Strait of Magellan

The waterway between the mainland of South America and the island of Tierra del Fuego, which leads from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean without going quite so far south as if the ship were going "around the horn" (south of Tierra del Fuego and all the islands close to South America). Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan on his ship's trip around the world.

A sea passage in Chile connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Tierra del Fuego.

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Sometimes referred to as "The Straits of Magellan", this is is a passage through the treacherous waters of Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America. Ferdinand Magellan first sailed through it in 1520 during his circumnavigation of the globe, and it was to bcome an important route for explorers and traders. Before the construction of the Panama Canal, it was a key passage for ships travelling between the two oceans, offering a safer alternative to the treacherous Cape Horn.

It is still used today by cargo ships, cruise liners, and fishing vessels, although it has lost much of its historical significance due to modern shipping routes. The region is rich in wildlife, home to penguins, sea lions, and whales, and boasts dramatic landscapes , with fjords (not just a Norwegian thing, you see?) and many islands, notably the Wollaston Islands.

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