Ushuaia is the provincial capital of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost part of Patagonia,
Argentina as well as of South America and is commonly considered the southernmost city in the world. It is situated on the frontier of Chile,
by an immense bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and is encircled by the edge of the Beagle Channel in the south and the
Martial mountain range in the north.
The city of Ushuaia acquired its name from two aboriginal Yaghan words: USHU meaning "at the back" and WUAIA that
means "bay, cove or port", while the land surrounding the city of Ushuaia was discovered and named by the Portuguese expeditionary Ferdinand
Magallan (formerly Magalhães) in 1520 who decided to call the province Tierra del Fuegos (the Land of Fires) because of the numerous fires lit by
the native Yaghan people (also known as Yamane) which could be seen smoking on the horizon.
Despite its spectacular diversity, Ushuaia only became a travel destination fairly recently. In it's time,
Ushuaia it has transformed from a missionary base to penal colony and a naval base for the Argentinean Navy, however due to its spectacular national
parks, native wildlife and bio-diversity it has now become one of the must-see places in Argentina for tourists around the world and the exclusive
gateway for cruises to Antarctica.
Ushuaia Highlights
Currently, the small city of Ushuaia has a population of 58,000 inhabitants but figures have been rapidly increasing in recent years as a
result of increased tourism since Argentina's 2002 economic crash. The government encouraged this growth by designating the province Tierra del
Fuego as a virtually tax-free zone to be an incentive for Argentineans to settle there (many of the inhabitants of today's Ushuaia come from Chaco, in the north of Argentina), for this reason Ushuaia has developed a successful infrastructure for both residents and tourists, including a fully functional hospital, an international airport, educational institutions and an organized public transportation scheme. The cost of living however,
is relatively high as all goods have to be transported long distances, usually by container ship.
In the colourful Ushuaia city itself there is a selection of tourist attractions for travelers looking for some Antartic enlightment,
for example the Museo del Fin del Mundo dedicates itself to the birds and nature of Tierra del Fuego while Museo Marítimo de Ushuaia/Presidio
houses a collection about the history of the province. The building of the latter is also a great point of interest, as it was once a military
prison intended for repeat offenders and serious criminals who were forced to spend much of their time building the original settlement of Ushuaia,
including the railway running to Tierra del Fuego National park now known as the tourist attraction End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo).
An extraordinary end to Patagonia, Argentina and the world: Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is in fact, an archipelago (a group of islands), separated from mainland South America by the Magallanes Strait and is
divided between Argentina (the east) and Chile (the west). Lying close to the Chilean border, stretching 60km of the Beagle Channel in Argentina
and just 8km south of Ushuaia is the bewitching Tierra del Fuego national park; a land filled with dramatic scenery of sub-Antarctic forests,
glassy lakes, great bays, deep valleys, rugged mountains and unique wildlife making it a spectacular tourist destination and the ideal place to
marvel at the perfect integration between man and its natural environment.
The possibilities on offer in Tierra del Fuego are diverse; those who want an outdoor adventure can book trekking tours through the diverse
ecosystem and Glacier Martial or take a kayaking excursion on the still waters of Lake Escondido and Fagnano, or even race across unconventional
dirt tracks on a 4x4 off-road tour. The lakes are also perfect for a moment of peaceful serenity or as the starting point of a spectacular boat
tour cruising up through the Beagle Channel allowing you to admire the Antartic wildlife belonging to "the end of the world"; islands such as Isla
de los Lobos and Isla de los Pájaros, with magellanic penguins, sea lions, eagles, black necked swans amongst others fascinating creatures.
For all its diversity and all its beauty, you will discover that there is nothing more unique than travelling to Argentina's Ushuaia, Tierra del
Fuego and that "the end of our world", could in fact be better named the begining of the world.
How to Arrive to Ushuaia:
Due to the fact that Ushuaia is an Island located in the most southern part of Patagonia, it is both expensive and fairly difficult to reach by
bus. The most common method of transportation is by plane with either a direct 3.5 hour flight or with a brief connection in El Calafate.
For transfers from Ushuaia International Airport to you hotel in Ushuaia, click here
Ushuaia Weather:
Although Ushuaia is known as the southernmost city in the world, it is actually no more south than Belfast (Ireland) is north but has a
sub-polar oceanic climate that is comparable to cities such as Reykjavik in Iceland and Unalaska in Alaska. On average the city experiences 200
days of light rain or snow a year, with many cloudy and foggy days and despite receiving only 530 mm average annual precipitation, Ushuaia is very
humid.
- Summer: The months November to March are cool with rain and some wind factor. There are also occasional snowfalls. Average temperatures range from highs of 16°c to lows of 12°c while a record high reached 29°c.
- Winter: The months June to August can be very cold with common snow showers and a very strong wind force coming up from the Antarctic.
Wind-proof/water-proof clothing and multiple layers are necessary for this time of year. Average temperature range from highs of -1°c to lows of -3°c
while a record low reached -6°c.
Other Ushuaia Tips and Facts:
- Peak season officially begins in August and ends in April during the lead up the Easter. During this period, people from all over the globe come
to view the spectacular surroundings.
- In 2009, Ushuaia was the first location in Latin America to host a marriage between a homosexual couple. At the time the Civil Code of
Argentina did not allow marriage between people of the same sex so Governor Fabiana Rios issued a special decree allowing the couple to wed in
Ushuaia city. The approval of a gender-neutral bill by the Argentinean National Congress was made in 2010 allowing same sex marriage to be legal
throughout in Argentina.
- The Beagle Channel was named after the British ship HMS Beagle during its first hydrographic survey of the coasts of the southern part of
South America that lasted from 1826 to 1830. On the second voyage of the Beagle captain Fitzroy took Charles Darwin as a gentleman's companion
allowing Darwin to start his historical naturalist observations on evolution. It is documented that when they reached Beagle Channel,
Darwin noted there were "many glaciers beryl blue most beautiful contrasted with snow".
