Produncan - Venta de terrenos en el sur de Chile
Commune of Cabo de Hornos · Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region · Chile

Cabo de HornosLand of the Yagán (Yámana), where the continent ends and the extraordinary begins

History, Nature and Opportunities in Chile's Southernmost Inhabited Commune

SOUTH OF THE MAPS

The Yagán (Yámana) travelled these channels for thousands of years in bark canoes, with a fire always burning on board, and along the Beagle Channel they left the shell middens that can still be made out in the grass at Wulaia. For them there was no border: there were tides, mussels, sea lions and the lenga and coigüe forest that covers the slopes of Navarino.

Then came the Dutch who rounded the cape in 1616, FitzRoy's Beagle, the English missionaries, the gold prospectors and, in 1953, a Chilean Navy detachment that built on the shore of the channel the town now called Puerto Williams. Since then the commune has been an outpost of sovereignty and science, with the Dientes de Navarino range at its back and the legendary cape some twelve hours away by sea.

Here the warmest month barely exceeds ten degrees on average, it rains little but in almost every month, the December day lasts more than seventeen hours and the June day less than eight. Firewood, the west wind and the Beagle's southern king crab are the common language. Whoever arrives is not buying a view: they are getting a glimpse of a way of life at the edge of the last passage.

Version 1.0 · Expanded edition · October 2026

§ 01

The Commune at a Glance

The essential data on Cabo de Hornos at a glance. Each figure is developed in the corresponding section.

1,750
Inhabitants
2024 Census · −15.2 % since 2017
15,579 km²
Commune area
0.11 inhabitants/km²
1953
Founding of Puerto Williams
Commune created in 1927 as “Navarino”
6 m s.n.m.
Elevation of Puerto Williams
Dientes de Navarino above 1,100 m
292 km
Distance to Punta Arenas
As the crow flies; there is no road to the mainland
497 mm
Annual rainfall
Subpolar oceanic (Cfc)
Administrative identification and reference data11 rows
FactDetail
Official nameCommune of Cabo de Hornos (current name since 2001, Law 19,726; formerly “Navarino”)
Region / ProvinceMagallanes and Chilean Antarctica / Antártica Chilena
CapitalPuerto Williams, on the north coast of Navarino Island
Civic center coordinates54°56′ S, 67°37′ W
Area15,578.7 km² (BCN)
Elevation6 m s.n.m. in Puerto Williams
Dialing code+56 61 (Magallanes)
Time zoneUTC−3 all year (Magallanes time zone)
Climate classificationCfc, subpolar oceanic; tundra on the summits
Anniversary of Puerto WilliamsNovember (founded in 1953); the exact day varies by source
MunicipalityIlustre Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornos (Municipality of Cabo de Hornos); mayor Patricio Fernández Alarcón. It also administers the Antártica commune
§ 02

Overview

Cabo de Hornos is Chile's southernmost inhabited commune: 15,578.7 km² of channels, islands and open sea where 1,750 people live (2024 Census), barely 0.11 inhabitants per square kilometer. Almost all of that population is in Puerto Williams, the commune and provincial capital, on the north coast of Navarino Island, facing the Beagle Channel; the rest is spread across coves such as Puerto Toro, one of the southernmost permanent settlements in the world. Beyond lie the Hornos archipelago, Wollaston and Hermite, Hornos Island with its lighthouse, and the Diego Ramírez Islands, a group of islets about 60 km south of Hornos Island that also form part of the commune.

Its role in the territory is not productive but one of sovereignty, science and access. The Chilean Navy has maintained a naval base in Puerto Williams since 1953; the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, the Omora Ethnobotanical Park and the Sub-Antarctic Center give the commune the function of a southern laboratory; and Puerto Williams is the embarkation point that Silversea, the only cruise line that embarks there, uses for its Antarctic voyages. Everything that does not exist here —a higher-complexity hospital, wholesale commerce, most paperwork— is in Punta Arenas, 292 km away as the crow flies and an hour by air.

The contrast with its most similar neighbor is instructive. Puerto Natales, the other tourist gateway of Magallanes, can be reached by bus and has an active market for private parcels. In Cabo de Hornos there is no road to the mainland and, on Navarino, 93.6 % of lots are state-owned (fiscal): whoever wants land does not buy it from a private seller but leases it or applies for it from the State. Understanding that difference is understanding the whole commune.

Map of the commune of Cabo de Hornos: commune boundary and reference localities. The Diego Ramírez Islands, to the south, measure about 10 km and are highlighted with a dotted circle
Map of the commune of Cabo de Hornos: commune boundary and reference localities. The Diego Ramírez Islands, to the south, measure about 10 km and are highlighted with a dotted circle
Commune boundary according to OpenStreetMap open data
§ 03 Location, Geography and Territory View

Where Cabo de Hornos is, what it is built on and why its land is hardly ever traded.

3.1 Location

Puerto Williams lies at 54°56′ S and 67°37′ W, on the north shore of Navarino, about 45 km as the crow flies from Ushuaia, which sits across the Beagle Channel, in Argentina. Punta Arenas is 292 km away as the crow flies (an hour by air, between 27 and 34 hours by ferry) and Santiago about 2,400 km, reachable only via Punta Arenas. The commune comprises Navarino (about 2,500 km²), Hoste (4,117 km²), Gordon, Londonderry, Wollaston, Hermite, Hornos, the islands of Picton, Lennox and Nueva, and the Diego Ramírez Islands. Picton, Lennox and Nueva were the center of the dispute that nearly brought Chile and Argentina to war in 1978; the 1977 Arbitral Award and the 1984 Treaty of Peace and Friendship left them on the Chilean side.

Location of Puerto Williams, capital of the commune of Cabo de Hornos, facing the Beagle Channel · Open full map
Puerto Williams · 54°56′ S, 67°37′ W

3.2 Terrain and setting

Puerto Williams occupies a narrow strip between the channel and the first foothills of the range, on a coastal terrace that barely rises above sea level. Behind it rise the Dientes de Navarino, summits above 1,100 m (sources give between 1,118 and 1,195 m), and Cerro Bandera, at about 610 m, which is the town's short climb. The vegetation of Navarino is arranged in bands: deciduous lenga and ñire forest in the north, humid evergreen Magellan coigüe forest in the center and Magellanic tundra in the south, toward Lake Navarino and Lake Windhond. In the outer archipelago, Hornos Island measures 30 km² and has a maximum elevation of 425 m, on peat-covered rock.

3.3 Hydrography

Main bodies of water in the commune6 rows
WatercourseRole in the territory
Beagle ChannelAxis of the commune: 240 km long and at least 4.8 km wide at its narrowest; it is the access, supply and crossing route to Ushuaia
Róbalo RiverIts bridge is the entrance to the Dientes de Navarino circuit; nearby is the cove with the Universidad de Magallanes concession
Ukika and Douglas riversWatercourses of the island, cited alongside the Róbalo among the main rivers of Navarino
Lakes Navarino, Windhond and PilushejanInland bodies of water in the south of the island, within the tundra zone
Huairavo urban wetlandDeclared an urban wetland by the Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 237 of April 3, 2024); the zoning plan protects it
Drake PassageOpen sea between Hornos Island and Antarctica, about 800 km wide

3.4 Soils

No soil survey has been published at commune scale. What is known comes from vegetation cover and the Navarino Territorial Management Plan (IDOM, 2022): the north of the island, under lenga and ñire forest, has forestry, agricultural and livestock potential; the center and south are peat, tundra and rock. The Puerto Williams zoning plan reserves an entire zone (F2) for the peat bogs.

