Argentina. Ushuaia is the southernmost city of Patagonia and for many travellers it is also the starting point for a trip to Antarctica. The city is idyllically situated between the Beagle Channel and mountains with glaciers and emerald green lakes. To the west is the Tierra del Fuego National Park and to the east is one of the largest estancias in Patagonia. What you can discover during your stay in Ushuaia and surroundings and what you shouldn't miss, you can learn here in my travel tips.
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Table of Contents and Quick Navigation
Walk along the Promenade - Ships, Seabirds, Monuments
A Stamp in the Passport at the Tourist Information
Four Museums in One - Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia
Flag Trees on Route Je an der Route J
Estancia Haberton - the oldest Estancia in the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego
Acatushún Museum of Birds and Marine Mammals
Highlights in the Beagle Channel - Walk with Penguins, Sea Lions and More
Tierra del Fuego National Park - Highlights of a Day Trip by Train and Bus
Walk along the Promenade - Ships, Seabirds, Monuments
The gate to Antarctica is right in front of you. Here you can say hello to your wanderlust. Because this is where the ships leaving for Antarctica leave. And if you're lucky, you can even spot one or more of the ships in the harbour.
But even without the big ships a walk along the promenade is an absolute must. For example, you can observe and photograph seabirds up close or discover the wreck of Saint Christopher. There are also some monuments to see, such as the Plaza Islas Malvinas. Opposite the Plaza Islas Malvinas, a narrow dam separates a small bay, the Bahía Encerrada. If you follow the dam, you will have a great photo view of the city.
A Stamp in the Passport at the Tourist Information
At the tourist information on the promenade there is information on all excursions in the area. You can also have your passports stamped here. Two different stamps are available.
One of the stamps shows a penguin with the text "Ushuaia - Puerta de Entrada a la Antártida". That means translated "Ushuaia - The gate to Antarctica". The other stamp consists however of the continent of the Antarctic as outline with the text " Antártida - Presencia Argentina ininterrumpida desde el ano 1904″. This means translated "Antarctica - Argentine presence uninterrupted since 1904".
Four Museums in One - Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia
In 1904 a prison for political prisoners was built in Ushuaia. It was operated as such until 1947. It had 360 cells and up to 800 inmates. Today the former prison building houses the Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia. The building is similar to a half star with five points and the former cells now serve as exhibition rooms.
Actually, four different museums are located here. The Maritime Museum, the Antarctic Museum, the Prison Museum and an art gallery with temporary exhibitions. In addition, there is a small cafeteria and a museum shop with many books and maps.
Two wings of the building are dedicated to the history of the prison. One wing was left empty and shows the cells as they were then. Finally, the Maritime Museum tells the maritime history of Tierra del Fuego. Also the local history and the development of the city Ushuaia are documented by old photographs.
But for all those who travel from Ushuaia to Antarctica, the Antarctic Museum is certainly the most interesting area. It shows detailed descriptions of the expeditions to the Antarctic, models of the expedition ships as well as equipment that was used at that time.
Flag Trees on Route J
They look like flags in the wind. Because the prevailing wind direction has made the trees bend. Not only the trunk is sloping, but also all branches seem to have grown according to the Patagonian wind. I already got to know the wind in Punta Arenas, Chile. Because there one of my boat trips was cancelled because of too strong wind. But it always blows especially strong in summer. Storms with wind speeds up to 100 km/h are therefore not uncommon. The trees that we visit at the edge of Route J are up to 3,000 years old. There they will have already experienced some stronger storms.
Estancia Haberton - the oldest Estancia in the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego
The Estancia Haberton was founded in 1886 by Thomas Bridges. Bridges was adopted as an orphan by a missionary. Afterwards he came at the age of 13 to the mission station on the Falkland Islands. There he learned the language of the Yamana. During his subsequent stay in Ushuaia, he experienced how the number of indigenous people living on Tierra del Fuego fell dramatically within a few years. The reason for this was diseases brought into the country by the western settlers. Thomas Bridges worked all his life for the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego and also gave them work on the estancia.
Sheep breeding was stopped at the Estancia Haberton in 1995. After the fall of the wool price on the world market it was no longer economical. But the gates of the Estancia are now open for guests. Beside the area and the buildings of the Estancia the cemetery and a botanical garden with replicas of Yamana huts can be visited. The main house has been an Argentine national monument since 1999.
The Estancia Haberton is about 85 km away from Ushuaia. It can be reached by minivan, taxi, boat or as part of an organised day or half-day tour.
Acatushún Museum of Birds and Marine Mammals
The Acatushún Museum is located about 500 meters from the main house of the Estancia Haberton. It is a lovingly designed museum for the study of marine mammals and birds. The collection is the result of over 34 years of research by the founder Natalie Goodall. It contains skeletons of more than 2,700 marine mammals and 2,300 birds. Skeletons and images of whales, dolphins, seals and penguins are displayed in the exhibition room. For better illustration, the skellets often have images of the animals. Particularly impressive are the skulls of various marine mammals or the baleen of a whale, which is about the size of a human being. Students, who work here, convey a lot worth knowing during a guided tour of about one hour. These are offered in English and Spanish.
To read more you can go here to the page of the museum.
Highlights in the Beagle Channel - Walk with Penguins, Sea Lions and More
A boat trip through the Beagle Channel is one of the absolute highlights of a stay in Ushuaia. Here you have the opportunity to observe animals that you don't find so concentrated in other places. Do you dream of a walk with penguins? Here I tell you more about this and other highlights of a boat trip in the Beagle Channel.
Tierra del Fuego National Park - Highlights of a Day Trip by Train and Bus
During a stay in Ushuaia, a visit to the southernmost national park of Argentina is a must. You can explore the park in many ways. Now I would like to introduce one of them to you: A train ride in the Tierra del Fuego National Park with the historic Tren del Fin del Mundo. Learn more about the southernmost train in the world and which highlights you can experience on a Day Trip by Train and Bus in the Tierra del Fuego National Park .
My Wish List for my next Visit
It's usually always the same: you take on so much on the road and then you can't realize everything. So even after my stay in Ushuaia and the surrounding area there are still a few points on my wish list that I would like to add to my travel tips. And if I should return to Ushuaia again, then the following three points are on my program. Maybe one or the other of you is planning it as well? I am looking forward to your comments.
- Diving with Sea Lions at Ushuaia Divers
- Visit to the Museo del Fin del Mundo
- Laguna Esmeralda
