Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego
Usually regarded as the southernmost city in the world, Ushiaia was first visited by Europeans in 1833 that came in the HMS Beagle, having Gerald FitzRoy as captain and Charles Darwin as biologist. The first civilization to settle in Ushuaia was the Yaghan, indigenous people that were believed to be the “missing link” by Darwin. They used to keep fires burning to warm themselves, giving the name of the region, “Tierra del Fuego”. In the decade of 1880, the Argentinian government decided to establish a prison for re-offenders, what brought the End of the World Train to the city, nowadays a tourist attraction.The prison also became an attraction. It is now a museum and one of its wings even became an art gallery with the work of local artists. Still in the prison, the Museo Maritmo displays the history of Tierra del Fuego. The Yaghan people also have a museum about their culture: the Museo Mundo Yamana, an insight about the lives of these people.
Let’s forget the museums for now and go straight to the adventure! After knowing a bit of the local history, it’s time to enjoy. The Terra del Fuego National Park is a 63 thousand hectares of pure Andean-Patagonian forest, the perfect place to go hiking, climbing, kayaking and fishing. The park has a campsite where you can stay and enjoy its most. Another camping you can find in Laguna Esmeralda, a lake born from excavations, with a depth of 15 meters and a range of 11 hectares. They offer many aquatic sports and also tennis, volleyball, football, fishing, beaches and even a mini zoo.
Hiking and climbing the Martial Glacier can be an amazing experience. The mountains are beautiful itself, but the view of the Ushuaia’s downtown and specially the Beagle Channel from the top is spectacular. But the Beagle Channel is not just to admire. Many people hire kayaks at the Aeroparque and sail the channel to see the sunset and the sea lions.
If you want to ski in the end of the world, Cerro Castor will be the best place. They have about twenty ski slopes with different levels of difficulty. To finish your trip with style, go to the Bahia Lapataia, a fjord at the end of the Ruta Nacional 3, which starts in Buenos Aires, and is considered to be the end of the world itself. There’s a sign telling the distance from that spot to the capital (3063km) and to Alaska (17848km). After this trip, you can tell that you’ve been in the end of the world!