  • Advantage: lenga and ñire forest soil in the northern strip of Navarino, with local firewood and potential for gardens and small-scale grazing (the Huertos Familiares lots measure between 0.48 and 1 ha).
  • Limitation: constant moisture creates waterlogged peat bogs, poorly suited to foundations; the zoning plan sets a floor area ratio of 0.005 for them.
  • Risk: flooding and tsunami within the urban area (zones AR1 and AR2 of the zoning plan) and avalanches or rockfalls in the gullies (AR3). The beaver, introduced in 1946 in Tierra del Fuego, damages the lenga forests.
  • Real estate implication: according to the Territorial Management Plan (IDOM, 2022), the state-owned (fiscal) land available within the urban boundary is largely peat bog; the land with the most residential opportunity is allocated to the Chilean Navy.
§ 04 Climate and Seasonality View

A climate that never quite becomes polar and never stops being cold: no summer or winter extremes, but not a single warm month.

Puerto Williams has a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc), according to the Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (Chilean Meteorological Directorate) fact sheet, with tundra on the summits. The mean annual temperature is 6.3 °C, with a range of only 8.4 °C between the warmest month (January, 10.3 °C) and the coldest (July, 1.9 °C). The Beagle Channel moderates the extremes: mean minimums are positive from October to April. The data correspond to the 1991-2020 normals of the Guardiamarina Zañartu station, the only one in the commune with a long record; they do not represent the islands most exposed to the west and south.

Reference climate parameters (1991-2020 normals, Guardiamarina Zañartu station)9 rows
ParameterTypical valueComment
Mean annual temperature6.3 °CMean maximum 11.0 °C and mean minimum 1.5 °C
Warmest monthJanuary · 10.3 °CMean maximum 15.4 °C
Coldest monthJuly · 1.9 °CMean minimum −2.0 °C
Heat record26.1 °CSince 1968
Cold record−12.6 °CRecorded in June
Annual precipitation497 mmBetween 30 mm (October) and 53 mm (February) per month
Days with precipitation94 per yearDrizzle and snow; 10.6 days in January and 6.2 in August
Prevailing windWest, ~10 knotsAverage of observations 2012-2026 (Windfinder); on the outer islands it is much higher
Summer and winter daylight~17 h and ~7 hAstronomical calculation at 55° S for December and June, not station data
The year in rainfall Mean monthly precipitation (mm) and mean temperature (°C)

Rain is not concentrated in a single winter, as in the south-central region: little falls (between 30 and 53 mm per month) but it is spread over 94 days a year, one in four. That constant moisture, with temperatures that are always low, explains the peat bogs that cover much of Navarino and why drainage and foundations matter more than irrigation.

§ 05 History: More Than Seven Thousand Years on a Timeline View

It is the history of two overlapping sovereignties: that of the canoe peoples who needed no border, and that of the States that do.

  1. +7,000 years ago

    The first canoe peoples

    Excavations on the north coast of Navarino document a complete maritime sequence going back some 7,000 years. The Wulaia shell middens, with their dome-shaped mounds and fish traps, are the emblematic site.

  2. 1616

    Rounding the cape

    The Dutchmen Schouten and Le Maire sail around the southern tip of the Americas for the first time and call it Kaap Hoorn, after the city of Hoorn.

  3. 1624

    First European landing on Navarino

    A Dutch expedition under L'Hermite makes landfall on the island; the name of Hermite Island recalls that expedition.

  4. 1830 – 1833

    The Beagle and Jemmy Button

    FitzRoy names Navarino after the naval battle of 1827 and takes four Fuegians to England, among them Jemmy Button. In January 1833 the Beagle's second voyage, with Darwin aboard, returns them to their homeland.

  5. 1859

    The Wulaia massacre

    Seven members of the Allen Gardiner Anglican mission, among them Garland Phillips, die in Wulaia Bay. Jemmy Button testifies in the 1860 inquiry.

  6. 1871 – 1886

    Bridges' mission

    Thomas Bridges settles in Ushuaia and compiles a Yagán-English dictionary of more than 30,000 words. In 1886 he founds the Harberton estancia, across the channel.

  7. 1884 – 1892

    Epidemics and the first Chilean colony

    A measles outbreak decimates the Yagán in 1884. In 1892, during the Tierra del Fuego gold rush, Puerto Toro is founded, the first Chilean settlement on Navarino.

  8. 1927

    The commune of Navarino is born

    DFL 8,583 of December 30 creates the Tierra del Fuego Department with four communes, among them Navarino.

  9. 1945

    Cabo de Hornos National Park

    Decree 995 of April 26 creates the park, which protects Wollaston, Hermite and Hornos Island: the southernmost national park in the world.

  10. 1953 – 1956

    From Puerto Luisa to Puerto Williams

    In 1953 the Chilean Navy founds a settlement first called Puerto Luisa; in 1956 it is renamed Puerto Williams, in honor of John Williams Wilson, who took possession of the Strait of Magellan in 1843.

  11. 1957 – 1967

    Aerodrome and Villa Ukika

    The Guardiamarina Zañartu aerodrome is inaugurated on February 22, 1957. In 1967 the Yagán families of Mejillones Bay are relocated to Villa Ukika, about 2 km from the town.

  12. 1977 – 1985

    Arbitral award, near war and treaty

    The 1977 Arbitral Award grants Chile the southern islands; Argentina rejects it in 1978. After mediation by Pope John Paul II, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship is signed on November 29, 1984 and exchanged on May 2, 1985. In January of that year the Navarino Law is published.

  13. 2001 – 2005

    Name change and biosphere reserve

    Law 19,726 changes the name of the commune from Navarino to Cabo de Hornos. On June 29, 2005 UNESCO declares the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, the only one in Chile that combines land and sea.

  14. 2022 – 2023

    Cristina Calderón dies and the Sub-Antarctic Center opens

    On February 16, 2022 Cristina Calderón, the last native speaker of Yagán, dies at the age of 93. On May 15, 2023 the Universidad de Magallanes' Cabo de Hornos Sub-Antarctic Center is inaugurated.

  15. 2026

    New zoning plan and expedition hotel

    On April 6 the update of the Puerto Williams zoning plan is published in the Official Gazette, after almost ten years of processing. Silversea expects to open its 150-room hotel for Antarctic voyages in October.

§ 06 Cultural Identity and Indigenous Peoples View

One in five inhabitants belongs to an Indigenous people according to the Social Household Registry: double the national average.

According to the March 2025 Social Household Registry, 18 % of the commune's inhabitants belong to an Indigenous people, compared with 20.6 % in the region and 9.2 % in the country. The territory's own people are the Yagán (Yámana), whose community lives mainly in Villa Ukika. There is no 2024 Census breakdown of Indigenous peoples for the commune, and the Yagán language was left without native speakers after the death of Cristina Calderón in 2022.

