November 21-23, 2023
After we spent the first 4 days of our trip in Beunos Aires, we took a plane down to Ushuaia. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, though there are one or two Chilean towns further south. According to most people they don’t count because they’re too small to be considered cities.
El Fin del Mundo – The End of the World
The southernmost city in the world is located in the Tierra del Fuego region at the southernmost tip of Argentina. Just about the only place left to go further south other than a couple of tiny towns in Chile – with population sizes of 36 and 2,000 – is Antarctica. In fact, most tourists who choose to visit Antarctica either take a 48-hour cruise from Ushuaia or go to Punta Arenas, Chile, then take a 2-hour flight to King George Island, then board a ship.
Activities
Ushuaia offers beautiful mountain vistas as well as views of the Beagle Channel. Among other activities, you can take a boat tour of the Beagle Channel. The 3-hour boat tour that I went on took us to some of the small islands in the Channel.
If you do take a boat tour, remember that even in summer the average daily temperature in Ushuaia is at most 55°F. And on a boat, there is a lot of wind. Even if the air temperature is well above freezing, you’ll still freeze without adequate protection. I had on a long-sleeved tee shirt, thick fuzzy sweater, water-resistant jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves, and still could not feel my face. And wind-burn is a thing, too. It turns your skin red and hot, and sensitive to the touch, as well as drying it out.
You can also take bus tours to the nearby Lago Escondido, Lago Fagnano, and the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Each has its own attractions – the National Park, for instance, boasts the “Post Office at the End of the World”.
Hiking and skiing are also popular activities. Cerro Castor boasts the best-known ski resort in the area, and features a number of skiing and hiking trails. Even here you can see or at least hear a number of birds, especially in the warmer months.
Wildlife
During one of these tours, you’ll be able to see many different species of birds. I logged a total of 17 species on the 3-hour boat tour I went on with my parents. Among others, I logged the Black-browed Albatross, the Chilean Skua, and the Southern Giant Petrel, as well as the more numerous Magellanic and Imperial Cormorants. No penguins, unfortunately, as the tour boat didn’t go as far as the areas where the penguins usually go.
Other bird species I saw in Ushuaia include the Upland Goose, Black-faced Ibis, Chimango Caracara, Southern Lapwing, Fire-eyed Diucon, Black-Chinned Siskin, Patagonian Sierra Finch, and best of all, the Andean Condor.
You can also see lots of Southern Sea Lions as they rest on the smaller islands of the Beagle Channel. And if you’re there during the breeding season between June and December and you’re lucky, you can even see whales. This region is home to Orcas, Humpback, Southern Right, and Blue Whales.
Another animal that has made Tierra del Fuego home, unfortunately with help from people, is the American Beaver. It was originally brought to Tierra del Fuego in hopes of establishing a fur trade. This venture failed rather spectacularly, as while the fur trade failed to become established, the beavers succeeded. The dams they build cause once-free-flowing streams to flood and create pools of stagnant water, which drowns the trees. Unlike in the beavers’ native North America, these forests once destroyed do not grow back. The resulting environmental damage will take decades to resolve, even if the beavers are eradicated.
