CHILE · ARGENTINA · SOUTHERN ARCHIPELAGO
01 — THRESHOLD
Isla Grande is divided by a political border, but its forests, peatlands, steppe and waters form a continuous system. To the south, the mountains break into channels; to the north, the land slopes towards wind-swept plains.
02 — PEATLANDS
Peatlands form slowly in saturated soils where plant material does not fully decompose. Península Mitre holds one of the largest concentrations of these wetlands at high southern latitudes.
Protecting them preserves their hydrological role and ability to store carbon. A track made off the trail can remain visible for years.
03 — A MOSAIC
Rainfall, topography and exposure to wind change the landscape over short distances.
Grasslands and low shrubs cover more open, drier terrain.
Lenga, ñirre and Magellanic southern beech extend down to lakes and shores.
Mosses and water build a natural archive that grows very slowly.
Glaciers, rock and peaks shape the southernmost Andes.
04 — BEAGLE CHANNEL
Along this coast, seaweeds, seabirds and mammals share the landscape with subantarctic forests. Kelp geese feed at the water's edge; albatrosses, steamer ducks, oystercatchers and cormorants use the channel and its bays.
In Tierra del Fuego National Park, Bahía Lapataia and Ensenada Zaratiegui reveal this remarkable meeting of Patagonian forest and marine shore.
05 — LIVING TERRITORIES
The fires that inspired the island's European name were signs of human presence. Selk'nam land and the Yaghan canoeing world are not a vanished prelude: their descendants, memories and demands remain part of the present.
06 — EXPLORING
Keeping to authorised routes prevents damage that is difficult to reverse.
Shores are feeding and resting grounds, not places to approach animals closely.
Wind, rain and temperature can change quickly, even in summer.
Recognising Indigenous territories deepens our understanding of the landscape.
07 — THE ISLAND IN DEPTH
Tierra del Fuego brings mountains, steppe, forest, peatlands and marine shores together on an island crossed by a border. This diversity comes from geology and climate, but also from human histories and recent transformations.
In the far south, the Andes turn towards a more west–east alignment and descend into islands and archipelagos. Flooded glacial valleys form sounds and channels such as the Beagle.
Plains and steppe dominate the north; mountains, forests and indented shores characterise the south. A journey of a few hours can cross this contrast, which represents geological processes spanning millions of years.
Mosses and other plants accumulate in saturated soils where decomposition is slow. Over time they form peat, storing carbon for centuries.
Drainage, extraction and off-trail movement break down a structure that recovers very slowly. Protecting peatlands helps regulate water, conserve biodiversity and avoid emissions.
Colonisation through livestock farming and urban settlement reshaped Indigenous territories and ecosystems. Introduced beavers altered waterways and forests by building dams in environments without an equivalent evolutionary history.
Restoration requires cooperation between Chile and Argentina. Ecologically, the island functions as a unit, even though its administration is divided.
This expanded text draws on the official sources listed at the end of the page.
08 — ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Brief answers to common questions, with links that help you understand the region further.
No. Isla Grande is divided between Chile and Argentina, and the archipelago includes many islands under different jurisdictions. Ecosystems, however, cross the border.
Early European navigators saw fires lit along the coast by Indigenous inhabitants. The name records that outside perspective, rather than the only way of naming the territory.
They were introduced into an environment without predators or forests adapted to their activity. Their dams flood soils, change waterways and cause trees to die.