The southernmost tip of America was discovered in 1520 by the Portuguese sea captain Ferdinand Magellan. Though Magellan could not finish the voyage at that time, his second in command, Juan Sebastian Elcano later completed the expedition by circumnavigating the globe.
This strait has the privilege of uniting two great oceans: the Atlantic and Pacific, and dividing the American continent from Tierra del Fuego. The region south of latitude 50º is known to be the most turbulent in the world; its waters are feared and respected by sailors around the world.
Because of the important maritime traffic from Europe to the western coast of America, a great amount of lighthouses were built. Among them, the Evangelist Lighthouse (inaugurated in 1896) stands out due to its extreme access difficulty and daily severe weather. Soon after, the Punta Dungeness Lighthouse was built and turned on its guiding light in 1899. In 1902, the lighthouse on Magdalena Island lit up in front of the city of Punta Arenas and in 1907 the Felix Bay lighthouse began guiding ships to safety.