Ushuaia

Ushuaia sits at the heart of one of Patagonia's most remote regions, and it mountains offer some brilliant hiking with barely another person on the trail. Both day hikes and multi-day treks are available from Ushuaia. 

One of our favourite day hikes include to Laguna Esmeralda, a milky blue glacial lake ringed by snow-covered mountains, and the hike forest hike to the cliff face of the Vinciguerra glacier. 

For those looking to get a little deeper, the Sierra Valdivieso has four days of hiking and wild camping along a mountainous route past Tierra del Fuego's largest lake, or you can cross the Beagle Channel to Navarino island for the challenging Dientes de Navarino trek. 

While it sits with its back to the mountains, much of Ushuaia's life remains dominated by the Beagle Channel that divides Argentinian Tierra del Fuego and Chile's Navarino island. 

Small boat tours make day trips up and down the Beagle Channel, allowing you to drink in the dramatic scenery from the water. There are chances to make landfall along the way from some short hikes, as well as calling at the famous Les Eclaireurs lighthouse. The red and white stripes of this landmark are one of Ushuaia's biggest icons. 

There is a strong possibility of seeing dolphins in the Beagle Channel, as well as the South American sea lions that haul up on the islets dotted along the waterway. 

The farthest tip of South America isn’t somewhere that you'd think to find incredible gastronomic experiences, but Ushuaia is definitely somewhere to give your palate a treat.

The Beagle Channel is enormously productive for seafood, and Ushuaia’s king crab is famous across Argentina. Locals are also deservedly proud of their wild salmon, along with their asado – a traditional Patagonian barbecue. 

Foodie tours around Ushuaia come with an immersive twist at the hidden kitchen at Alma Yaghan, where gastronomic wizardry conjures unexpected seasonal plates from the fruits of the surrounding sea and forest. 

Tierra del Fuego National Park begins just a few short miles from the outskirts of Ushuaia. It runs along the Beagle Channel coast on one side and stretches up into the mountains on the other. The landscape is dotted with picturesque lakes and thick forests of native coihue and lenga trees. 

The park has plenty of short walking trails and scenic viewpoints, and is rich in birdlife. Several locations memorialise the indigenous Selk'nam and Yaghan people who once lived here, harvesting their waters from simple bark canoes. 

Ushuaia is small enough to digest in a day, enjoying its street art, exploring the waterfront and perhaps stopping for a beer at the world’s southernmost microbrewery.

There is an excellent museum at the Museo Marítimo & Museo del Presidio, which is atmospherically housed in the city’s old prison. As well as telling the wider story of Ushuaia, it has a strong focus on Antarctic exploration, as well as the indigenous Yaghan people. 

Outside Ushuaia, it's possible to make day trips to the fascinating historic Estancia Harberton, founded by the missionary Thomas Bridges, who settled in Ushuaia in 1869 and spent his life studying indigenous culture and language.