Cape Horn: The Southern Tip of Latin America

The Southernmost Landmark

Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in southern Chile. It marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet.

Coordinates & Geography

• 55°58′S, 67°17′W.
• Part of Hermite Islands, Cabo de Hornos National Park, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
• Not the southernmost point of South America (that's Águila Islet, Diego Ramírez Islands, 56°32′S), but the most famous nautical landmark.

Historical Significance

• Critical sailing route before Panama Canal (1914).
• Notorious for hurricane-force winds, 10–30 m waves, icebergs, rogue currents—"graveyard of ships."
• Rounded by clipper ships, whalers, early steamers; now a rite of passage for circumnavigators.

Modern Access

• Cruise ships (Antarctica expeditions) often round or land (Zodiac) weather permitting.
• Chilean Navy maintains a lighthouse and weather station on Hornos Island.
• Albatross monument honors lost sailors.