Porvenir

Rainbows frequently paint the sky above the Cordón de Boquerón hills in western Tierra del Fuego. The mythical gold at the end of the rainbow drew many, especially Croats and Chilotes (Chiloé Island natives) to come to this cold, rainy land. In 1879, Chilean Navy Lieutenant Ramón Serrano Montaner, while exploring the coast and land of Tierra del Fuego, discovered gold in the rivers. The news spread. By 1887 over 200 prospectors were panning the waters, gathering dust and nuggets.

During this gold rush, the city of Porvenir was founded to handle the shipping of supplies and provide services to the miners. Porvenir, which means future, reflected the bright hopes of all those involved in those feverish times. But by the end of the 19th century the rivers seemed played out. Folks either decided to settle down in Porvenir or move on to more golden pastures. That is until 1903 when some Californians arrived. They thought perhaps the special dredging equipment used by the 49ers in their state could help extract more of the precious metal out of the Cordón de Boquerón. The fever reached a peak again between 1906 and 1908. But the high cost of transporting the machinery to and across the wind-swept, cold Land of Fires could not be paid off by the meager finds.

Porvenir continues to survive, however, on these eastern shores of the Straits of Magellan. Some hardy souls yet battle the elements out in those lone hills, searching for a fist-full of gold dust, a nugget to make their futures brighter. The town’s economic base, though, has now turned to fish processing and tourism. Some journeyers come to traverse the Ruta de Oro, seeing the abandoned dredges and talking with modern-day prospectors. Others visit the many estancias, some of which are still working and others left to be battered by the elements. Fishing in the Río Cordón is the call for some, for others it’s trekking in the Cordillera Darwin, Parque Nacional Alberto de Agostini or other reserves. Bird watching at Laguna Nacional Laguna de los Cines is the pot at the end of the arco iris for yet others. It isn’t easy getting out into the wilds here — only on tour, or if you have your own car or bike. In the warmer summer months adventuresome, well-equipped visitors could walk the island’s dirt roads.

Porvenir is a popular trip escape for Puntarenses, for the simple pleasures and treasures beneath the rainbows. A walk along the costanera allows a reprieve from modern civilization, to view flamingos, black-necked swans and other birds that rest in the bay and to climb Cerro Mirador for sweeping vistas of the Straits and Cordillera. Boat tours into Bahía de Porvenir offers the chance to watch dolphins playing in the frigid waters. The town’s Croatian and Chilote founders left their unique imprints on the town’s architecture, and their culinary artistry is also to be appreciated. For a lesson on the indigenous, mining and colonization history of Tierra del Fuego, spend an hour in the Museo Provincial Fernando Cordero Rusque. If for an extended visit into the wilds, or just to soak the small-town atmosphere, Porvenir is a destination worth hopping on the ferry for.

(Altitude:45 meters / 146 feet, Population:6400, Phone Code: 061)