The cultural layers of Cabo de Hornos5 rows
TierVisible traces today
Yagán (Yámana)Wulaia shell middens; Villa Ukika (1967); Kipa-Ákar Craft Center (2003-04); Mejillones cemetery, a Historic Monument since 1976; Museo Territorial Yagán Usi (Yagán Usi Territorial Museum), with about 4,000 pieces; Comunidad Indígena Yagán de Bahía Mejillones (Yagán Indigenous Community of Mejillones Bay), with 94 members
Navigators and missionariesThe names on the map (Hoste, Gordon, Wollaston, Hermite, Hornos), the memory of Jemmy Button and of the Anglican mission, Bridges' dictionary
The Chilean NavyCasa Naval No. 1 and the former headquarters of the Beagle Naval District (Historic Monuments, 2011); historic warehouses of the Naval Base; the yacht Micalvi, a 1925 hull sunk in the bay in 1962 and today a yacht club
Settlers and fishersPuerto Toro, founded in 1892 and today home to a few dozen inhabitants who live off southern king crab; the road to Puerto Navarino and the former estancias of the north coast
Science and visitorsOmora Ethnobotanical Park (2000), Sub-Antarctic Center (2023), about 250 researchers a year, and the 1,217 trekkers of the 2024-25 season

In daily life the mix shows in the makeup of local power: the municipal council elected in 2024 is made up of six women and is the only one in the country without men. The naval population, meanwhile, is renewed with each posting: according to La Prensa Austral (2024), most naval families have relatives in central Chile and not in Magallanes, which keeps part of the town in transit.

§ 07 Key Demographic Data View

7.1 Population and growth

Demographic indicators compared9 rows
IndicatorCommuneRegionCountry
Population, 2017 Census2,063166,53317,574,003
Population, 2024 Census1,750166,53718,480,432
Intercensal change−15.2 %0.0 %5.2 %
Commune area15,578.7 km²——
Population density (2024)0.11 inhabitants/km²——
Foreign-born populationWithheld by the INE6.6 %8.7 %
Sex ratio 2024101.498.194.3
Demographic Dependency Ratio (IDD) 202445.045.446.5
Elderly Index (IAM) 202421.587.179.0

7.2 Age structure (2024 Census)

Population distribution by age group5 rows
Age groupPopulation 2024% Commune
0 – 14 years44725.5 %
15 – 29 years28916.5 %
30 – 44 years59534.0 %
45 – 64 years32318.5 %
65 years and over965.5 %
Age structure of the commune · 2024 Census
0 – 14 years 25.5%447
15 – 29 years 16.5%289
30 – 44 years 34%595
45 – 64 years 18.5%323
65 years and over 5.5%96

It is one of the youngest populations in the country: three out of four inhabitants are under 45 and the 30 to 44 group accounts for 34 %, ten points more than in the region. It is the imprint of naval and public-sector families of child-rearing age; there are almost no older adults selling or inheriting properties.

Two phenomena dominate. The first is the decline: the commune lost 313 inhabitants between censuses, 15.2 %, while the region held steady. The second is youth: the elderly index is 21.5, compared with 87.1 in the region, and the sex ratio fell from 137.7 in 2017 to 101.4 in 2024, a sign that contingents of single men were replaced by whole families.

The urban-rural breakdown of the 2024 Census was not available at the close of this edition. In 2017 Puerto Williams had 1,868 inhabitants and Navarino Island 2,015, so practically the entire population lives in the town; the Darwin and Hoste districts totaled 42 people. The commune is small but not rural in the productive sense: it is a town with an empty territory around it.

§ 08 Economic and Socioeconomic Data View

8.1 Poverty and social indicators (CASEN and Social Household Registry)

Social indicators compared6 rows
IndicatorCommuneRegionCountry
Income poverty, Casen 20221.2 %3.4 %6.5 %
Multidimensional poverty, Casen 20221.6 %6.9 %16.9 %
People in households lacking basic services (RSH 2025)7.3 %6.8 %13.1 %
Overcrowded households (RSH 2025)4.8 %5.2 %8.1 %
Indigenous population (RSH 2025)18.0 %20.6 %9.2 %
Foreign population (RSH 2025)3.0 %5.2 %6.7 %

Poverty is very low: 1.2 % by income, against 6.5 % nationally. It does not reflect business prosperity but a public-salary economy: the Chilean Navy, the municipality, the hospital and State services, plus the 105 % zone allowance received by public employees in Puerto Williams. With such a small sample, the Casen survey has a wide margin of error, and the lack of basic services (7.3 %) is above the regional average.

8.2 Economic activity (SII) and municipal finances (SINIM)

Business structure and municipal finances12 rows
Economic indicator (SII / SINIM)Value
Registered businesses, 2024239 (212 in 2021; 243 in 2022; 235 in 2023)
Reported salaried employees, 2024706
Business size, 2023158 micro, 37 small, 3 medium, 3 large and 34 with no information
Commerce and vehicle repair, 202453 businesses · 388 workers
Accommodation and food services, 202440 businesses · 74 workers
Agriculture, livestock and fishing, 202425 businesses · 30 workers
Construction, 202424 businesses · 68 workers
Administrative and support services, 202419 businesses · 76 workers · sales of 1,176,054 UF
Public administration and defense, 20242 businesses · 48 workers
Total municipal revenue, 2024 (SINIM)$4,986 million: 78.7 % Municipal Common Fund and 8.1 % own revenue
Municipal revenue executed, 2025 (Annual Public Report)$5,625 million (+12.8 %); Municipal Common Fund of $4,413 million, 78.45 %
Municipal cash balance at the end of 2025$4,472 million; net result for the year of $1,379 million

The table should be read with care. There are 239 businesses for 1,750 inhabitants, most of them micro and small. Commerce accounts for 388 of the 706 reported workers: a figure that does not fit a local retail sector of that size and that probably reflects one or two companies with staff declared here; the public data do not allow us to know. And the SII does not register naval personnel or the Naval Base staff, who are the commune's largest source of employment.

§ 09 The Productive Engine: Navy, Austral Tourism and Special Regime View

Cabo de Hornos does not live off its soil but off its position: it is sustained by the State, expedition tourism and a preferential tax regime.

9.1 The Chilean Navy and the public sector

The naval base is the largest employer. According to La Prensa Austral (February 2024), 270 naval personnel make up just over 40 % of the population of Puerto Williams, and that proportion rises if their families are added. To this are added the municipality (135 fee-based contractors in 2025 and 119 in 2024), the hospital, which had more than 40 staff in 2016, state services and the Liceo Bicentenario. The result is an economy in which demand for housing, commerce and services depends on State staffing levels and their postings.

