Ushuaia is the most southern city in Argentina and the world. I’d always planned to go to Ushuaia on my travels, I was simply unsure as to where it would fit in. A week before leaving the UK I decided to start at the very bottom of the continent and work my way up. I booked a flight from BA to Ushuaia.
I had two main reasons for going to Ushuaia. The first one being the Tierra del Fuego National Park, and the second being I really really wanted to go as far south as I could! Being so close to Antarctica (probably the closest I’ll ever be since my budget sadly couldn’t cover an Antarctic expedition) really excited me.
Flying into Ushuaia was a pinch me moment. I couldn’t believe how south I was; it really felt like I was arriving to el Fin del Mundo (the end of the world)! Super surreal!
Ushuaia centre
After dropping my rucksack at the hostel, I went out to explore the city centre. It’s a small and easily walkable centre. I headed to the two Ushuaia signs along the seafront to snap a pic at the end of the world. You can also get a stamp in your passport at the tourist information office – I couldn’t resist! The main street of restaurants and shops is on Avenida San Martin.
Laguna Esmeralda
Laguna Esmeralda was one of the places I fancied visiting during my time in Ushuaia.
It’s about a 20 minute drive from the centre to the start of the walking trail. Minibuses leave at 10 and 11am from the bus station. Sometimes they collect from hostels too. A return journey costs ARG$450 and there is no entrance fee as Laguna Esmeralda isn’t in the national park.
The walk to Laguna Esmeralda is pretty simple. It starts off in the forest before leaving the trees for open fields. I’d read beforehand that the trail could be a bit muddy; this was an understatement! This walk should come with a mud warning!
It’s a bit muddy when walking through the forest; however the mud really kicks in when you reach the open fields and marshland. It’s basically a bog. I quickly gave up my futile efforts to keep my feet dry and embraced the mud. Thankfully no shoes were lost, although it did come close! Others weren’t so lucky and had to be pulled out from knee deep mud.
The lagoon is beautiful and the views throughout the walk are fantastic!
In total it was approximately just over a 3.5hr walk (2hrs there and 1.5hrs back). Minibuses back to Ushuaia are at 15.00 and 17.00. We caught the 15.00 one. It would be great if there was a 16.00 bus back, the 15.00 didn’t give us as much time as we’d like at the lagoon but the 17.00 one would have given us too much haha.
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Tierra del Fuego National Park is one of the main attractions in the area. I spent two days exploring it and it is so beautiful.
First day
On my first day there, I went with two others from my hostel and we visited the main trails and areas in the park: the Bahia Lapataia area, Lago Roca, we walked a small part of Hito XXIV trail and the full Senda Costera trail.
The Senda Costera was the best walk that day. There are some steep uphills and downhills interspersed with pebble beaches. We walked it briskly in 2 hours as we wanted to catch the 17.00 bus. We finished the walk with half an hour to spare and in good spirits.
However, 17.00 came and went and no bus arrived. We were confused and annoyed. It turns out that the buses don’t come down the road to pick up, only drop off. We were under the impression they did both – no one told us they didn’t!
We had to head up to the main road to get picked up by another bus and taken to the visitor centre. We then caught the 19.00 bus back which was really frustrating given that we were ready at 16.30!
Make sure you know where the buses pick up from so you don’t get caught out like us. Luckily there was one more later bus scheduled; otherwise I reckon we’d have had to try hitchhiking.
Second day
My second day in the park I hiked up to Cerro Guanaco which was simply stunning. For the best views in the park seriously do that walk! It is hard and I found the final third of the ascent challenging and slightly scary. It was so worth it though! Click here to read more about my Cerro Guanaco hike.
How to get to Tierra del Fuego
To get to the national park, minibuses leave at 9,10, 11 and I think 12. They leave from the bus station on Avenida Maipú near the tourist information office. Some hostels, like the one I stayed at, have pick ups so you don’t need to walk to the station.
You don’t need to book a bus in advance, I would tell my hostel that I’d like to be on a bus about an hour before pick up. A return transfer to the park costs ARG$700 and must be paid in cash.
If you return to the park the next day, you can get a small discount and tickets cost ARG$600.
It’s about a half an hour drive to the park. For the return journey minibuses pick up at 1,3,5 and 7 from the 3 main points. There are several different companies so don’t worry if one doesn’t pick you up, it’s just not your company. Check your ticket for the company’s name.
National park entrance fee
To enter the park there is an entrance fee of ARG$490. You can pay by card or cash. If you’re planning to spend two consecutive days in the park, you can get a 50% discount on your entrance ticket the next day. Make sure you let them know you’ll be returning the next day. I went to the park on Saturday and Monday and the discount sadly wasn’t applicable.
Other things to do in Ushuaia
I spent five days in Ushuaia mainly exploring the park and Laguna Esmeralda. One of the days I chilled at the hostel due to the weather. Here are some other ideas for what you can do in Ushuaia:
- The train at the end of the world
- Half day or full day tour of the Beagle Channel. My friend from my hostel did a full day tour and said it was brilliant. It was pricey but she went with the only company that is allowed to walk on the island with penguins and she was lucky enough to see whales! You’ll be hoping for sunshine!
- You can visit the other lagoons, like Laguna Escondido.
Ushuaia is definitely worth the visit! I loved my time there and it’s really cool to have gone so south! I’m now heading to Punta Arenas to (hopefully) see penguins! I can’t wait 🙂
