The Magellan Straits are considered to be the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are named after Ferdinand Magellan a famous navigator. The Strait of Magellan was the main shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific before the Panama Canal was built in 1914.
The weather was grey and rainy as we passed through the Magellan Straits but this didn’t spoil the views of such dramatic, wild and remote scenery. This ruggedness went on for miles and miles… miles of solitude and desolate landscape, interspersed with snow capped mountains and small glaciers.
Just before 7 pm we reached Cape Froward which is the southern most point of the landmass of South America. The ship did a 360 degree turn to enable passengers on both sides to view the Cape.
The only way to see Cape Froward is apparently by boat or by an “extremely challenging trek of at least four days”, as mentioned by Wikitravel. This is one advantage of a cruise!
At the top of the Cape was the ‘Cross of the Seas’ which was implemented in 1987 to mark a visit by Pope John Paul II.
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