South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are a group of islands about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Islands
The South Shetland Islands
Research stations Frei and Bellingshausen on King George Island
  • Elephant Island
  • Clarence Island
  • Rowett Island (minor)
  • Gibbs Island (minor)
  • King George Island (the largest, and home to Chile's permanent Antarctic settlement)
  • Bridgeman Island (minor)
  • Penguin Island (minor)
  • Nelson Island
  • Aitcho Islands (minor)
  • Greenwich Island
  • Half Moon Island (minor)
  • Desolation Island (minor)
  • Livingston Island (second largest)
  • Rugged Island (minor)
  • Snow Island
  • Smith Island
  • Deception Island
  • Low Island
  • Seal Island (minor)

Research stations and Field Camps
The pretty Russian Orthodox church of Holy Trinity, the southernmost Eastern Orthodox house of worship of the world, in Bellingshausen Station during the polar night
  • Artigas (Uruguay)
  • Bellingshausen (Russia)
  • Camp Academia (Bulgaria)
  • Camp Byers (Spain)
  • Camp Livingston (Argentina)
  • Captain Arturo Prat (Chile)
  • Chang Cheng/Great Wall (China)
  • Comandante Ferraz (Brazil)
  • Decepción (Argentina)
  • Gabriel de Castilla (Spain)
  • Henryk Arctowski (Poland)
  • Juan Carlos I (Spain)
  • Jubany (Argentina)
  • King Sejong (South Korea)
  • Machu Pucchu (Peru)
  • Pedro Vicente Maldonaldo (Ecuador)
  • Presidente Eduardo Frei (Chile) - also hosts the civilian settlement Villa Las Estrellas
  • Professor Julio Escudero (Chile)
  • Shirreff (Chile/USA)
  • St.Kliment Ohridski (Bulgaria)

Other destinations

Understand

The South Shetland Islands are part of the British Antarctic Territory. There is no permanent habitation on these islands aside from the personnel on the research stations. The climate is not as rough as on the Antarctic mainland: the temperature oscillates between -10°C and +5°C.

Get in

By boat

If you are not part of a research team, the easiest way to visit the islands is by expedition ship. Cruises to this part of Antarctica usually start from Ushuaia, take one to two weeks and cost at least US$5,000 per person.

By plane

Some travel agencies also offer tours by plane to the archipelago's only airport, at the Eduardo Frei Base, serving said base as well as the settlement of Villa Las Estrellas.

Get around

See

The main sights are the Antarctic landscape and nature.

Do

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Go next

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