Ushuaia – Pronounced: You – shwy- yuh.
Beautiful city. We docked shortly before sunrise.
We were in port from 7AM until 4 PM and wanted to use every minute of our time. Our ship docked beside the National Geographic ship (pictured): our first clue that we were in an amazing place.
Just a few steps from the ship is the city, and near the pier is a row of tourist buildings – our first destination so that we could be assured a space on the earliest possible tour through the Beagle Channel. Our tour was $46 per person. Beagle Channel was named for the HMS Beagle, Darwin’s ship.
Tour time was 9:00 AM, so we had a little time to walk around the city taking photos and window shopping before our tour.
The weather was Cold, but I was prepared: waterproof hiking shoes, some thick jeans with leggings under, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, a zip up fleece and a waterproof/lined jacket. A bright red toboggan rounds off the ensemble.
The Ana B. has a heated interior cabin, but there was a walkway on the exterior of the catamaran for getting great photos during the cruise. Definitely an occasion to wear the outer jacket . The wind was cold on the water.
We saw different types of birds including an albatross and several cormorants. Their coloring causes people to confuse them with penguins. These Cormorants are endemic to Patagonia. They build nests from grass and excrement. Ewwww…
The lighthouse was built in 1918 and runs on solar energy.
Cormorants are on top of the rocks. Sea lions and fur seals laze around at the water’s edge.
Adult males reach maturity at 6 years old and get a mane. Females are yellow. They breed in September and give birth to one pup in December.
We made a stop on one of the islands in the channel. The channel creates the border between Chili and Argentina.
Beautiful wildflowers spring up among the rocks.
After Beagle Channel, we hired a taxi to take us on a tour of the National Park. The taxi driver charged $100 USD with the understanding that we would have to pay the 140 Argentinian pesos (about $30) for entrance to the park area. Our driver spoke heavily accented English, but we seemed to understand each other pretty well.
On the way to the park, our driver showed us the “End of the World Golf course”…
….and the depot for the “End of the World Train”. Our taxi driver said this was a tourist trap because the train doesn’t enter the national park.
Upon entrance to Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) National Park, we were given a map of the roads and trails. Tierra del Fuego is the archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America.
At one point he stopped the taxi, pointed to the map, and we think he said, “I will let you out at this trail and pick you up around the bend.”
We saw a beaver dam….
and walked along the tree lined trail. (You might recognize this photo as my cover photo for my website.)
Enjoyed the views
Read the signs
One of my favorite signs: “Do not seat on the fence”
After walking for a while we finally saw our taxi. Evidently, he said, “I will see you at the end of the trail,” rather than at the bend! So glad we had this extra time to walk in the park.
Photo stop at Ensenada Bay
The “End of the World Post Office” at Ensenada Bay
When we travel, I like to mail a postcard to myself from the different places we visit. Sometimes finding a post office is a challenge. This one was unique and convenient.
If I ever return to Ushuaia…..
I would definitely return to Tierra del Fuego National Park and spend more time on the trails. I would also like to spend additional time walking around the town. What a beautiful place.
Next Stop: Punta Arenas, Chile