Cape Horn is the southernmost point of South America. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. It is located in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Cape Horn Gay Cruises.
The cape was first rounded on January 26, 1616 by a Dutch expedition of Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. They named it Kaap Hoorn after the city of Hoorn, Schouten's birthplace. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. The spanish name of the place is a degeneration of the dutch: Cabo de Hornos. Cape Horn Gay Cruises.
Cape Horn is famous for the weather conditions that made it difficult to round in the days of sailing ships. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. Even so, the open waters of the Drake Passage south of the Cape meant plenty of sea room for maneuvering, while the narrow Strait of Magellan through the Tierra del Fuego islands could be a slow and tortuous passage. Cape Horn Gay Cruises.
The area of the Cape is in Chile. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. A family lives at a small station maintained by the government, consisting of a main house, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. A short distance off there is a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of an albatross. Cape Horn Gay Cruises. The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush due to the frequent precipitation. Cape Horn Gay Cruises.
