The world's southernmost city, Ushuaia overlooks Beagle Channel, named after the ship that took Charles Darwin to the bottom of the world. Founded just over one hundred years ago, this rustic town is situated amidst incredible snowcapped mountains, dramatic waterfalls, massive glaciers, and a forest known for its red foliage. Tierra del Fuego, the "Land of Fire," twelve miles to the west of Ushuaia, is known for its glacial landscape and its national park, which is a bird-watcher's paradise.
Valparaiso, the port city for Santiago, is a charming resort with a sundial made entirely of flowers. Steep hills rise to make the surroundings an amphitheater, with wharves and business quarters at the base and residential neighborhoods above. Visit Cerro Castillo, a Spanish colonial mansion on the former site of Collao Fort. Contrast the architecture with the baronial English Tudor Building which houses the Naval Museum.