Pillars of the communal economy and their measurable dimension8 rows
PillarMeasurable dimensionSource and year
Chilean Navy270 naval personnel, more than 40 % of the population of Puerto WilliamsLa Prensa Austral, 2024
Municipality$5,625 million in revenue; 135 fee-based contractorsMunicipal Annual Report, 2025
Trekking tourism1,217 trekkers from 37 countries on the Dientes de Navarino (549 Chileans, 124 Germans, 102 French)Radio Polar, 2024-25 season
Cruise tourism6,010 cruise passengers in Puerto WilliamsMundo Marítimo, 2023-24 season
Cape Horn (island)More than 10,000 visitors in the seasonRadio Polar, 2024-25
Air bridge13,254 passengers to Puerto Williams and 13,428 in the opposite direction, between October 2024 and March 2025Radio Polar, 2025
Artisanal fishingSouthern king crab and false king crab from Puerto Williams and Puerto Toro; no quota or public figures by communeSubpesca
AquacultureNone in operation: the four salmon farming concessions in the Beagle Channel were declared lapsed in 2019Greenpeace; El Mostrador, 2019

9.2 Expedition tourism and gateway to Antarctica

Silversea is the only cruise line that embarks passengers for Antarctica from Puerto Williams, from late October to late March. In 2026 that bet becomes infrastructure: The Cormorant at 55 South, a 150-room hotel with an estimated investment of US$50 million, originally due to open in the 2025-26 season and which, after a delay, was announced for October 2026 (Emol, August 2, 2026). The model is the “fly-cruise”: the passenger flies from Santiago, sleeps in Puerto Williams and continues to Antarctica. At the same time, the State is investing in the town's multipurpose pier, at a total cost of $34,589 million, of which $20,599 million had been executed according to Subdere (2026), and the OMIL (Municipal Labor Office) rates the construction of the new Hotel Lakutaia as the commune's largest private project in terms of local employment.

9.3 Fishing, the salmon that never was, and livestock

Puerto Toro, founded in 1892, is one of the southernmost permanent settlements in the world and lives off southern king crab and false king crab. In 2018 the Ministry of National Assets observed that many fishers who operate in the Beagle Channel live in Punta Arenas and come down only to work. Salmon farming does not exist: four concessions of 3.36 ha each, granted in 2005 in the Beagle Channel and operated by Nova Austral, with permits for 138 cages, were declared lapsed by the Undersecretariat of the Armed Forces in June 2019, following complaints from environmental organizations and opposition from Indigenous communities. Livestock and forestry are marginal: northern Navarino has potential, but no production figures were found.

9.4 The special regime: Navarino Law and Austral Law

Law 18,392, published on January 14, 1985 and known as the Navarino Law, created a preferential customs and tax regime for the territory south of the Strait of Magellan, and remains in force until January 14, 2035. According to the analysis by García and Fecci in the Anuario de Derecho Tributario No. 13 (2021), two groups benefit. Companies with an approval resolution, which must be established in the area and have an industrial, mining, marine-exploitation, transport or tourism business activity, are exempt from first-category tax and VAT on their operations, and receive a 20 % bonus on their sales to the rest of the country. Residents and real estate in the territory receive the property tax exemption, VAT exemption on sales between residents, and subsidies for labor and investment.

The Austral Law (Law 19,606) adds a tax credit for investments in the Aysén and Magallanes regions, and Law 21,210 of 2020 extended the extreme-zone benefits to 2035 (SII, Circular 60 of 2020). The effect, according to that reading, is that real estate in the territory is exempt from property taxes and that anyone investing in tourism, transport or fishing can avail themselves of a regime that does not exist in the rest of Chile.

§ 10 Real Estate Market View

10.1 Available properties and property types

The visible private market is minimal. On October 7, 2026 the Yapo portal showed only three sale listings in the commune, all houses and none of them land; Portal Inmobiliario and Mercado Libre could not be consulted. No published rental listings were found, only an ad from a person looking to rent one bedroom with a budget of $600,000 per month. What does circulate are state-owned (fiscal) lots that the Ministry of National Assets leases or sells, and MINVU social housing. The Territorial Management Plan (IDOM, 2022) notes that land transactions on Navarino are mainly disposals of state-owned lots, at values below those of the rest of Magallanes.

10.2 Average price by property type (indicative, October 2026)

Indicative price ranges by property type6 rows
Property typeIndicative price rangeNotes
Habitable house in Puerto Williams$105 to $140 millionThree listings on Yapo: 100 m² with an annex apartment and 3 bedrooms at $105 million (April 2026); 2016 house with 2 bedrooms at $140 million (September 2025). Sample too small for a statistical range
Prefabricated “take-down” house$7.9 millionPanel house, immediate removal, on the Costanera (October 2025)
Urban lot (fiscal appraisal)~3 UF/m² residential · ~7 UF/m² commercialValues from the IDOM zoning (2022): a minimum lot of 450 m² in zone A1 would equal about 1,350 UF
State-owned (fiscal) lot in Huertos Familiares or Barrio Industrial$2.3 to $5.3 million (UF 72 to 164)Commercial appraisal per lot of 0.48 to 1 ha; state-owned lots for lease or sale by the Ministry of National Assets (2022)
State-owned (fiscal) lot in Caleta Pantalones$24 to $36 million (UF 741 to 1,117)Lots of 8.5 to 12.25 ha, currently leased (IDOM appraisal, 2022)
Housing rentalNo listings publishedA search for a 1-bedroom rental offered $600,000 per month

The pace of the market is set by the State. Under the Plan Navarino program (Ministry of National Assets, since August 2018), state-owned land was sold to tenants and residents for between $4 and $18 million; since 2022, 24 entrepreneurs lease lots of 0.5 to 1 ha. The SEREMI (Regional Ministerial Secretariat) has said it seeks to avoid inappropriate construction and speculative second homes on state-owned land. There were no recent tenders for state-owned lots in Puerto Williams that could be verified.

10.3 What determines price in Cabo de Hornos

Value drivers in this market, ranked by impact7 rows
FactorPrice impactHow to check it here
Title deed versus fiscal lease or concessionDecisiveA lot held under a “lease” or “concession” cannot be sold. Check with the SEREMI de Bienes Nacionales Magallanes (Ministry of National Assets regional office) and review the registration at the Real Estate Registrar (Conservador de Bienes Raíces) of Cabo de Hornos, in Puerto Williams
Zoning plan zoneHighThe zone (A1 to A4, B, C…) sets the minimum lot subdivision size (200 to 450 m² in the residential zones) and the uses. Request a preliminary information certificate from the municipal DOM (Municipal Works Department)
Flood or tsunami risk and peat bogsHighAreas AR1, AR2, AR3 and zone F2 limit or raise the cost of construction: check against plans PRC-PW-AR and PRC-PW-ZR in the Official Gazette
Waterfront and the 80 m stripHighLot with channel frontage: the beach is for public use and can only be used through a maritime concession; the 20 m strip is a no-build strip
Cost of building and heatingMediumMaterials arrive by barge, labor is scarce, and heating relies on firewood or pellets. Request a formal quote before committing to a price
Proximity to the center and to transport linksMediumThe commercial zone was appraised at 7 UF/m² against 3 UF/m² for the residential zone; the aerodrome is about 1 km from the town
Property tax exemption (Navarino Law)Low, constantReduces the cost of ownership; confirm with the SII how it applies to the specific property roll number
§ 11 Territorial Planning in Cabo de Hornos View

What the Puerto Williams zoning plan, in force since April 2026, allows and prohibits, and what happens outside it.

The instrument in force is the Update of the Puerto Williams Municipal Zoning Plan (PRC), promulgated by the Gobierno Regional de Magallanes (Magallanes Regional Government) through Resolution T.R. No. 75 of June 30, 2025 and published in Official Gazette No. 44,417 on April 6, 2026. Its processing took almost ten years: the Strategic Environmental Assessment began in October 2016 and the file went through the Contraloría at least in 2019, 2021 and 2022 before final promulgation. It replaces the 1987 plan (according to the IDOM Territorial Management Plan, 2022). The plan covers only the urban boundary of Puerto Williams; the rest of the commune, almost all of Navarino and the islands, lies outside it and is governed by the rural regime.

