Tierra del Fuego & Antarctica
Tierra del Fuego is known as where the world ends and home to some of Argentina’s wildest countryside. On its windswept coast you’ll see colonies of king penguins and sea lions along with the mythical albatross soaring in from the Atlantic. Inland there are herds of wild horses, cattle, llamas and the emperor of the South American sky, the condor. Ushuaia, the provincial capital is also one of two starting points, the other being in Punta Arenas the southernmost port of Chile, for our trips to Antarctica. One of the wildest adventures we organise is hiking or horse riding to the tip of Peninsula Mitre, it is a tough, incredibly rewarding journey that takes you into some of the least trodden areas of South America, the most inspiring of these adventures was when four surfing enthusiasts hiked the length of the Peninsula to surf the wild waves off its coast and bring attention the tremendous ecological value of the area. The Peat marshes of its inlands and submarine kelp forests off its coastline, not only are the home of thousand of species though they also hold a vast amount of carbon, the equivalent to three years of emissions in Argentina.
Where to go & What to do
- Antarctica by plane or boat or a mixture of the two.
- 4×4 trips around the shores of Lake Fagnano.
- Sea kayaking along the shores of the Beagle channel.
- Horse riding or hiking to the Peninsula Mitre.
- A cruise through the Patagonian Fjords to Punta Arenas in Chile.
- A boat trip to Martillo island, known for its Penguin colonies.
- Hiking in the mountains above Ushuaia.
Travel logistics
- Despite being Argentina’s southernmost region Tierra del Fuego has a varying climate, caused by a combination of its collage of mountains, lakes and rocky coastline and its distinctive tides. To be clear, it gets chilly, even in the Summer (October to May) with a high chance of thick snow in the winter though, considering its opposite latitude runs through Alaska and Siberia, it is relatively temperate, even in the winter.
- To Ushuaia airport it is a 3.5 h flight from Buenos Aires, by land it is a 45 h drive.
- The season for trips to Antarctica runs from November to March
- Skiing season: June to September
- There are direct flights to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires and the region links very well with both Peninsula Valdes and the region of the glaciers by plane or with Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine in Southern Chilean Patagonia via a four day boat trip through the Patagonian Fjords.
Things to keep in mind
- If you are travelling on to Antarctica or taking the boat trip to Punta Arenas in Chile, you need to stay at least one night in Ushuaia.
- During the Summer months Tierra del Fuego has eighteen hours of light a day while in the winter only ten.
Example Itineraries
Some examples of our favourite trips that we’ve organised over the years: