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Puerto Williams on the shore of the Beagle Channel, with forested hills and snow-capped peaks rising behind the town

Puerto Williams

Puerto Williams, Chile, Silversea's Antarctic base on the Beagle Channel: how to get there, the fly-cruises and voyages that start here and their fares, what to do, and the weather.

W. Bulach, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

What is Puerto Williams, and which Antarctic trips leave from there?

Puerto Williams is a Chilean town of under 2,000 people on Navarino Island, which Chile calls the southernmost city in the world. It is Silversea's Antarctic base: guests fly in from Santiago in 3.5 hours, then sail across the Drake Passage or fly about 1.5 hours to King George Island. Silversea's 2026-27 voyages here start at $9,000 per guest.

Facts checked October 15, 2026 against 40 sources.

Puerto Williams at a glance

Map showing Puerto WilliamsPuerto Williams, 54°56′S, 67°37′WPuerto Williams
  1. July: no trips
  2. August: no trips
  3. September: no trips
  4. October: in season
  5. November: in season
  6. December: best
  7. January: best
  8. February: best
  9. March: in season
  10. April: no trips
  11. May: no trips
  12. June: no trips

Best Season

Type
Gateway town
Location
54°56′S, 67°37′W
Season
Silversea's Antarctic season and its hotel run from October to March; DAP flies from Punta Arenas Monday to Saturday from November to March.
Best months
December to February
Getting there
Fly with Aerovías DAP from Punta Arenas (about 1 hour 15 minutes), take TABSA's ferry from Punta Arenas (about 32 hours), or cross from Ushuaia by boat and road (about 3 hours). Silversea guests fly a charter from Santiago.
Wildlife
Subantarctic forests, mosses and lichens at Omora Ethnobotanical Park, inside the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, whose forests at 55 to 56 degrees south are the southernmost on the planet.
Landings
US citizens need no visa for Chile and can stay 90 days; declare animal and plant products to SAG. Register Dientes de Navarino and Lago Windhond hikes with the Carabineros police.

Puerto Williams is a small Chilean town on Navarino Island, facing the Beagle Channel, founded by the Navy and now the capital of Chile's Antártica Chilena province.12 The 2017 census counted 1,868 people in the town, and the 2024 census 1,750 in the whole Cabo de Hornos commune around it.34 For Antarctic travelers it matters for one reason: Silversea has made it the base for its Antarctic season, flying guests in from Santiago and starting voyages across the Drake Passage and fly-cruises to King George Island from here.56 It is also the trailhead for the Dientes de Navarino trek and the jumping-off point for Cape Horn.78

Is Puerto Williams the southernmost city in the world?

Chile says so. The government's provincial office and the official tourism site both call it the southernmost city in the world, and Chile's statistics institute classes it as a city even though it has fewer than 5,000 people, because it is a provincial capital.193 Ushuaia, across the channel in Argentina, is also widely described as the southernmost city.10 Chile has a further answer in Puerto Toro, a hamlet of 55 people on the east coast of Navarino Island, which the municipality calls the southernmost inhabited place in the world; visits are possible only on the last Sunday of each month, with prior registration.311

The town itself is young. The Chilean Navy opened the first house of a settlement called Puerto Luisa on November 2, 1953, and it was renamed Puerto Williams in 1956; the Yagán people have lived in the area for more than 6,000 years, and the Yagán community of Bahía Mejillones is based at Villa Ukika.112

How do you get to Puerto Williams?

By plane from Punta Arenas, by ferry, or by boat and road from Ushuaia:

RouteHow longSchedule and cost
Aerovías DAP flight from Punta ArenasAbout 1 hour 15 minutesLeaves Punta Arenas at 8:00, Monday to Saturday from November to March (five days a week in October); 22 lb (10 kg) checked plus 11 lb (5 kg) cabin baggage; seats are limited and DAP publishes no fares online139
TABSA ferry Kawéskar from Punta ArenasAbout 32 hours, weather permittingUsually Thursdays at 6 p.m.; CLP 154,630 a leg in a Pullman seat or CLP 210,860 in a flat-bed seat, meals included; passes the Italia, Romanche, Alemania and Francia glaciers141516
Boat from Ushuaia to Puerto Navarino, then roadAbout 3 hours in allTurismo Shila: Monday to Saturday at 8:30, USD 160 one way or USD 280 round trip with the road transfer, plus Ushuaia's port tax of ARS 10,00017
Silversea charter from Santiago3.5 hoursIncluded for Silversea guests only6

