Discover the best activities to do during your visit to Ushuaia and make the most of your time here!
Year after year, thousands of visitors from all over the world come to discover the “city at the end of the world”, as Ushuaia, the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego, is known.
Learn about the best activities to do in Ushuaia:
Visiting Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park is the southernmost protected area in Argentina.
Its 68,909 hectares protect Andean-Patagonian forests and it is the only National Park that encompasses three types of natural environments: marine, forest and mountain.
Along the way, lakes, valleys and forests of lengas, guindos and ñires can be appreciated.
It has a great variety of fauna, including the Fuegian red fox, the guanaco, the hilin, the marine caiquén (symbol of the Park), the southern steamer duck, the giant woodpecker, the rayadito and the Patagonian thrush, among others.
The park has several trails with low, medium and high levels of difficulty.
They allow you to discover a wonderful landscape and lead to the Zaratiegui cove, Lake Acigami and Lapataia Bay.
End of the World Train Ride
The Tren del Fin del Mundo (Train of the End of the World) started operating again in 1994, after 40 years of inactivity. It has a steam locomotive and tourist and first class cars, totally restored.
Traveling aboard this mythical train you can learn about the history of the city’s beginnings.
The Main Station is located 7 km from the city of Ushuaia and during the tour, specialized guides narrate the history of the place and allow you to appreciate the dazzling landscape formed by the Pipo River, the La Macarena waterfall, the tree cemetery and the lenga forest.
This train travels along part of the old route of the prisoners’ train, which departed from the Ushuaia prison to the slopes of Mount Susana with the mission of searching for wood and stone for the construction of the prison.
Sailing the Beagle Channel
Navigation through the Beagle Channel is an unmissable experience of contact with nature and the most popular landscapes of the destination.
On board catamarans and other boats that depart from the port of Ushuaia, it is possible to appreciate the island of the Wolves, the island of the Birds and Bridges. Here it is possible to go down and hike.
During the navigation, the mythical Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, built in 1918, and colonies of sea lions and cormorants can be seen.
During the summer, penguins can also be observed on Staten Island.
Trekking to Laguna Esmeralda
The trekking to Laguna Esmeralda is of low difficulty. It is 9 kilometers (round trip) and lasts approximately 2 hours.
Along the way you will cross mountains, hanging glaciers, streams, peat bogs and a lenga forest. You will be able to observe incredible panoramic views of the Tierra Mayor and Carbajal Valleys.
The access is 12 kilometers from the city. This trekking can be done on your own or with guides that accompany the experience.
Trekking to the Turquoise Lagoon
The trekking to the Turquoise Lagoon can be complemented with the day you decide to visit the Emerald Lagoon, since it is accessed by crossing the National Route 3 where they are located.
This route is a little more demanding since it has a greater slope. The estimated time is 3 hours (round trip), making a total of 5 kilometers.
On the way up there are unmissable panoramic views of the area.
Enjoying Cerro Castor
During the snow season, Cerro Castor is one of the most outstanding destinations for skiing.
The winter resort has a total of 34 skiable kilometers, gastronomic establishments, an ice skating rink of almost 400 square meters at the base of the hill and cabins for lodging.
It is located 26 km from the city of Ushuaia and has 33 circuits, with different levels of difficulty.
Visitors from all over the world flock to the destination, attracted by the southernmost snow slopes in the world.
It is located 26 km from the city of Ushuaia and has 33 circuits, with different levels of difficulty.
The winter resort has a total of 34 skiable kilometers, gastronomic establishments, an ice skating rink of almost 400 square meters at the base of the hill and cabins for lodging.
4×4 excursion to Escondido and Fagnano lakes
Crossing the mountain range through roads full of adventure is the proposal of this excursion in 4×4 trucks.
The trip consists of crossing the mountain range through dirt and mud roads to Lake Fagnanao.
It is a full day trip, where you can learn about the flora and fauna of the area and admire the Carbajal Valley and Paso Garibaldi.
The experience includes hiking through the forest and even the possibility of paddling the waters of Escondido Lake in a canoe.
Excursion to the Martial Glacier
The Martial Glacier offers different circuits. All of them are signposted so that you can go through them and appreciate panoramic views of the bay and some Chilean islands.
At 600 meters you can see the remains of a much larger glacier, where the Esperanza stream, one of the main sources of drinking water for the city of Ushuaia, is born.
It is located 7 km from the city center, has a base of 385 meters and a height of about 1,200 meters.
The experience of traveling through this glacier is one of the unmissable activities of the destination, for its beautiful panoramic views of majestic and solitary landscapes.
Visit the Maritime and Presidio Museum of Ushuaia
The Maritime and Presidio Museum is a visit that deserves to be on the list of recommended things to do in the destination.
It is located in the building of the former prison of Ushuaia, also known as the “Cárcel de Reincidentes de Tierra del Fuego” (Prison for Recidivists of Tierra del Fuego). There the most dangerous criminals of the country were confined. It was built between 1902 and 1920 by the inmates.
Today the building houses four museums:
- The Maritime Museum: Here you can appreciate in its rooms a collection of models and naval models, where the history of Tierra del Fuego, closely linked to the sea, is told.
- The Presidio Museum: It is located in Pavilion IV.
- There are life-size figures of some of the prisoners known for their atrocious crimes, where the history of each of them and of the place is narrated.
- The José María Sobral Antarctic Museum: On the top floor of Pavilion IV is this space of 19 rooms, where there are historical and biological Antarctic materials.
- The Museum of Marine Art: There you can appreciate a great selection of works of art by marine and port artists that show the development of marine art in Argentina.
Ushuaia offers multiple activities to do throughout the year. History, culture and nature are the great attractions offered by the mythical city at the end of the world.
