Introduction to Ushuaia – Argentina

Ushuaia is Argentina’s southernmost city. It’s situated at the bottom of the South American continent in Tierra del Fuego.

Ushuaia is generally considered not just Argentina’s but the world’s southernmost city (though that claim is disputed by Puerto Williams, Chile, which is actually slightly further south, on the other side of Beagle Channel).

It’s also the closest inhabited place to Antarctica. Ushuaia is fondly referred to as ‘The End of the World’.

My Visit to Ushuaia

Earlier this year I spent six weeks exploring the southern end of South America, an incredibly vast region called Patagonia that covers the bottom regions of both Argentina and Chile. I wrote all about Patagonia here.

Ushuaia is, hands-down, one of my favorite places in Patagonia due to its spectacular natural setting, its cute town center and the wonderful adventures I embarked on there.

I spent eight nights / seven full days in Ushuaia and could easily have stayed longer. During that week I took an amazing all-day cruise on the Beagle Channel, spent one full day hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park, visited End of the World Museum, strolled several times along the waterfront and town center and greatly enjoyed the many stunning daily views.

I also had to visit four luxury hotels on assignment, so I regrettably did not have time to hike up to Moreno Glacier or enjoy other local hikes. But I did get to witness the mountain peaks turn snow-capped over night when heavy snow hit one night.

Here’s more about wonderful Ushuaia…

Location of Ushuaia

Ushuaia is actually situated at the bottom of a huge island called Tierra del Fuego. On a quick glance of a South American map, it looks like that big bottom chunk of land is part of the mainland.

However, if you zoom in closely enough you’ll discover that a massive triangular landmass is actually separated from the mainland by a thin ribbon of water. That waterway is the famed Magellan Channel, the very first route discovered by ancient sailors between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

It was Ferdinand Magellan who discovered the waterway, thus allowing his ship and all subsequent explorers a way to avoid rounding dangerous Cape Horn at the very bottom of the continent.

Tierra del Fuego Island is situated partly in Argentina, partly in Chile. The massive, predominantly flat island, takes about eight hours to drive from the Magellan Strait down to Ushuaia at the bottom shores. The eastern side of the island falls in Argentinian lands and the western side is situated in Chile.

Ushuaia’s Natural Setting

Ushuaia has a really spectacular natural location, set on the northern shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by high, jagged mountains that are often covered in snow. Martial Glacier hangs just above downtown shops and can be reached by a steep hiking trail from a point above town.

Across the broad Beagle Channel there’s another chain of dark jagged, glacier-filled mountains, located in neighboring Chile.

Famed Beagle Channel was the second natural waterway discovered by historic explorers (after Magellan Channel) that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Once found, it became an extremely important waterway during the days of sailing vessels.

Hugging the Beagle Channel downtown are the town’s pretty boat piers, backed by the wide channel and snow-capped peaks. The piers are filled with a mix of quaint wooden fishing boats, larger glass-windowed tour boats and a few huge cruise ships, most of them bound for Antarctica.

Hilly downtown Ushuaia’s main streets have a lovely collection of cute rustic cafes, mountain-lodge-style shops and interesting little museums.

Reasons to Visit Ushuaia

But travelers don’t actually visit Ushuaia for the town’s beauty. They head all the way to the ‘End of the World’ to explore the area’s amazing natural attractions and/or embark on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to far-flung Antarctica. In fact, Ushuaia is one of two main bases in the world for cruises to Antarctica (the other being Punta Arenas, Chile).

Besides Antarctic Cruises, Ushuaia’s main draws include tours on Beagle Channel to visit colonies of penquins, sea lions, cormorants and a famed historic lighthouse; hiking in National Park Tierra del Fuego; riding an adorable historic former-prisoners’ train; hiking up to Moreno Glacier and to other nearby lagoons, viewpoints and mountain trails.

