Ushuaia
The southernmost city in the world, between snowy peaks and the Beagle Channel, at the edge of Antarctica.
- Best time to go
- November to March for hiking and wildlife; June to September for skiing
- Local time
- –
- Currency
- Argentine Peso (ARS)
- Reading time
- 4 min
- Language
- Spanish and Guarani
Ushuaia, the capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego, likes to call itself "the end of the world". Squeezed between the jagged Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel, it's the southernmost city on earth, a former penal colony turned into a lively port for fishing boats, cruise ships and expeditions to Antarctica, about a thousand kilometres to the south.
The wild landscapes around it, of beech forests, peat bogs, glaciers and channels full of seabirds and sea lions, make it a superb base for hiking and wildlife. The weather is famously changeable, with sun, wind, rain and snow possible in a single day.
The top 8 in Ushuaia
- 1
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Photo: Aakerueh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A national park west of the city, where the Andes meet the sea, with trails along the coast of the Beagle Channel and through southern beech forests to lakes and bays. The road ends at Bahía Lapataia, where a sign marks the southern end of Route 3, which runs north all the way to Buenos Aires and beyond.
TipThe Senda Costera, a coastal trail of about eight kilometres, is one of the most beautiful walks in the park.
- 2
The Beagle Channel
Photo: Ricardo Martins, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The channel, named after the ship that carried Charles Darwin, separates Tierra del Fuego from the Chilean islands to the south. Boat trips visit islands crowded with sea lions and cormorants, and pass the red-and-white Les Éclaireurs lighthouse.
- 3
The penguin colony on Isla Martillo
Photo: NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A small island further east along the channel, home to a colony of Magellanic and gentoo penguins from around October to April. A few licensed tours allow visitors to walk among them on a guided path.
TipWalking tours are very limited and sell out; book well in advance.
- 4
Martial Glacier
Photo: Justraveling.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A small glacier on the mountain above the city, reached by a trail of a couple of hours climbing through forest to a cirque of rock and ice, with views down to Ushuaia and the channel.
- 5
Laguna Esmeralda
Photo: Márcio Motta, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A popular hike through forest and boggy valleys to a lake of a startling emerald colour beneath a glacier, about four to five hours return.
TipWear waterproof boots: parts of the trail cross peat bogs.
- 6
The Maritime and Prison Museum
Photo: Gastón Cuello, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The former prison, built in the early twentieth century to house prisoners sent to the end of the world, now holds museums about the prison, maritime history and Antarctic exploration. One wing is preserved as it was.
- 7
- 8
Estancia Harberton
Photo: Martin Cígler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The oldest estancia in Tierra del Fuego, founded in 1886 by a missionary family, with a museum of marine mammal skeletons and a historic farmhouse on the shore of the channel.
When to go
The southern summer, from November to March, has long days, milder weather and the penguins in residence, the best time for hiking and boat trips. It's also the Antarctic cruise season, so the town is busy. Winter, from June to September, brings snow, short days and skiing at Cerro Castor, one of the southernmost ski resorts in the world. The weather is unpredictable year-round.
Getting around
The town centre is compact and walkable along its main street, San Martín. Taxis are inexpensive, and minibuses and tours run to the national park and trailheads. Boat trips leave from the tourist pier. Malvinas Argentinas International Airport is a short drive from the centre, with flights to Buenos Aires and El Calafate.
Local tips
- Pack waterproof, windproof layers, a warm hat and gloves even in summer.
- Book penguin walks, boat trips and Antarctic voyages well in advance.
- Last-minute Antarctic cruise deals are sometimes available in Ushuaia in season, but not guaranteed.
- Argentina's economy changes quickly; check current advice on paying by card or cash.
- Pay the national park entrance fee at the gate.
- Respect wildlife: keep your distance from penguins and sea lions.
- Daylight is very short in midwinter and very long in midsummer; plan hikes accordingly.
Eat and drink
Ushuaia is famous for centolla, southern king crab, served in many ways, and for Patagonian lamb roasted on an open fire. Try fresh fish such as merluza negra (Patagonian toothfish), and local craft beers brewed with glacier water. Cafés serve hot chocolate and cakes, welcome after a day in the cold wind.
Where to stay
Hotels in the centre, along San Martín street and the waterfront, put you close to restaurants and the pier. Hotels on the hillside above the town, towards the Martial Glacier, have spectacular views over the channel. A few lodges in the forest outside the city offer quiet, cosy retreats.
Antarctica
Most expedition cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula depart from Ushuaia between November and March, crossing the Drake Passage, one of the roughest stretches of sea in the world, in about two days. Voyages usually last ten days or more and visit penguin colonies, glaciers and research stations. Fly-cruise options, flying from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island, avoid the crossing.
Wildlife of the end of the world
The waters and coasts around Ushuaia are rich in wildlife. Boat trips on the Beagle Channel pass South American sea lions hauled out on rocky islands and colonies of imperial and rock cormorants, often with giant petrels and black-browed albatrosses overhead. In the forests, look for Magellanic woodpeckers, with their bright red heads, and condors over the peaks. Beavers, introduced from North America in the 1940s, have spread across Tierra del Fuego, where their dams have flooded and killed large areas of forest.