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A Walk with Penguins - The Highlight in the Beagle Channel

The Isla Martillo (also called Isla Yécapasela) and other islands in the Beagle Channel are part of the Estancia Haberton. In earlier times they were used for sheep and livestock farming. Since the 1960s, however, no farm animals have been brought to the islands. As a result, the penguins have rediscovered Isla Martillo. Today about 3000 pairs of Magellan penguins, 16 pairs of gentoo penguins and 155 pairs of rock cormorants live on the island. You can also observe Patagonia geese and the predatory skuas on the island. From time to time even a single king penguin is a guest.

The penguins come to Isla Martillo at the beginning of October to breed here. The donkey penguins build nests of small stones on the shingle beach. The Magellanic penguins, on the other hand, breed in burrows. Towards the end of March and beginning of April, the penguins leave the island to the north. They then spend about six months at sea.

Daily several excursion boats drive from Ushuaia to the Isla Martillo. However, the boats are not allowed to land here. As a result, the penguins can only be observed on the beach from the boat.

To the Island with the Boats of the Estancia Haberton

For a walk with the penguins you have to book a boat from the Estancia Haberton. You can do this either directly through the Estancia Haberton or through a guided bus tour with PiraTours from Ushuaia. The boat trip takes about 15 minutes and the walk about an hour. To protect the penguins, the maximum number of visitors is limited to 80 per day. Visitors are only allowed to walk along a marked path and only with a guide.

The visit of the penguin colony of Isla Martillo in the Beagle Channel was the highlight of my stay in Ushuaia. Here I came closer to penguins for the first time. And here I fell head over heels in love with them. The penguin colony of Isla Martillo is the only one that can be reached from Ushuaia. If you only have one day available during your stay in Ushuaia, I recommend a walk with the penguins.

Have you fallen head over heels in love with the penguins? Then you're probably also interested in the King Penguins in Tierra del Fuego. You like to take pictures? Then read my Tips for great Penguin Photos. You can also find many more penguin photos in my Gallery.

The Islotes les Éclaireurs - more Highlights in the Beagle Channel

The Islotes les Éclaireurs are eight small islands in the Argentine part of the Beagle Channel. All eight islands are uninhabited and therefore belong almost exclusively to the animals.

The most famous island is the Isla de los Lobos - sea lion island. From the boat you can watch South American sea lions and South American fur seals.

Beside the sea lion island also the Isla de los Pájaros (bird island) offers great possibilities to experience the animal world of the Beagle channel. Hundreds of cormorants and seagulls breed here.

On the northeasternmost island stands the eleven-metre-high Lighthouse Faro Les Éclaireurs. It is known as a lighthouse at the end of the world and was built in 1920.

Here you come back to the main article Tips and Highlights in Ushuaia and Surroundings.

Have you ever been to Tierra del Fuego yourself and have you been through the Beagle Channel? How did you like it and what were your highlights in the Beagle Channel? Do you have any questions about my article or any other suggestions? If so, please write me a comment!

Recommendations for further Reading

The King Penguins of Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego National Park - Highlights of a Day Tour by Bus and Train

Der Beitrag Highlights im Beagle-Kanal – Spaziergang mit Pinguinen, Seelöwen und mehr erschien zuerst auf Fernweh-Motive.

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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.

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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".

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 .

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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

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Der Beitrag Tipps und Highlights in Ushuaia und Umgebung erschien zuerst auf Fernweh-Motive.

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With the Tren del Fin del Mundo through the Tierra del Fuego National Park

The Tren del Fin del Mundo (train at the end of the world) is the southernmost railway in the world and certainly one of the highlights in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. The narrow-gauge railway runs with historical steam locomotives and modern heated carriages. On seven kilometres it goes through the Tierra del Fuego National Park, past the river Pipo, through swamps and forest. With a little luck you may even see wild horses.

The railway station "the end of the world" is located about eight kilometres west of Ushuaia. While you are waiting for your train to depart, you can find out about the history of the train in an exhibition. There is also a café and a souvenir shop.

Unfortunately the train is completely closed. So there's no way to take pictures without a window between the camera and the motif. Only at the short stopover at the Macarena waterfall are outdoor shots with a panoramic view of the Pipo Valley of the National Park possible.

Only seven kilometres of the old 25 kilometre long railway line are left today. The line was built by prisoners at that time. During the period between 1909 and 1952, construction materials and wood were transported to the prison by train. In 1952, however, the company was closed down.

Further highlights in the National Park Tierra del Fuego

After arriving at the train station in the national park, we continue with the minibus. We drive on the Ruta 3 further into the national park up to the Lapataia Bay. Ruta 3, also known as Panamericana and legendary, ends here. Therefore, the sign of the Ruta 3 is also a popular location for a souvenir photo.

From the car park at the end of Ruta 3, continue along a wooden path. From here the view of Lapataia Bay is most beautiful.

The 63,000 hectare Tierra del Fuego National Park was founded in 1960 and has since protected a mountainous coastal area with forests, moors, rivers and lakes. The park is easily accessible by bus, taxi or rental car. There is also a wide range of organised excursions, such as a combined train and bus tour*. Außerdem gibt es Ausritte, Kajaking oder 4×4-Touren an den Seen entlang.

The main attraction of the park is the nature itself. And in order to really enjoy the park, there are several marked hiking trails. You can do shorter hikes at Lapataia Bay, Lago Roca near the visitor centre or at Laguna Negra. And if you have a little more time, you have the possibility for longer hikes, especially in the southern part of the park. Particularly popular hikes are:

• The only 600 meters long Senda de la Isla leads over the island in the Río Lapataia. Starting point is the visitor centre.
• Early in the morning, the Senda de la Baliza starts at the parking lot at the end of the Ruta 3. It is 950 metres long and leads through the forest up to a beacon of the Río Lapataia.
• Early in the morning, the Senda Hito XXIII leads you 2 kilometers along the Lago Roca up to the border to Chile.
• Early in the morning, the Senda Cerro del Guanaco takes you to the mountain Cerro del Guanaco. From here you have a great panoramic view over the park.
• Early in the morning, the Senda Costera is 6.5 kilometers long and has some climbs. It leads from the Bahía Ensenada to the Río Lapataia.

A visit of the Post Office of the End of the World (Correo del fin del Mundo) at the Bahía Ensenada is also popular. Here you can have your postcards stamped.

Here you come back to my article about Tips and Highlights in Ushuaia and Surroundings.

Have you ever been to Tierra del Fuego National Park yourself? How did you like it and what were your highlights? Do you have any questions about my article or further suggestions? If so, please write me a comment!

Recommendations for further Reading

The King Penguins of Tierra del Fuego

Kayaking in Patagonia - the Highlights of our 3-Day Kayak Tour

Der Beitrag Feuerland Nationalpark – Highlights einer Tagestour mit Zug und Bus erschien zuerst auf Fernweh-Motive.