Season October 2007 to April 2008

By early 17th century, the Strait of Magellan and Cabo de Buena Esperanza were the only routes available for transit between the West and the Far East. The Dutch East India Company was the ruling monopoly covering this route, which moved Isaac Le Maire, a well-established Dutch tradesman, to look for an alternative route and compete in a single player trade environment.

Jacob Le Maire, the tradesman’s eldest son, was commissioned to lead the voyage to the southern seas, while the brothers Willem and Jan Schouten were the respective captains of the two vessels in this expedition, Eendracht and Hoorn. After sailing in June 1615 and loosing track of the second ship during the voyage, the explorers reach what is currently known as Strait of Le Maire in January 1616 and a little later they spotted land to the south. They called it “Kaap Hoorn”, after the Dutch port where they had set sail. .

Between the 18th and the early 20th century, Cape Horn turned into a must-do route for most of the world’s businesses. Vessels would sail across the Cape, loaded with cotton, grain and gold brought from Australia and bound for Europe. They would also pick products from the Far East along their journey. With the opening of the Panama Canal and transcontinental railroads, use of the Cape Horn route dropped dramatically.

At present, the commercial routes thru Cape Horn only correspond to vessels that cannot go thru the Panama Canal due to their large size, like oil tankers. Nevertheless, navigation challenges along this traditional route remain a very attractive journey for adventurers and tourists looking forward to sailing austral seas and knowing the beauty of Patagonia’s wilderness.


Isla Hornos features Faro Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn Lighthouse), located southwest of the island at an area known as Punta Espolón, 57 meters above sea level. Hailed as the world’s southernmost lighthouse, this beacon is the benchmark for ships sailing these waters, therefore it is permanently staffed by the Chilean Navy, while it also serves as a meteorological and radio station. .

The Cape Horn Monument was officially inaugurated on December 5, 1992. erected through the initiative of the Chilean Section of the Cape Horn Captains Brotherhood, the "Cape Horners"; in memory of the men of the sea from every nation who lost their lives fighting against the merciless forces of nature of the Southern Ocean that prevail in the vicinity of the legendary Cape Horn http://www.caphorniers.cl/CH_monument.htm

This 7-meter high monument is located at the top of a hill, 50 meters above sea level, near the lighthouse. The monument represents a flying albatross, a native bird of the South Seas that, as the legend goes, bears the souls of the seamen who died in the sea. A beautiful poem was written as remembrance for the ones who perished on their journeys thru the Cape:.

“I, the albatross that awaits at the end of the world….
I am the forgotten soul of the sailors lost,.
rounding Cape Horn from all the seas of the world..
But they did not die in the fierce waves,.
for today towards eternity, in my wings they soar,.
in the last crevice of the Antarctic winds.”.
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