History
After Magellan made it through the Magellan Straits, he started exploring the region coming upon a land inhabited by “giants so tall that the tallest of us only came up to their waist”. This region, north of the 330nm long strait, was thereafter known as Patagonia, named after the fictional giant ‘Patagon’ who was famous in Spanish novels at the time. The region south of the straits was labeled ‘Tierra del Fuego’ (Land of Fire), after Magellan spotted numerous glowing campfires during dark and overcast nights.
Explorers like Francis Drake, James Cook, Louis Antoine de Bougainville, Robert Fitzroy, Charles Darwin, Joshua Slocum – to name a few – gave names to landmarks found on the charts such as Cape Horn, Drake Passage, Beagle Channel, Pio XI glacier, English Narrows, and many more.
Before these adventurers made their mark, the land was inhabited by indigenous groups such as the Yagan and Selk’nam in Tierra del Fuego, and the Alakaluf and Chonos in the rest of Patagonia. The centuries that followed saw waves of immigrants from northern and central Europe blending with the native population to create a mixed culture.
Once the Chilean government was formed in 1810, it sent exploration expeditions to all the Southern Territory. Fuerte Bulnes, a Chilean fort located on the continental side of the Strait of Magellan, was built in 1843 to further the country’s colonization policies in Southern Chile and to protect the Strait of Magellan.
The cities Punta Arenas (1848) and Puerto Montt (1853) were founded in the 19th century, followed by the founding of the smaller cities of Puerto Natales (1911), Puerto Aysen (1914), and Puerto Williams (1953) in the 20th century, along with smaller towns in between.
Businessmen started exploring the area at the beginning of the 20th century establishing sheep and cattle farming, forestry and whaling industries and also searched for other natural resources. Even though not all of the companies which explored Patagonia ended up installing premises there, their initiative caused a migration movement towards the region.
Today, the region continues to exploit the natural resources at hand, but with high ecological awareness. At the same time, the Chilean government and the regional institutions are giving more importance to eco and luxury tourism, understanding that the area is of exceptional beauty, unique in the world.
Most of Patagonia’s uninhabited land has been declared National Parks creating the Route of Parks, an over 1,300 nm scenic cruising route between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn, spanning 17 national parks, protecting nearly two-thirds of Patagonia’s stunning landscapes and abundant marine life, and impressive flora and fauna.