The Ushuaia crossing restarted on October 1, 2024, after more than four years without service, using a new ramp at Puerto Navarino on Navarino Island; the boat ride is only about 4 nautical miles, about 30 minutes, and you clear Chilean customs on arrival before the 32-mile (52 km) drive east along the coast.1817 US citizens need no visa for Chile and can stay up to 90 days; declare any animal or plant products on the agriculture service (SAG) form.1920

Which Antarctic cruises leave from Puerto Williams?

Only Silversea's: we found no other operator embarking passengers here for 2026-27, while 26 of Silversea's 40 Antarctic departures that season start or end here, and its fly cruises from King George Island are staged here too.216 The government expected 27 Silversea calls in 2024-25, the line's third season based in Puerto Williams, using the naval pier while a new multipurpose pier is built.5 For 2026-27 Silversea is opening its own hotel here, The Cormorant at 55 South: 150 rooms, open from October to March, and due to take its first guests on October 19, 2026.2223

The fly-cruise works like this: you fly to Santiago two days before the voyage, take a 3.5-hour charter to Puerto Williams, spend a night at The Cormorant, then fly about 1.5 hours to King George Island to meet the ship, with the timing set by the weather.622 Other voyages sail from the town's pier across the Drake Passage. These are some 2026-27 fares read on October 15, 2026, per guest, two sharing:

Silversea voyageShipLengthLowest fare
Puerto Williams to King George Island, October 20, 2026Silver Wind9 days$9,000 Last-Minute24
King George Island to Puerto Williams, October 29, 2026Silver Wind9 days$9,700 Last-Minute; $12,400 All-Inclusive Plus25
Fly cruise, King George Island round trip, October 20, 2026Silver Endeavour6 days$13,000 Last-Minute26
King George Island to Puerto Williams, March 10, 2027Silver Wind9 days$14,900 Last-Minute; $15,900 All-Inclusive Plus25
Puerto Williams round trip, January 8, 2027Silver Cloud10 days$15,800 Last-Minute; $20,900 All-Inclusive Plus25
Puerto Williams to King George Island, January 6, 2027Silver Wind9 days$22,400 Last-Minute; $25,300 All-Inclusive Plus25
Puerto Williams round trip via the Falklands and South Georgia, November 7, 2026Silver Wind18 days$43,500 All-Inclusive Plus25

The fares include the Santiago hotel, the charter flights and, where the voyage starts or ends at King George Island, the flight over the Drake.25 The Last-Minute fare is paid in full and non-refundable; the All-Inclusive Plus fare has a refundable deposit, and Silversea's Extra Savings offers on it expire on November 2, 2026.272829 Two Silver Cloud departures link the Chilean gateways: Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams on February 2, 2027, 10 days from $17,200 Last-Minute, and Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas on January 18, 2027, 15 days from $33,700 All-Inclusive Plus.2921

A few other ships call without embarking passengers. Antarctica21's six-day Antarctica Express air-cruise calls here and lands at Cape Horn when weather permits, from USD 5,995 on its November 17, 2026 departure from Ushuaia, and Ponant's 15-day Best of the Chilean Fjords, Valparaíso to Ushuaia on Le Lyrial from November 3, 2026, makes its final call here, from USD 13,070.3031 Puerto Williams is also a fallback: Aurora Expeditions says that if a return flight from King George Island cannot operate within 72 hours, the ship will carry passengers to Puerto Williams instead.32

What is there to do in Puerto Williams?

