Isla de los Estados Argentina Staten Island
Argentina

7 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Lindblad Expeditions (7 Cruises)

Isla de los Estados | Cruise Port Guide

Jules Verne never set foot here, and yet he brought this end-of-the-world outpost into the imagination of millions of readers. "The Lighthouse at the End of the World" draws its inspiration from the San Juan de Salvamento light, lit in 1884 on the northeastern tip of Isla de los Estados, the first Argentine lighthouse in the southern seas. The island itself never needed literature to impress sailors: a ridge of black mountains and fjords, battered by the wind, twenty-nine kilometres east of Tierra del Fuego. Protected as a nature reserve by Argentina, its only permanent occupants are a small naval detachment, rotated out several times a year.

Crossing the Le Maire Strait

Between the main island of Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados stretches a channel that navigators approach with real respect: fierce tidal currents, short, choppy waves, and a well-earned reputation. Only small expedition ships venture this far, and fewer than a thousand travellers set eyes on these shores each year. The crossing itself is part of the adventure; albatrosses and giant petrels escort the hull, and the snow-capped peaks slowly grow larger through the mist. Sailors of old nicknamed these waters the graveyard of ships; old charts here bore warnings rather than routes.

The Lighthouse and Its Replica

In the cove of San Juan de Salvamento, a modest, many-sided wooden structure still watches over the entrance to the anchorage. It's a replica, set up in 1998 by a French team devoted to Verne; the original, dismantled, is preserved in Ushuaia. A Zodiac visit, when the sea allows it, leaves a lasting impression: this small, remote light once guided sailing ships that had survived rounding Cape Horn, and its nickname is no exaggeration. In the 19th century, the sailor Luis Piedrabuena kept a rescue base for shipwrecked sailors in these waters; the records of the time say enough about what these coasts did to careless ships.

Fjords, Dwarf Forests, and Penguins

The Zodiacs thread their way into deep bays such as Puerto Cook, where the remains of old military outposts and a 19th-century penal colony, later moved to Ushuaia, still linger. Some itineraries also attempt Puerto Hoppner, an anchorage like a Russian nesting doll: a narrow passage leading to an inner basin ringed by forest, where only waterfalls disturb the silence. On land, low, dense southern forests cling to the slopes, twisted by the wind; on the shores, Magellanic penguins waddle about, watched over by sea lions sprawled among the rocks. Offshore, it's not unusual to spot the blow of hunting orcas, and cormorants dive in squadrons through the passages. Every outing depends entirely on conditions: the island grants its favours, but never promises them, and expedition leaders always keep a backup plan tucked away.

A Visit That Has to Be Earned

  • Controlled-access nature reserve: landings are limited and supervised by the expedition team.
  • Full foul-weather gear, boots, and gloves; the strait's sea spray is icy in every season.
  • Flexibility required: the program is decided hour by hour, depending on sea and wind.
  • Binoculars and a zoom lens: the wildlife allows a close approach, but the light changes fast.

As the ship turns west again, the San Juan lantern disappears first, swallowed by low clouds. That's the moment to reread Verne, a hot cup of tea in hand, now knowing exactly what the novel's setting truly looks like; the wind, for its part, never quite stops. The strait closes behind the ship like a door. Few ever make it this far; fewer still forget it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Twenty-nine kilometres east of Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina. It is a ridge of black mountains and fjords battered by wind, designated a reserve, whose only permanent occupants are a small navy detachment rotated several times a year.
It is the one that inspired him. The San Juan de Salvamento light, lit in 1884 on the island's northeast point, was Argentina's first lighthouse in southern waters. Jules Verne never set foot here.
No. It is a replica installed in 1998 by a French team devoted to Verne. The original was dismantled and is preserved in Ushuaia.
By crossing the Le Maire Strait, a stretch of water with violent tidal currents and short steep waves. Only small expedition ships venture here, and fewer than a thousand travellers set eyes on these coasts each year.
It is a nature reserve with controlled access : landings are limited and supervised by the expedition teams. Every outing depends entirely on conditions, and expedition leaders always keep a backup plan.
A deep bay holding the remains of old military installations and a 19th century penitentiary, later moved to Ushuaia. Zodiacs work their way in when the sea allows.
An anchorage nested like a Russian doll : a narrow entrance, then an inner basin ringed by forest, where only waterfalls break the silence. Some itineraries attempt to enter it.
Magellanic penguins waddling on the shores, sea lions sprawled among the rocks, cormorants diving in squadrons through the channels. Offshore, the blow of hunting orcas is not a rare sight.
Low, dense southern forest, twisted by the wind, clinging to the slopes. Nothing grows straight here : the wind decides the shape of the trees.
Sailors of old called these waters the graveyard of ships, and old charts carried warnings here rather than routes. In the 19th century the mariner Luis Piedrabuena kept a rescue base nearby for castaways.