Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Argentina
Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Argentina
Magellan called it Tierra del Fuego, "the Land of Fire," having seen flames rising from the darkened islands. For over three centuries, the name struck fear in the hearts of mariners. Howling headwinds, mountainous seas and rocky coastlines spelled a sudden end to many voyages. Today, Ushuaia, a former Argentine penal colony, serves as your gateway to this wilderness where snow-capped mountains plummet to the icy waters of the Beagle Channel.
In the late 19th century, Reverend Thomas Bridges spent years working with local tribes, compiling a dictionary of their Yaghan tongue. The work outlived the Yaghan: by the beginning of the 20th century, they had succumbed to disease.
Points of Interest
- Beagle Channel
- Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Tierra Mayor Valley
- End of the World Train
- Museo Maritimo
- Lago Escondido / Lago Fagnano
- Lumberjack Camp
More about Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Argentina Points of Interest
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Beagle Channel -
Soaring mountains and an historic lighthouse create an ideal backdrop at the southernmost tip of South America for scenic wildlife cruises to seal haul-outs and cormorant rookeries.
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Tierra del Fuego National Park -
From the rugged peaks, pristine lakes and ancient forests of the Andes to the glacier-draped shores of the famed Beagle Channel, the world's southernmost national park offers picture postcard scenes.
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Tierra Mayor Valley -
A leafy lenga forest frames peat bogs, beaver dams, and the Five Cascades waterfalls tumbling from the Alvear Mountains. It's pristine habitat for unique wildlife like red foxes, and birds as cara-caras and parakeets.
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End of the World Train -
Step aboard the southernmost railway in the world! Enjoy a scenic heritage train ride through the breathtaking scenery of Tierra del Fuego National Park.
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Museo Maritimo -
Explore the maritime history collection of the Argentine Navy, an amazing treasure trove of models, exhibits of Antarctic discovery and research. It's housed in a National Historical Monument that was the Old Prison of Ushuaia. The city was, in its beginnings, a penal colony, as this was the only way to keep a population in such a cold and remote area!
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Lago Escondido / Lago Fagnano -
Sapphire lakes nestled in glacier-carved valleys dotted with charming winter sports centers are a featured attraction of tours through the Andes Mountains to the heights of Garibaldi Pass.
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Lumberjack Camp -
A woodcutter's cabin in the forest brings bygone days to life. It's the setting for a lumberjack lunch plus enticing nature hikes into the dramatic scenery of the Tierra Mayor Valley Natural Reserve.