ActivityWhat to know
Museo Territorial Yagan UsiThe former Martín Gusinde museum, renamed in January 2024 at the request of the local Yagán community; it calls itself the southernmost museum in the world. Free; Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 2 to 7 p.m.3334
Dientes de Navarino trekA four to five day trek starting 1.2 miles (2 km) from town; register your start and finish with the Carabineros police7
Cerro La BanderaA 2.8-mile (4.5 km) hike of medium difficulty11
Omora Ethnobotanical ParkA 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) protected area run by the University of Magallanes' Cape Horn center, known for "ecotourism with a hand lens": trails for looking at mosses, lichens and liverworts; book by email359
Cape Horn National ParkAbout 12 hours by boat; a boardwalk of about 550 yards (500 m) leads to the lighthouse and the albatross monument, and landings depend on the weather3637

The park and the town sit inside the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO in 2005 and covering more than 20,000 square miles (5.26 million ha) of land and sea; UNESCO describes its forests, at 55 to 56 degrees south, as the southernmost on the planet.38 For guided trips and longer hikes, the municipality publishes routes that range from the 4.5 km Cerro La Bandera climb to a 41 km, three to four day walk to Lago Windhond.11

What is the weather like in Puerto Williams?

Fairly wet, with precipitation spread through the year. The official 1991 to 2020 normals for the town's weather station give 19.5 inches (495 mm) of precipitation a year on about 95 days, from 1.2 inches (30 mm) in October to 2.1 inches (53 mm) in February.39 Chile did not report temperature normals for the station, and we found no other official monthly temperature table, so check the Ushuaia averages across the channel as a rough guide. Silversea's season here runs from October to March.22

Puerto Williams or Ushuaia?

If you are sailing with Silversea, the choice is mostly made for you: its fly cruises and most of its Antarctic departures run through Puerto Williams.216 Other lines sail from Ushuaia or fly from Punta Arenas, and Lindblad flies from Puerto Natales; if you have spare days on either side, the boat and road trip between Ushuaia and Puerto Williams takes about three hours.4017 To compare routes into Antarctica, read how to get to Antarctica and fly or sail the Drake Passage.

Voyages that visit Puerto Williams

Landings depend on weather and ice, so no operator can promise a specific site.

  • Antarctica: Sail & Fly the Drake Passage (9 days, Silver Wind)

    Silversea · 9 days · Puerto Williams, Chile (Santiago hotel night and charter flight from Santiago included) to King George Island, Antarctica (flight to Puerto Williams, a night at The Cormorant at 55 South and the charter to Santiago included) · Fly one way · October to November, January to March

    Fare details

    Silversea's lowest Antarctic fare of the season: $9,000 per guest, two sharing, Oceanview Suite (240 sq ft), Last-Minute fare (paid in full, non-refundable), Oct 20, 2026; Veranda Suites $10,300. Later departures cost $14,300 to $22,400. The same route run the other way (fly south, sail north) starts at $9,700 on Oct 29, 2026. Includes the Santiago hotel night, charter flights, a night at The Cormorant at 55 South, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and expedition activities. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $9,000about $1,000 a day

    View

  • Antarctica: Exploring the Peninsula (10 days, Silver Wind)

    Silversea · 10 days · Puerto Williams, Chile (Santiago hotel night and charter flight from Santiago included) to Puerto Williams, Chile (charter flight to Santiago included) · Sail both ways · December

    Fare details

    $11,000 per guest, two sharing, Oceanview Suite (240 sq ft), Last-Minute fare (paid in full, non-refundable), Dec 12, 2026; Veranda Suites $12,100. All-Inclusive Plus fares (Residence from $31,600) are 25% refundable until Nov 11, 2026. Includes a Santiago hotel night, charter flights to and from Puerto Williams, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and expedition activities; some Antarctic gear is rented at extra cost on voyages that cross the Drake. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $11,000about $1,100 a day

    View

  • Antarctica: Fly the Drake Passage (6 days, Silver Endeavour)

    Silversea · Silver Endeavour · 6 days · King George Island, Antarctica (Santiago hotel night, charter to Puerto Williams, a night at The Cormorant at 55 South and the flight to King George Island included) to King George Island, Antarctica (flight to Puerto Williams, a night at The Cormorant at 55 South and the charter to Santiago included) · Fly both ways · October to February

    Fare details

    Lowest fare of the season: $13,000 per guest, two sharing, Veranda Suite (355 sq ft), Last-Minute fare (paid in full, non-refundable), Oct 20, 2026. The lowest All-Inclusive Plus fare is $22,400 (Nov 7, 2026); other open departures cost $22,700 to $34,100, and four were waitlisted. Every fare includes the hotel nights and flights from Santiago via Puerto Williams, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, expedition gear and guided Zodiac, hiking and kayaking outings. International flights cost extra. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $13,000about $2,167 a day

