King George Island, the largest South Shetland Island, is the gateway to Antarctica, 120 km from the Antarctic Peninsula. It has the South Shetlands' only airport, over 10 nations' research stations, and a Russian Orthodox church. Wildlife includes penguins, seals, skuas, and giant petrels. Named in 1819 for King George III, it was later claimed by Chile and Argentina, but remains part of the British Antarctic Territory.

Despite its British feel, Stanley is more Patagonia than Portsmouth. The Falklands' vast, windy beauty is mixed with pubs, fish and chips, whalebone landmarks, and Union Jacks. Long disputed among France, Britain, Spain and Argentina, the islands stayed British after the 1982 war and remain in the Commonwealth. Thatcher is still a local hero. The real stars are the penguins: five species, including rockhoppers, nest here with little barrier between visitors and wildlife.

Saunders Island, northwest of the Falklands, is remote, wild, and rich in wildlife. Settled by the British in 1765 at Port Egmont, it's now sheep-grazed land with dramatic beaches and dunes, and some of the archipelago's best birdlife. See elephant seals, silvery grebes, Peale's dolphins, king penguins, Gentoo, Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, black-browed albatross, and rare black-necked swans. Mount Richards (457m) offers wide views to Carcass and West Point islands.

A north-westerly outpost of the Falklands, West Point Island greets visitors with vast colonies of black-browed albatross. Formerly Albatross Island, it's home to rockhopper, Magellanic, and imperial cormorant colonies, plus sheep and a tiny human population. Hike quiet landscapes to find endemic plants like Felton's flower, dramatic cliffs, and Cliff Mountain, the archipelago's highest cliff. Offshore, look for Commerson's dolphins, whales, and fur seals.

Puerto Williams is a small Chilean city on Navarino Island, south of the Beagle Channel, and it calls itself the world's southernmost city, though nearby Ushuaia also claims that title. Surrounded by dramatic, snow-dusted mountains and the Dientes de Navarino, it was originally home to the Yaghan people. Founded as a naval base in 1953, it now serves Antarctic travel and offers a quiet, village-like alternative to bustling Ushuaia.

Puerto Williams is a small Chilean city on Navarino Island, south of the Beagle Channel, and it calls itself the world's southernmost city, though nearby Ushuaia also claims that title. Surrounded by dramatic, snow-dusted mountains and the Dientes de Navarino, it was originally home to the Yaghan people. Founded as a naval base in 1953, it now serves Antarctic travel and offers a quiet, village-like alternative to bustling Ushuaia.