Patagonia is cursed by a persistent wind, its winters are cold and summers short. These days large numbers of Chileans and non-Chilean visitors come to Patagonia principally to hike in the country's most famous and arguably most stunning national park, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, a massif crowned with otherworldly granite towers. Others want to follow in the footsteps of the region's famous travellers, such as the navigator Ferdinand Magellan, the naturalist Charles Darwin and, more recently, the author Bruce Chatwin. Others still just want to look at the glaciers that calve icebergs into the sea, or see penguins, or simply discover what it's like down here, at the very foot of the world. The Chileans call the area the province of Magallanes, in the explorer's honour, and it's one of the least inhabited areas in Chile. The provincial capital is the lively city of Punta Arenas and the only other town of any size is superbly located little Puerto Natales to the northwest, gateway to Torres del Paine. Both settlements seem to huddle patiently with their backs against the elements. Since the whole of this region is physically cut off from the rest of Chile by two vast icecaps, the only links with territory to the north are by air, water or through Argentina. Across the Magellan Strait lies the huge main island of Tierra del Fuego, the most interesting part of which lies in Argentine territory, though the Isla Navarino and its welcoming naval base of Puerto Williams are worth a visit.