Puerto Williams Zoning Plan areas and what they allow9 rows
ZonePermitted useKey restriction
A1 · Mixed residential 1Housing, lodging, commerce, primary education, clinics, services and community centersMinimum lot subdivision size of 450 m²; 60 inhab/ha; lot coverage 0.3; 2 floors up to 7 m; 5 m front setback; detached
A2 · Mixed residential 2As A1, plus outpatient clinics, secondary education and telecommunications300 m²; 100 inhab/ha; lot coverage 0.4; 2 floors up to 7 m; 3 m front setback
A3 · Mixed residential 3Housing, hotels, hostels, commerce, automotive services250 m²; 150 inhab/ha; lot coverage 0.4 (0.7 for other uses); 2 floors up to 7 m
A4 · Mixed residential 4Housing, hostels, local commerce and artisanal services200 m²; 150 inhab/ha; lot coverage 0.5 (0.6 for other uses); 2 floors up to 7 m
B1 · Civic Center amenitiesHotels, commerce, services, scientific, housing600 m²; lot coverage 0.7; up to 4 floors and 14 m, the greatest height in the town
B3 · Tourism-scienceHotels, hostels, cabins and camping; research, museums, restaurants and higher education2,500 m²; lot coverage from 0.1 (lodging) to 0.3 (other uses); up to 3 floors and 10.5 m
B7 · Waterfront amenitiesRestaurants and cafés, nautical facilities, piers and landing stages10,000 m²; lot coverage 0.05; 1 floor up to 5 m
C1 · Industrial productive activityNon-hazardous industries, workshops, warehouses, fuel sales2,500 m²; lot coverage 0.35; 2 floors up to 10 m; 15 m front setback
F2 · Peat bogs and Huairavo wetlandPublic space only2,500 m²; floor area ratio 0.005; 1 floor up to 3.5 m; 10 m front setback

Risk areas. The plan declares three: AR1 (flooding), AR2 (tsunami) and AR3 (avalanche, rockfall, flash floods and accentuated erosion). In them one may not build under the zone's rules until Article 2.1.17 of the General Ordinance is met, that is, until risk studies and mitigation works are approved. The plan also sets a coastal protection zone of 80 m from the beach line (maximum lot coverage of 0.3) and a 20 m no-build strip inland from the highest-tide line.

Own protections. Three Historic Monuments (Casa Stirling, today the Museo Territorial Yagán Usi; the former headquarters of the Beagle Naval District; and Casa Naval No. 1), two Buildings of Historic Conservation (warehouses A-1 and B-1 of the Naval Base) and the Huairavo wetland. Outside the town the Tourist Interest Zone (ZOIT) Cabo de Hornos applies, with five areas (Alberto de Agostini, Wulaia, Puerto Williams-Dientes de Navarino-Windhond, the eastern sector with Puerto Toro and Lago Navarino, and Hornos Island), updated by DS 148 of 2019 and extended by Exempt Decree 36 of 2024, published on March 15, 2024.

Outside the urban boundary. Article 55 of the General Law of Urban Planning and DL 3,516 apply. Even so, the land is not freely subdivisible: it is state-owned (fiscal) or part of an Indigenous Development Area. The Huertos Familiares lots, created in the 2000s, remain rural land.

§ 12 Neighbourhoods and Areas View

Puerto Williams is organized along the channel: the Costanera and the civic center on the lower part, the residential area toward the slopes, the Naval Base in the bay, the aerodrome to the west and Villa Ukika to the east. There is almost no supply of private lots, so the “market profile” is above all a profile of who occupies each sector.

Sectors of the commune and their profile7 rows
SectorFeaturesMarket profile
Center and CostaneraCivic center (zone B1, up to 4 floors), Avenida Costanera, town hall, commerce and the Naval BaseThe only sector with commercial value: appraised at 7 UF/m²
Residential neighborhood (A1 to A4)One- and two-story houses, subdivisions with a minimum lot subdivision size of 200 to 450 m²Local buyers and public employees; almost no supply
Altos de Cabo de HornosMINVU social housing subdivision, with 45 subsidies deliveredSubsidized housing; not freely traded
Villa UkikaYagán community founded in 1967, about 2 km to the east; includes Parque Ukika, of about 14 haIndigenous land: Law 19,253 limits its sale to non-Indigenous persons
Barrio Industrial and Huertos FamiliaresState-owned lots of 0.5 to 1 ha; the Huertos are outside the urban boundaryLeased to entrepreneurs since 2022; appraised at $2 to $5 million
Punta Cuña and Zañartu PeninsulaAerodrome area and western edge of the townIDOM homogeneous appraisal zones: 10,000 and 1,700 UF/ha
Caleta Eugenia, Puerto Navarino and Puerto ToroCoves along the road to the east and west, and Puerto Toro by seaUsed by fishers and for tourism; mostly state-owned land
§ 13 Basic Services, Utilities and Digital Connectivity View

Operational information that rarely appears in descriptions of a commune and that determines the viability of any property.

Service providers and coverage7 rows
ServiceProvider / operatorPractical notes
ElectricityEDELMAGIsolated grid, almost 100 % diesel with fuel brought in by sea. EDELMAG is planning the Guerrico mini hydroelectric plant, of 1 MW, 18 km west of the town (US$8 million, with a favorable environmental resolution in 2026, pending approval by the CNE)
Drinking water and sewerageAguas MagallanesThe zoning plan cites its official letter No. 290 of 2017 on the feasibility of sanitary services in the extension of the urban area
HeatingFirewood, pellets and stovesThe municipality funded firewood worth $135 million in 2025, its largest social program
InternetFibra Óptica Austral, via EntelFiber reached Puerto Williams on October 26, 2020 and multiplied fixed and mobile internet capacity
Mobile telephonyEntel, Movistar and ClaroEntel installed 5G in Puerto Williams on November 6, 2022; Movistar rolled out 4G earlier; Claro agreed to use the fiber
FuelLocal distributorsHistorical reference from October 2018: 97-octane gasoline at $1,136 per liter, the regional maximum (regional average of $940)
Puerto Toro SchoolOwn generatorsNo power grid: the southernmost school in the world operates on its own generators
§ 14 Health View

The health network is low-complexity and an hour by air from high-complexity care: that defines who lives here and for how long.

The commune belongs to the Magallanes Health Service. The municipality has not had health services transferred to it, but it funds a Preventive Community Health Program, with a team of five professionals (physician, nurse, psychologist, speech therapist and nutritionist) and a budget of $51.5 million in 2025.