    View

  • Antarctica: Exploring the Peninsula (10 days, Silver Cloud)

    Silversea · 10 days · Puerto Williams, Chile (Santiago hotel night and charter flight from Santiago included) to Puerto Williams, Chile (charter flight to Santiago included) · Sail both ways · January

    Fare details

    $15,800 per guest, two sharing, Oceanview Suite (240 sq ft), Last-Minute fare (paid in full, non-refundable), Jan 8, 2027; Veranda Suites $17,100. All-Inclusive Plus fares are 50% refundable until Nov 8, 2026. A Feb 2, 2027 version sails from Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams from $17,200. Includes a Santiago hotel night, charter flights to and from Puerto Williams, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and expedition activities. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $15,800about $1,580 a day

    View

  • Antarctica: Exploring the Peninsula & South Georgia (15 days, Silver Cloud)

    Silversea · 15 days · Puerto Williams, Chile (Santiago hotel night and charter flight from Santiago included) to Puerto Williams, Chile (charter flight to Santiago included) · Sail both ways · November

    Fare details

    $18,400 per guest, two sharing, Oceanview Suite, All-Inclusive Plus fare, Nov 9, 2026, after a Save $2,500 offer that expires Nov 2, 2026 (was $19,650); non-refundable this close to departure. Veranda Suites $23,800. Includes a Santiago hotel night, charter flights to and from Puerto Williams, the South Georgia visa, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and expedition activities. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $18,400about $1,227 a day

    View

  • Antarctica & the Falklands: Sail & Fly the Drake Passage (13 days, Silver Endeavour)

    Silversea · Silver Endeavour · 13 days · King George Island, Antarctica (Santiago hotel night, charter to Puerto Williams, a night at The Cormorant at 55 South and the flight to King George Island included) to Puerto Williams, Chile (charter flight to Santiago included) · Fly one way · January

    Fare details

    $23,600 per guest, two sharing, Veranda Suite, Last-Minute fare (paid in full, non-refundable), Jan 2, 2027, the only departure. All-Inclusive Plus fares carry Save $5,000 and Save an extra $1,000 offers that expire Nov 2, 2026 (Residence $43,000, was $46,000) and are 50% refundable until Nov 2. Includes the flights and hotel nights to King George Island, the charter home from Puerto Williams, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, expedition gear and guided Zodiac, hiking and kayaking outings. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $23,600about $1,815 a day

    View

  • Antarctica: Exploring South Georgia & the Falklands (21 days, Silver Endeavour)

    Silversea · Silver Endeavour · 21 days · Puerto Williams, Chile (Santiago hotel night and charter flight from Santiago included) to Buenos Aires, Argentina · Sail both ways · March

    Fare details

    $33,200 per guest, two sharing, Veranda Suite, All-Inclusive Plus fare, Mar 4, 2027, 85% refundable until Nov 3, 2026. Villa Suites from $80,100; Residence Suites waitlisted. Includes a Santiago hotel night, the charter to Puerto Williams, the South Georgia visa, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and expedition activities; some Antarctic gear is rented at extra cost on voyages that cross the Drake. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $33,200about $1,581 a day

    View

Lowest published price per person in the operator's currency, checked October 15, 2026. Taxes, flights and single supplements vary.

