Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur

Getting Here

By air. Flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and Río Grande. Regional flights from these cities to Río Gallegos, El Calafate and Comodoro Rivadavia.

By bus. From the City of Buenos Aires to Río Gallegos. Bus connection services to Río Grande and Ushuaia via the Chilean towns of Punta Arenas and Puerto Porvenir, crossing the Strait of Magallanes on a raft-ferry.

Distances from Ushuaia: Buenos Aires 3,171 Km, Río Gallegos 591 Km, Río Grande 229 Km.

 

Things to do

Sailing. Departing from Ushuaia, you can go on a cruise to the Antarctic. You can also go on a catamaran trip along the Beagle Channel, where you will see seals, Magellanic penguins, cormorants, and other sea birds. In the summer, there are trips to estancia Harberton, property of the first white settlers in Tierra del Fuego. Sailing around Cape Horn and the Isla de los Estados.

Ecotourism. A trip on the southern-most train - Tren del Fin del Mundo - to Tierra del Fuego National Park, where you can go trekking, watch wonderful landscapes.

Skiing. Alpine or Nordic skiing is possible in Cerro Castor and several winter centers. Trips on sledges pulled by Siberian huskies.

Sport fishing. Fish of the salmon family weighing up to 11 Kg in the rivers and lakes of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

Enjoy eating crabs, shellfish, and roast lamb.

 

Places to visit

USHUAIA, CAPITAL OF THE PROVINCE. This is the southern-most city in the world. Its Museo del Fin del Mundo - End of the World Museum - has some interesting exhibits dedicated to indigenous people, nature, local history, and the shipwrecks that have occurred in this area.

BEAGLE CHANNEL AND TIERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK. In this national park there are samples of sub-Antarctic forest. This is the home of red foxes, guanacos, beavers, condors and ducks. The park offers a beautiful view of the Beagle Channel and its mountainous islands. Lapataia Bay and its many sea birds are particularly beautiful. There are also some remains of a shell beach used by the Yaghanes Indians.

RÍO GRANDE. When travelling from Ushuaia to Río Grande, take a beautiful route which goes across the Paso Garibaldi mountain range. This is a spectacular place, specially in the fall, due to the red leaves of the lenga trees. In this area, there are facilities for long-distance skiing, as well as impenetrable forests, peat bogs, and lakes like Lake Fagnano and Lake Escondido. The Museo Regional is 10 Km away from Río Grande, and it has exhibits of the Onas Indians, fossils and geological finds, and samples of the regional flora and fauna.

Other places of interest: Estancia (ranch) María Behety has one of the world's largest sheep-shearing sheds, with a capacity for 5,000 sheep. At Cabo Domingo there is an excellent view of the sea.

 

Shopping

Carvings in lenga wood. Tierra del Fuego is a Special Customs Area. It is possible to acquire tax-free imported products, such as tobacco, spirits, and electronic and photographic equipment.