Ushuaia

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Ushuaia

TIERRA DEL FUEGO

The island of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) is at the southern tip of the American continent. It is the last inhabited place before Antarctica and was the only maritime connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans until the construction of the Panamá Canal.

This obliged bold adventurers to sail its waters, including Fernando de Magallanes, Charles Darwin and Sir Francis Drake. At Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn), where both oceans meet, the tides and waters are terrifying.

It is in Tierra del Fuego where the Andes mountain range changes its North-South orientation and turns East, losing itself in the ocean. Glaciers, valleys, peat bogs and lakes are hidden in the mountains which, in turn, are covered by thick forests and abundant fauna.

HIGHLIGHTS

USHUAIA

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and a necessary stopover for cruise ships and expeditions to Antarctica. It lies on the shores of the Beagle Canal, protected by snowy peaks.
An important prison was built on the 19th century at the City at the End of the World. Among the things preserved from that era are the prison building, currently Maritime Museum, and a train built by inmates for the transportation of wood, now turned into a tourist attraction.
Ushuaia´s unique location gives it a very distinctive atmosphere and makes it the starting point for most expeditions around Tierra del Fuego.

BEAGLE CHANNEL

The Beagle Channel is a narrow strait, long and deep, that runs from East to West, linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
It separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego’s mainland) from the archipelago’s southern islets. Iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse stands on one of them. Sea lions, seals, bottlenose dolphins, penguins and more than 20 species of marine birds populate Beagle Channel, including the magnificent albatross.
This biodiversity paradise can be explored by kayak, in catamarans, on a cruise liner and walking along its coasts and islets.

TIERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK

The post-glacial landscape of the National Park delights visitors with its exuberant flora and fauna.
Beavers build amazing dams that can even change the course of rivers. Rocky peaks, deep valleys, fiords, lakes and bays host grasslands and dense forests, which are, in turn, covered by lichens, moss, ferns and mushrooms, making it an ideal habitat for woodpeckers, owls, eagles, hawks and condors.

THE HEART OF THE ISLAND

North of Fagnano Lake, a succession of hills and valleys crisscrossed by rivers and streams give birth to the Yehuin, Chepelmut and Yakush Lakes. Panoramic vistas of the mirror-like lake surfaces enclosed between mountains and dense forests make for wonderful sightseeing of nature.
The area is inhabited by trout, salmon, guanacos (llamas), foxes, condors, swans, hawks and many additional bird species.
Northwards and eastwards, the forest makes way for the steppe, with grasslands and flag trees bent by the wind. This is where the larger Tierra del Fuego ranches are. On the Atlantic coast, Desdémona shipwreck lies in between an exquisitely desolated landscape.

LOCATION

Ushuaia is located at the southernmost tip of the American continent, on the island of Tierra del Fuego. The southernmost city of the world is 2,371 km from Buenos Aires as the bird flies and 3,040 km by car.

WHEN TO GO

October to April is when most nature activities operate: trekking, 4×4, kayak, cruises, etc. The skiing and snow-activities season starts in mid-June and finishes by the end of September, although dates vary every year according to weather conditions.

WEATHER

Temperatures reach a maximum of 10-15°C in summer and a minimum of 0°C to -5°C in winter, with 10°C temperature variations between day and night. Ushuaia is quite protected from the wind. Its climate is humid and changing and it may snow at any moment of the year. The interior of the island is both colder and windier.