Visit Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world. Hike, sled and ski amid the town’s pristine forests, lakes and mountains. Tour fascinating museums, play golf and spot varied wildlife. Yámana tribespeople first lived here, with British missionaries arriving in the 1800s. Ushuaia later became the location of a prison, with the inmates responsible for much of the architectural landscape.
The city sits on the shores of curving Ushuaia Bay, where the Andes Mountains converge with the Beagle Channel. Historic landmarks, such as Casa Beban and Government House, line the hilly streets. Browse art exhibitions and learn about maritime and penal history at the Maritime Museum’s exhibition halls inside a former prison building. Exhibits on Fuegian birdlife and indigenous cultures occupy the Fin del Mundo Museum.
Hike or ride a chairlift to the 3,445-foot-tall (1,050-meter) Martial Glacier, which has a panoramic lookout and walking tracks. Ski on the slopes of Cerro Castor resort. Go cross-country skiing, dog-sledding and snowshoeing in the wilderness of the Valley of Wolves. Ushuaia Golf Club offers 18 scenic holes.
Get close to penguin and sea lion colonies on a cruise or kayak tour of the Beagle Channel. Spot albatross at Bird Island, visit Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and join a guided tour of Estancia Harberton, one of the nation’s oldest ranches. Ride the Fin del Mundo Train to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here, nature trails traverse dense forests and placid lakes.
Enjoy plates of fresh seafood and Patagonian lamb at the many restaurants on Avenida Maipú and Avenida San Martín. Sample a pint of beer brewed by the Cervecería Beagle at the city’s bars and pubs.
Reach Ushuaia by flying to Malvinas Argentinas Airport from Buenos Aires, Córdoba, El Calafate or Río Gallegos, among other domestic cities. Venturesome travelers can extend their vacation with a grueling yet rewarding cruise across the Drake Passage to the jaw-dropping glacial continent of Antarctica.
