At 6:45 am this morning, we were collected from our hotel to take a helicopter flight from El Calafate airport to Port San Julian, due east about 450 km away. Our guide, Milthon Rischmann, collected us, and Julio, our expert pilot, delivered us safely to Port San Julian. This is where Commodore Anson put in to reprovision after leaving Santa Catarina island and arrived around January 25, 1741. He stayed about two weeks, before heading down to the dreaded Cape Horn.
We were presented with the most beautiful sunrise at 4,500 feet, and had very calm and clear weather which is rather unusual for this time of year.
Our arrival at Port San Julian was greeted by a group of guides, who then took us around the harbour area. The main activity for San Julian is mining, not fishing, so there are no boats in the harbour, and indeed it is a very tricky harbour entrance to navigate. Hence FitzRoy’s comment that it was his least favourite harbour. Indeed, there is a lot of history here, with Magellan calling in in 1520, and Drake, FitzRoy and Anson thereafter, but in quite long spells in between.
As there has been very little development in San Julian, the harbour drawings from over 275 years ago still show the same landmarks, and harbour dimensions. We also visited the salt lake that Anson should have gone to, but he did not go far enough inland. Strange, as it is clearly visible from higher elevations.
We also visited the shingle beach with a cliff full of fossils from >30 million years ago. Oyster shells the size of dinner plates, and lots of shells, sand dollars, etc.
Our guides all come with European heritage. Milthon’s family is from Alsace; Pablo Walker’s family is from Scotland, and Juan Jones is from Wales (natch).
It was a most wonderful historical visit, but the next instalment (Part II) is about what we didn’t expect to find - how Port San Julian was involved in The Falklands War. Stay tuned.