Ushuaia’s intriguing Museum of the End of the World and Maritime Museum are also big attractions, providing great places to learn about Ushuaia’s interesting history, regional indigenous tribes, flora and fauna.

Getting to Ushuaia

For a place dubbed ‘The End of The World’, Ushuaia is very easy to access.

There are several ways to reach the gorgeous destination, depending on your travel route. Probably the fastest and least expensive way to reach Ushauia is to fly from Buenos Aires, Argentina on FlyBondi or Aerolingus Argentina airlines. It’s a 3-hour flight, considerably shorter and cheaper than taking a bus.

Since it’s a domestic flight, prices are quite reasonable, as long as you don’t try to book a flight during peak season and at the last minute. I found a flight in early February (summer there) for less than $100 US.

The other two main routes to Ushuaia are by bus from Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales, Chile or else from El Calafate, Argentina. These are all common overland routes for travelers exploring southern Patagonia since each of those spots is a major destination in the region.

They are long trips. To/from Punta Arenas takes 10-12 hours, including border procedures and crossing Magellan Channel on a huge ferry. Puerto Natales is three hours longer.

To/from El Calafate, Argentina also entails crossing the Channel and going crossing the Chilean border and re-entering Argentina. That trip also takes about 10-12 hours. Some travelers break up the trip at the coastal city of Rio Gallegos.

It’s also possible to reach Ushuaia by a variety of cruises from various places in Chile and Argentina.

How long to stay in Ushuaia

How long to spend in Ushuaia really depends on how much you want to do. Adventurous travelers who want to fully explore the beautiful natural places could easily fill up a week. That would include a day-trip on Beagle Channel, one full day hiking in Tierra del Fuego natoinal Park, taking the historic train, one day visiting the museums and shops in town, hiking up to Martial Glacier and doing a couple other nearby mountain hikes.

Travelers with less time can pick and choose their favorite activities among those.

Tips on visiting Ushuaia

Weather – First off, remember that Ushuaia is located at a very far latitude, meaning that it’s cold. It’s also quite rainy much of the year. So look up the weather conditions beforehand and be sure to take rain gear and plenty of warm clothing, including hats & gloves.

Indoor heating – On the other hand, Ushuaia homes, shops, restaurants and hotels all use very warm heating. This is quite unlike many places in South America, including northern areas of Argentina and Chile. So in Ushuaia you’ll at least be warm (hot) inside. Be sure to have light clothing for indoors.

When to visit – Summer months, Dec-Feb, are the warmest in Ushuaia. But it’s also peak tourist season and summer holidays for both Chileans and Argentinians.

Ushuaia is very crowded and very expensive during that time.

If you want to avoid the highest prices and biggest crowds, go during the shoulder seasons: Oct-Nov and March-May. Winter season in Ushuaia is surprisingly popular also because of skiing. That’s also obviously the absolute coldest time to visit, but with strong indoor heating you can always get warmed up.

Other suggestions – As I noted above, Ushuaia has a spectacular natural setting. Be sure to admire the astounding views along the shore and from various vantage points.

Ushuaia has several western-style bakeries and restaurants. Visitors can enjoy really delicious cakes, pasteries, breads and international as well as local meals. Be ware that the restaurants are expensive, though. An alternative is to go grocery shopping and cook your own meals.

Accommodations – Ushuaia has every kind of accommodation, including camping, backpackers, private rooms in homes and apartments, hotels of all sizes and levels of luxury. Take your pick.

Summary

Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, has a stunning natural setting on the Beagle Channel at the bottom of Tierra del Fuego Island. It’s the main base for cruises to Antarctica as well as visits to Tierra del Fuego Natoinal Park and cruises on Beagle Channel to see penquins and sea lions.

Ushuaia is one of my favorite destinations in all of vast Patagonia. I highly recommend visiting sometime in your life.

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You might also like:

Introduction to Patagonia

11 Interesting Facts about Argentina

10 Most Beautiful Natural Places in Chile

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