off the coast is Isla de los Estados (Staten Island), where there was once a penal colony. It is reputedly surrounded by fierce currents. To the south of the island in the most spectacular setting overlooking the magnificent Beagle Channel with snow-capped peaks forming its backdrop is Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly city. It is within easy reach of the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Farther along the Beagle Channel is Estancia Haberton, still home to the descendants of Thomas Bridges, an Anglican missionary who settled here in 1871. On the Chilean side the main town is Porvenir and south of Isla Grande across the Beagle Channel on Isla Navarino is the world’s most southerly town, Puerto Williams.