The commune's health network3 rows
FacilityTypeDetail
Puerto Williams Community Hospital “Cristina Calderón”Low-complexity hospitalTwo-level building of 1,661 m², in operation since 2016; the name honors the last Yagán speaker. It has emergency care, a SAMU ambulance, X-ray, ultrasound, observation, minor surgery, rehabilitation and a pharmacy; it served about 1,800 inhabitants with more than 40 staff (2016)
Specialist medical roundsPeriodic visitsCardiology, surgery, gastroenterology, pediatric neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, traumatology, dermatology and radiology; the round of November 16, 2016 totaled 313 services
Preventive Community Health ProgramMunicipalTeam of five professionals with a budget of $51.5 million in 2025

The hospital is the southernmost in the country. Its limit is clear: it has no intensive care unit and all higher-complexity care is referred to Punta Arenas, by air evacuation coordinated by the SAMU Regulatory Center. The available data are old: in 2016 there were 25 air evacuations from Puerto Williams, out of 99 in the whole region, and through September 2017 there were 16, with 17 patients. No more recent figures were found.

§ 15 Education View

15.1 School education

The commune has two school facilities and 419 enrolled students (2024), compared with 92 facilities and 30,997 students in the region. Public education has passed to the Local Public Education Service (SLEP) Magallanes; the municipality maintains a collaboration agreement since January 1, 2024 and contributed $107.6 million in 2025 to the two schools, of which $88 million went to firewood for the liceo (secondary school). The JUNJI kindergartens are Tánana and Ukika (with nursery).

Facilities in the commune3 rows
FacilityTypeDistinction
Liceo Bicentenario Donald McIntyre GriffithsPublic (SLEP Magallanes)Puerto Williams; it is the commune's main facility
Escuela G-44 de Puerto ToroPublic (SLEP Magallanes)The southernmost school in the world; it operates on its own generators because Puerto Toro has no power grid
Tánana and Ukika KindergartensJUNJIEarly childhood education in Puerto Williams
SIMCE 2024 results (preliminary)5 rows
SIMCE testCommuneRegionCountry
4° básico (Grade 4), reading292277278
4° básico (Grade 4), mathematics283264264
6° básico (Grade 6), reading244249249
6° básico (Grade 6), mathematics245246245
2° medio (Grade 10), mathematics281—259

The 4° básico results are clearly above the national average (14 points in reading and 19 in mathematics); those for 6° básico match it. With classes of few students, scores vary greatly from one year to the next, and should not be read as a trend. The 2° medio reading result was omitted because of an inconsistency in the published regional data.

15.2 Higher education

The commune has no university of its own, but it does have the Cabo de Hornos Sub-Antarctic Center (UMAG-CHIC), inaugurated on May 15, 2023: 2,581 m² built between 2018 and 2022, led by the Universidad de Magallanes with a consortium of universities (PUC, de Chile, Central, de Talca, Católica de Temuco, de Los Lagos and CIEP). It offers the commune's first technical degree, Tourism in Biocultural Conservation, as well as diploma programs and training courses.

Higher education institutions with a presence in the commune2 rows
InstitutionTypeRemarks
Cabo de Hornos Sub-Antarctic CenterUniversity centerLed by UMAG; technical degree in Tourism in Biocultural Conservation; UMAG has been in Puerto Williams since 2002
Omora Ethnobotanical ParkResearch centerCreated in 2000 by UMAG and the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity; receives about 250 researchers a year
§ 16 Natural Environment: Channels, Peat Bogs and the Cape View

Puerto Williams is the gateway to one of the last nearly untouched landscapes on the planet: lenga and coigüe forests, peat bogs, glaciers and an archipelago of almost unpopulated islands. Almost all of the commune's natural environment is state-owned (fiscal) and protected, so it is an asset for those who visit it and not for those who own it.

Natural attractions by distance from Puerto Williams7 rows
AttractionApprox. distanceActivities
Cerro BanderaNext to the townClimb of about 3 hours round trip to about 610 m, with a view of the Beagle Channel
Dientes de Navarino CircuitThe access point is about 2 km from the townTrek of about 50 km over 4 to 5 days, with registration at Carabineros on departure and return; Sernatur (National Tourism Service) calls it the southernmost circuit in the world
Omora Ethnobotanical ParkA few kilometers to the westGuided visits and science; free-use concession for UMAG
Wulaia Bay~37 km as the crow flies; by sea onlyYagán shell middens and the story of Jemmy Button; a port of call for expedition cruises
Puerto NavarinoBetween 45 and 55 km along route Y-905Departure point for the crossing to Ushuaia and a docking ramp inaugurated in October 2024
Puerto ToroBy sea, with a ferry contracted by the StateOne of the southernmost permanent settlements in the world; southern king crab and the cove landscape
Cabo de Hornos National ParkAbout 115 km to the south, about 12 h by boatHornos Island with its lighthouse, the albatross monument (1992) and seabirds such as the Magellanic penguin and the royal albatross; landing subject to weather
The natural environment of Cabo de Hornos: Navarino, the Hornos archipelago and the national park · Open full map
Navarino Island, Hornos archipelago and Cabo de Hornos National Park

Protected areas. The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO on June 29, 2005, covers about 4.9 million hectares, of which 1.9 million are land. The Cabo de Hornos National Park (63,093 ha, Decree 995 of 1945) protects Wollaston, Hermite and Hornos, and the Alberto de Agostini National Park (1.46 million ha, 1965) shares territory with other communes. At sea, the Diego Ramírez Islands-Drake Passage Marine Park (144,390 km², decree of February 2, 2018) protects albatrosses and macaroni penguins. Navarino has no national park: only the Río Róbalo-Dientes de Navarino Protected National Asset and the Omora Park, and a proposal for a park of about 117,000 ha remains unresolved.

§ 17 Connectivity and Transportation View

17.1 Road network and access

There is no land connection to the mainland. Puerto Williams can be reached only by air or by sea. On Navarino, route Y-905 links Puerto Williams with Puerto Navarino (between 45 and 55 km depending on the source), Y-907 serves the aerodrome and a road to the east reaches as far as Caleta Eugenia. Puerto Toro, at the southeastern end, is reached by sea.

Routes and distances from Puerto Williams7 rows
Route / destinationDistance and details
Punta Arenas (air)292 km as the crow flies; flight of between 57 and 80 minutes with Aerovías DAP, the only scheduled operator. About 15 weekly flights according to aggregators (January 2026)
Punta Arenas (sea)TABSA's ferry Yaghan, taking between 27 and 34 hours; frequency is weekly according to Emol (2026)
Ushuaia (Argentina)About 45 km as the crow flies; the crossing departs from Puerto Navarino by launch in 4 to 4.5 hours, Monday to Saturday between October and March. The route was reactivated on October 25, 2024 after more than four years of suspension
Puerto NavarinoBetween 45 and 55 km along route Y-905
Puerto ToroBy sea, under a TABSA contract since October 2022 worth $300 million (passengers, cargo and fuel)
Hornos IslandAbout 12 hours of sailing, subject to weather
SantiagoAbout 2,400 km as the crow flies; no direct scheduled flight, reached via Punta Arenas (Silversea operates its own charter flights for its passengers)
Position of Puerto Williams at the southern end of Magallanes · Open full map
Puerto Williams at the southern end of Magallanes

17.2 Aerodrome and port

The Guardiamarina Zañartu aerodrome is the commune's gateway: between October 2024 and March 2025 it carried 13,254 passengers to Puerto Williams and 13,428 in the opposite direction. In 2021 the MOP (Ministry of Public Works) tendered the terminal expansion for $1,918,692,798 to operate the BAe-146. The town's multipurpose pier, with a total cost of $34,589 million, is aimed at cruise ships of up to 240 m in length.

