Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 471

ACCOMMODATION
Camping Los Perros (Vertice). Halfway between the
John Garner pass and the Refugio Dickson , this campsite
comes equipped with hot showers, a food shop and
equipment rental; l; meals h ave to be reserved in advance.
Camping/person CH$3500
Camping Serón (Fantástico Sur). Partially shaded
campsite on the Circuit beside the Río Paine; hot showers ,
toilets, and a guardería on-site. Camping/person CH$4000
Mountain Lodge & Camping Grey (Vertice). A small
popular refugio a stone's throw from Glacier Grey; book
meals in advance. Campsite includes hot sh owers and
a small on -site grocery store. Camping/person CH$3500 ,
basic beds CH$17,300
Mountain Lodge & Camping Paine Grande (Vertice).
The campsite, where you can rent gear, has an indoor
cooking area, hot showers and bathrooms. The popular
lodge has great views of Lago Pehoé, as well as a small
grocery store, café-bar and restaurant, t hough the food
is de cidedly unins piring. Camping/person CH$4800 , basic
beds CH$26,500
Refugio & Camping El Chileno (Fantástico Sur). A
popular stop halfway along the Valle Ascencio, this refugio
offers kitchen privileges after cert ain hours a s well as hot
meals. Camping/person CH$6000 , basic beds CH$23,500
Refugio & Camping Los Cuernos (Fantástico Sur).
Refugio serving good meals, with kitchen privileges after
10pm; campers share bathroom facilities with refugio guests.
Campi ng spots a re sheltered among veg etation. Camping/
person CH$8000 , basic beds CH$23,500
Refugio & Camping Las Torres (Fantástico Sur). Near
the entrance to the park, this refugio is split between two
buildings and has comfortable bunks as well as decent
food. Camping spots have hot showers, picnic tables and
fire pits. More upmarket eating can be found at the excel-
lent re staurant a t nearby Hostería Las Torres. Camping/
person CH$6000 , basic beds CH$22,500
Shelter & Camping Dickson (Vertice). On the shore of
Lago Dickson, this refugio offers hot showers and hot
meals, and has a small ll grocer y kiosk an d equipmen t
rental. Camping/person CH$350 , basic beds CH$17,300

1914, the frigid waters around Cape
Horn - the largest ship graveyard in the
Americas - formed a link in the perilous
yet lucrative trade route from Europe to
the west coast of the Americas.
Tierra del Fuego's Isla Grande is split
between Chile and Argentina; the
Chilean half features the nondescript
town of Porvenir , settled by a mixture
of Chilote and Croatian immigrants in
the late nineteenth century, as well as a
number of remote sheep-rearing estancias .
The Argentine half includes the lively
town of Ushuaia (see p.144), the base for
Antarctic voyages. The region's biggest
natural draw is southern Tierra del
Fuego - a scattering of rocky islands,
separated by labyrinthine fjords, home
to the craggy Darwin Range and the
southernmost permanently inhabited
town in the world - Isla Navarino's
Puerto Williams .

4

PUERTO WILLIAMS
Although Argentine Ushuaia, on the
north side of the Beagle Channel, loudly
proclaims its “end of the world” status,
that title rightfully belongs to PUERTO
WILLIAMS . Home to just over two
thousand people and the last remaining
Yámana people (relocated here in 1941),
the windblown town has a desolate
quality to it even in the height of the
brief summer. In contrast to the weather,
the people of Puerto Williams are
exceptionally warm and welcoming;
you get a real sense of a close-knit
community. Many travellers come
to Puerto Williams to complete the
challenging 70km Los Dientes de
Navarino Circuit - a strenuous four-
to seven-day clockwise trek in the Isla
Navarino wilderness for experienced
hikers only (see box, p.476).

Tierra del Fuego
The most remote of Chile's land
territories, TIERRA DEL FUEGO was named
“Land of Fire” by Fernando Magellan,
who sailed through the strait that now
bears his name in 1520, and saw a
multitude of cooking fires lit by the
native hunter-gatherers. From then on
until the opening of the Panama Canal in

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The worthwhile Museo Antropológico
Martin Gusinde , at Aragay 1 (Nov-
March Tues-Fri 9.30am-1pm &
3-6pm, Sat & Sun 2.30-6.30pm;
April-Oct Tues-Fri 9.30am-1.30pm
& 2.30-5.30pm, Sat 2.30-5.30pm;
donations; T 61 621043,