The light house with the Argentine mainland in the background
The lighthouse at the end of the world and the beautiful island on which it lies inspired one of Jules Verne’s lesser known – though just as thrilling – books. A David and Goliath story between Vasquez, the tenacious light house keeper, and Kongre the sadistic pirate. The lighthouse is built on the Isla de los Estados island some 29 kilometers from the mainland of Argentina’s southern most province Tierra del Fuego. The entire island is an exceptionally pretty provincial reserve made up of low mountains covered with a forest of Nothfagus (Southern Beech) and its shores are a series of stunning coves and fjords. It is a completely wild place and other than its large colonies of seals and penguins it is home only to four lonely marines.
One of the island’s many beautiful coves
You can reach the island by boat though there is also a fantastic ride that takes you over the Andes mountains and along the windswept Patagonian beaches to the very tip of Tierra del Fuego; from where, on a clear day, you can see the island.
Riding to the end of the world