Sources

  1. 1.[AFICHE] Saludo por 71° aniversario de Puerto Williams, Delegación Presidencial Provincial de Antártica Chilena (Gobierno de Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  2. 2.Consideraciones para viajar: Cabo de Hornos y Puerto Williams, Ilustre Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornos (Visita Cabo de Hornos, municipal tourism office). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  3. 3.Ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y caseríos 2019, Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), Chile. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  4. 4.Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, Censo 2024: Resultados (presentación regional), Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), Chile. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. 5.Primera recalada de Silversea: Autoridades de Puerto Williams dan inicio a temporada de cruceros antárticos 2024-2025, Delegación Presidencial Provincial de Antártica Chilena (Gobierno de Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. 6.Antarctica Fly Cruise: practical guide, Silversea. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. 7.Dientes de Navarino, Chile Travel (official tourism site of Chile, Sernatur). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  8. 8.Parque Nacional Cabo de Hornos, Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF), Chile. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  9. 9.Puerto Williams, Chile Travel (official tourism site of Chile, Sernatur). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  10. 10.Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula | HDS27-27, Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  11. 11.Atractivos turísticos (página 1): Cerro Bandera, Lago Windhond, Cascada Los Bronces, Puerto Toro, Ilustre Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornos (Visita Cabo de Hornos, municipal tourism office). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  12. 12.En Cementerio Indígena de Bahía Mejillones: Despiden a destacada artesana yagán Julia González Calderón, Delegación Presidencial Provincial de Antártica Chilena (Gobierno de Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  13. 13.Punta Arenas - Puerto Williams (regular route), Aerovías DAP. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  14. 14.Punta Arenas - Puerto Williams (Ferry Kawéskar route page), Transbordadora Austral Broom (TABSA). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  15. 15.Itinerarios Punta Arenas - Puerto Williams, Transbordadora Austral Broom (TABSA). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  16. 16.Tarifas Pto. Williams / Punta Arenas, vigencia desde 1-02-2026, Transbordadora Austral Broom (TABSA). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  17. 17.Cruce internacional Ushuaia, Turismo Shila (Puerto Williams). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  18. 18.Avanzan coordinaciones frente a pronta reactivación de cruce marítimo internacional entre Puerto Navarino y Ushuaia, Delegación Presidencial Provincial de Antártica Chilena (Gobierno de Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  19. 19.Cuadro de aranceles de visas de Permanencia Transitoria simple y múltiple para ingresar a Chile, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile (Consulado.gob.cl). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  20. 20.Entry and visa requirements, Chile Travel (SERNATUR / Subsecretaría de Turismo, Government of Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  21. 21.Find a cruise: every Silversea Antarctica departure for 2026-27 and Arctic and Greenland departure for 2027, with US from-fares, Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  22. 22.The Cormorant at 55 South: Silversea unveils all public spaces of highly anticipated southernmost hotel, Silversea Cruises (press release via PR Newswire). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  23. 23.Silversea readies for handover of first hotel, Latte Luxury News (Guy Dundas), May 21, 2026. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  24. 24.Antarctica: Sail & Fly the Drake Passage: Puerto Williams to King George Island, Silver Wind, Oct 20 to 29, 2026 (voyage WI261020009), Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  25. 25.Silversea Antarctica voyages to and from Puerto Williams, 2026-27: itineraries and fares, Silversea. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  26. 26.Antarctica: Fly the Drake Passage: King George Island to King George Island, Silver Endeavour, Oct 20 to 26, 2026 (voyage EV261020006), Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  27. 27.Last-Minute fare, Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  28. 28.All-Inclusive Plus fare, Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  29. 29.Antarctica: Exploring the Peninsula: Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams, Silver Cloud, Feb 2 to 12, 2027 (voyage E4270202010), Silversea Cruises. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  30. 30.Antarctica Express Air-Cruise, Antarctica21. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  31. 31.The best of Chilean Fjords (Le Lyrial, Nov 3-17, 2026), PONANT. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  32. 32.Contingency Plans, Aurora Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  33. 33.Reinaugurado museo más austral del mundo con nuevo nombre y museografía, Servicio Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural (Serpat), Chile. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  34. 34.Planifica tu visita - Museo Territorial Yagan Usi - Martín González Calderón, Servicio Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural (Serpat), Chile. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  35. 35.Parque Etnobotánico Omora, Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Universidad de Magallanes. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  36. 36.Atractivos turísticos (página 2): Laguna Maku, Dientes de Navarino, Parque Nacional Cabo de Hornos, Ilustre Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornos (Visita Cabo de Hornos, municipal tourism office). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  37. 37.Parque Nacional Cabo de Hornos, Chile Travel (official tourism site of Chile, Sernatur). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  38. 38.Cabo de Hornos Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  39. 39.WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020: Guardiamarina Zañartu, Puerto Williams aerodrome (WMO 85968), single station data sheet, World Meteorological Organization 1991-2020 climate normals, distributed by NOAA NCEI. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  40. 40.Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage (8, 9 or 10 days, Puerto Natales round trip), Lindblad Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.