Fact sheet of the Guardiamarina Zañartu aerodrome7 rows
FactDetail
CodeSCGZ / WPU
InaugurationFebruary 22, 1957
RunwayAsphalt, 1,440 m, heading 08/26
LocationAbout 1 km from the town; elevation of 27 m
OwnerState of Chile
Scheduled airlineAerovías DAP, from Punta Arenas; LATAM previously operated to Puerto Montt and Santiago, now suspended
Terminal expansion (2021)Constructora Río Maule, $1,918,692,798; terminal of 492.82 m² and fire station building of 435.07 m²

17.3 Road and urban transportation

  • Bus terminal: there is none; there is no intercity transport because there is no road to the mainland.
  • Urban transport: no documented regular service was found; the town is covered on foot and by private vehicle.
  • Railway: there is none.
§ 18 Tourism: Development, Attractions and Things to Do View

18.1 Tourism development

The commune has been a Tourist Interest Zone (ZOIT) since 2019, extended in 2024, with five areas. Its action plan recorded 45 tourism businesses in 2021, 15.4 % more than the previous year. In 2025 the Tourist Information Office handled 1,475 inquiries (21.6 % more than in 2024): 54.2 % domestic tourists and 41.6 % foreign, from 43 countries, led by France, Spain and Germany. Actual demand is higher than the office's figures: more than 10,000 people visited the cape in the 2024-25 season.

18.2 Tourist attractions in the commune

  • Cape Horn: the southern tip of the Americas, with a lighthouse, a chapel, a Chilean naval station and the albatross monument inaugurated on December 5, 1992.
  • Dientes de Navarino: the 4-to-5-day circuit, with 1,217 trekkers from 37 countries in the 2024-25 season and three rescues.
  • Wulaia Bay: Yagán shell middens, the site of the 1859 massacre and a port of call for expedition cruises.
  • Cerro Bandera: the half-day climb with a view of the Beagle Channel and the mountains of Tierra del Fuego.
  • Villa Ukika and the Kipa-Ákar Craft Center: Yagán crafts, in a community 2 km from the town.
  • Puerto Toro: one of the southernmost permanent settlements in the world, with a few dozen inhabitants.

18.3 Museums and culture

  • Museo Territorial Yagán Usi (formerly the Martín Gusinde Anthropological Museum): about 4,000 pieces, in Casa Stirling (Historic Monument since 2003); it reopened in 2008 and was renamed on January 10, 2024. It is the southernmost museum in the world.
  • Yacht Micalvi: a 1925 hull built in Germany as the “Bragi”, sunk in the bay in 1962; today it is a yacht club and a meeting point for sailors arriving at Puerto Williams.
  • Casa Naval No. 1 and the former headquarters of the Beagle Naval District: Historic Monuments since 2011, in the Naval Base area.

18.4 Food and dining

Local cuisine is that of the cold sea and of a transient population: the Beagle Channel's southern king crab and false king crab, cove fishing and the dishes of naval families and settlers. The restaurant offering is small and seasonal; a list of establishments with current data could not be verified.

  • Southern king crab and false king crab: the emblematic product, caught by artisanal fishers from Puerto Williams and Puerto Toro.
  • Club de Yates Micalvi: a meeting point for sailors and visitors aboard the yacht hull.

18.5 Nature and the outdoors nearby

  • Trekking: Dientes de Navarino and the climb to Cerro Bandera; visitors must register with Carabineros before departing and on returning.
  • Sailing: one- or multi-day trips to Wulaia and Cape Horn from Puerto Williams or on cruises from Ushuaia and Punta Arenas.
  • Wildlife: Magellanic penguins and albatrosses on the outer islands, sea lions and humpback whales in the park's waters, and the invasive beaver in the rivers of Navarino.

18.6 Calendar of events and seasons

Main events of the year5 rows
PeriodEventCharacter
October to MarchAntarctic expedition seasonSilversea embarks passengers in Puerto Williams from late October to late March
October to MarchSea crossing to UshuaiaMonday to Saturday, departing at 8:00 from Puerto Williams; reactivated in October 2024
December to MarchTrekking season on the DientesJanuary and February account for more than half of the trekkers; the circuit was closed from April to October 2025
NovemberAnniversary of Puerto WilliamsFounded in 1953; the exact day varies by the source consulted
JuneIndigenous Peoples Day (winter solstice)National holiday that on Navarino coincides with the longest night of the year, of about 17 hours
§ 19 Everyday Life, Sport and Practical Information View

What anyone who is going to live in Cabo de Hornos, not just visit it, needs to know.

19.1 Sport and outdoor life

  • Mountains: Cerro Bandera, of about 610 m, is the town's short excursion; the Navarino Territorial Management Plan contemplates improving its access trail.
  • Sailing: the Club de Yates Micalvi is the center of nautical life and welcomes the sailboats that cross from the Atlantic and the Pacific.

19.2 Shopping and supplies

Supply depends on the ferry (the State contracts TABSA for cargo and fuel) and on the air bridge. The SII records 53 commerce businesses; what cannot be found locally arrives from Punta Arenas by barge or plane. One example of the logistics: in May 2025 TABSA transported 342 tons of prefabricated modules for a hotel to Navarino, the largest single load in its history on the route.

19.3 Where to handle paperwork

Offices based in Cabo de Hornos and paperwork handled elsewhere5 rows
OfficeAddress or contactRemarks
Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornosimcabodehornos.clIt also administers the Antártica commune; the DOM (Municipal Works Department) issues the preliminary information certificate
Notary Office and Real Estate Registrar (Conservador de Bienes Raíces) of Cabo de HornosPuerto WilliamsThe titleholder, Cristóbal Lamas Undurraga, was sworn in on August 17, 2026 as secretary, notary, archivist and registrar; address and hours not verified, confirm with the Poder Judicial (Judiciary)
SEREMI de Bienes Nacionales MagallanesPunta ArenasNo permanent office in Puerto Williams was verified: it serves through “Gobierno en Terreno” (Government in the Field) visits (the one on May 6, 2026 drew about 30 people)
Maritime Authority (Harbor Master's Office)Puerto WilliamsMaritime concessions and permits on the waterfront and the 80 m strip
DIFROL (Directorate of Borders and Boundaries)SantiagoAuthorizes the sale or lease of state-owned property in a border zone and exceptions for foreigners from neighboring countries

19.4 Cost of living and practical considerations

  • Heating: it is the heaviest expense; firewood was the municipality's largest social program in 2025 ($135 million, out of $330 million executed in social programs).
  • Public salaries: the zone allowance for public employees in Puerto Williams is 105 % (DL 249, art. 7), the highest in Magallanes (70 % in the province of Magallanes and 85 % in Última Esperanza and Tierra del Fuego).
  • Transport: the airfare is the structural cost; the local sea leg to Puerto Toro costs $7,350 for residents and $143,000 for non-residents (2022), and the crossing to Ushuaia about US$124 plus fees.
  • Fuel: gasoline was the most expensive in the region in 2018 ($1,136 per liter versus a regional average of $940), a historical figure that illustrates the surcharge of insularity.
§ 20 Territorial Analysis: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities View

An honest reading of the territory. A sound investment decision also requires knowing what doesn't work.

