A harbour on the Beagle Channel
Puerto Williams stands on Navarino Island beside the Beagle Channel, in the traditional homeland of the Yaghan people. The modern settlement was founded in 1953 as Puerto Luisa and developed primarily as a Chilean naval base. Its later name honours the naval commander John Williams Wilson.
The harbour supports fishing vessels and maritime services in the waters south of Tierra del Fuego. Alongside its naval role, tourism and support for scientific research became increasingly important from the late twentieth century.
This photograph shows the waterfront and mountain backdrop in December 2005. It records an earlier appearance of the settlement, rather than current port infrastructure or vessel activity.