  • A young population: 76 % under 45, with a dependency ratio of 45.0 (section 7).
  • Poverty of 1.2 % by income and a municipality with a cash balance of $4,472 million: an economy of public salaries (section 8).
  • Special regime in force until 2035: property tax exemption, VAT exemption and subsidies (section 9).
  • Zoning plan updated in 2026, with zones, risks and subdivisions defined for the first time in almost forty years (section 11).
  • Top-tier digital connectivity: fiber optics since 2020 and 5G since 2022 (section 13).
  • The population fell 15.2 % between censuses and no single cause has been published; the zoning plan projects 2,500 inhabitants when 1,750 were counted (section 7).
  • Dependence on the Chilean Navy and the State: 270 naval personnel are more than 40 % of the town, and the SII does not even register them (section 9).
  • 93.6 % of the land on Navarino is state-owned (fiscal) and there is no market for parcels; only three houses were listed for sale on October 7, 2026 (sections 3 and 10).
  • A single scheduled airline and a ferry of 27 to 34 hours: connectivity depends on few operators (section 17).
  • Low-complexity hospital without an ICU; any serious emergency requires an evacuation of about three hours (section 14).
  • Silversea opens a 150-room hotel in October 2026 and consolidates Puerto Williams as the gateway to Antarctica (section 9).
  • The multipurpose pier, worth $34,589 million, and the Sub-Antarctic Center expand cruise and science infrastructure (sections 9 and 15).
  • The new zoning plan opens tourism amenity zones (B3, B4) and residential zones (A1 to A4) with clear rules (section 11).
  • The Ministry of National Assets' Plan Navarino and the state-owned Huertos Familiares lots offer land at prices far below those in the rest of Magallanes (section 10).
  • EDELMAG's Guerrico mini plant (1 MW) could reduce dependence on diesel and stabilize the cost of electricity (section 13).
  • Tsunami and flooding in the low strip of the town, and peat bogs and avalanches in the gullies (section 11).
  • The Navarino Law expires on January 14, 2035: the property tax exemption and the subsidies are not guaranteed afterward (section 9).
  • Overlapping Indigenous rights: Indigenous Development Area, an ECMPO application and a possible national park that would require consultation (section 6).
  • DL 1,939 restrictions on foreigners from neighboring countries on border land and on state-owned land near the coast (section 10).
  • A delay or cancellation of the Silversea hotel, which has already been postponed by one season, would affect the tourism demand that underpins private investment (section 9).
§ 21

Cabo de Hornos: Territory, Connectivity and Opportunities

Cabo de Hornos offers something few communes in Chile can: the chance to live in a town with a hospital, aerodrome, fiber optics and school, a few hours from a national park of birds, glaciers and forests that are almost all owned by the State. But that singularity has a cost: there is no market for parcels, only a handful of houses, state-owned lots and State leases. Whoever arrives expecting a recreational parcel will find a different territory and, if they understand it, a very particular kind of investment: housing for those who serve the State and the new Antarctic economy.

At Produncan Lands we know this territory and its opportunities. Our work is to connect properties with people looking to invest, live and develop new projects in southern Chile, offering our experience, local knowledge and commercial reach.

We invite you to get to know our properties in Magallanes and throughout southern Chile, and to entrust Produncan Lands with the sale of your property.

View properties at Produncan Lands
§ 22 Sources and Methodology Note View

22.1 Sources consulted

Documents and sources used15 rows
ScopeDocument and year
Demographics, poverty, education and health2025 Commune Report for Cabo de Hornos, Library of the National Congress (BCN), with data from the INE (2017 and 2024 Censuses), CASEN 2022, RSH 2025, MINEDUC and DEIS
Businesses and workersSII, business statistics by commune, 2024 tax year and by sector
Municipal finances and management2025 Annual Public Report (Cuenta Pública), Municipalidad de Cabo de Hornos; SINIM 2022-2024
Zoning planUpdate of the Puerto Williams Municipal Zoning Plan (PRC), Official Gazette No. 44,417, April 6, 2026 (CVE 2785013)
State-owned land and appraisalsSustainable Territorial Management Plan for Navarino Island and its Coastal Border (Plan de Gestión Territorial Sustentable para Isla Navarino y su Borde Costero), IDOM for the SEREMI de Bienes Nacionales, 2022
Tourist Interest ZoneExempt Decree extending the Cabo de Hornos ZOIT, Official Gazette of March 15, 2024
Climate1991-2020 normals of the Guardiamarina Zañartu station (DMC and NOAA) according to Wikipedia; DMC 1996-2025 averages
Navarino LawGarcía and Fecci, “Invariabilidad de franquicias de la Ley Navarino” (invariability of Navarino Law incentives), Anuario de Derecho Tributario No. 13, 2021
Border restrictionsDL 1,939, articles 6 and 7
Tourism and connectivityRadio Polar, 2024-25 season review; Mundo Marítimo, 2023-24 cruise season; Emol, August 2, 2026
Navy and employmentLa Prensa Austral, February 21, 2024
HealthMinistry of Health: name of the “Cristina Calderón” hospital (2015)
Salmon farmingMongabay, 2019
HistoryWikipedia, Isla Navarino and Puerto Williams; Zangrando et al., Chungará 2022
Real estate marketListings on Yapo, consulted on October 7, 2026

22.2 Methodology note and data currency

  • The 2024 Census figures and the 2024 SIMCE results are preliminary and may be adjusted. The 2024 Census did not publish the commune's urban and rural population breakdown or the number of people born abroad.
  • Left out because they could not be verified: SII total sales (withheld under statistical secrecy), the area of the new urban boundary, southern king crab quotas by commune, private land prices, Navarino's border-zone status and the Registrar's opening hours. The 2° medio reading SIMCE result was omitted because of an inconsistency in the regional data.
  • The commune's 2017 population appears as 2,063 in the BCN; other sources give 2,262. The area of 15,578.7 km² is the BCN figure; other sources give 15,853.7. The height of the Dientes de Navarino varies between 1,118 and 1,195 m depending on the source.
  • Some tourism and appraisal figures come from regional press or technical studies and should be checked against the primary source before being used in a contract.
  • Real estate price ranges are indicative only and do not constitute an appraisal. With only three visible listings, there is no sample for an average. Each property must be assessed individually.
  • This document does not constitute legal or tax advice; references to the Navarino Law, DL 1,939 and the beach strip should be reviewed with a lawyer.
  • Cut-off date of this edition: October 2026. It is recommended to review the indicators in sections 7, 8 and 10 annually.

Territorial reference document prepared by Produncan Lands. It brings together official information (INE, BCN, SII, SINIM, MINEDUC, MINSAL, Official Gazette) with technical and regional press sources, so that anyone —resident, visitor, investor or buyer— can understand Cabo de Hornos in depth before making a decision. In this commune the private land market is minimal and almost the entire territory is state-owned: the document says so plainly rather than assuming a market for parcels that does not exist.

Produncan Lands · Brokerage of rural, agricultural and Patagonian properties · produncan.cl
This document brings together information from official public sources (INE, BCN, SII, SINIM, MINEDUC, ODEPA, MINSAL, SERNATUR) with direct market observation. Price ranges are indicative and do not constitute a valuation. It does not constitute legal or tax advice.
Version 1.0 · Expanded edition · October 2026 · Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors.