We spent our final few days in Argentina in Ushuaia, also known as the “city at the end of the world,” or “el fin del mundo.” It is a small city bordered by the Beagle Channel and the Martial Mountains located at the tip of Argentina. We spent an afternoon aboard a small boat navigating the Beagle Channel, famous for being one of the passages between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We stopped at various small islands of the archipelago to observe sea lions, elephant seals, and penguins. We also admired the “lighthouse at the end of the world,” known for inspiring Jules Verne’s novel by the same title.
One incredibly cheesy but amazing experience was the train to the end of the world, or “tren del fin del mundo.” The small steam railway was originally built to bring the prisoners of the Ushuaia prison to log the forests, in order to build the town of Ushuaia. It is the southernmost railway in the world, and slowly travels through Tierra del Fuego National Park for about 8 km before turning around.
Ushuaia is also an entrance point to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We spent a day navigating through the subantarctic forests of the park, where wind and frigid temperatures allow for a mere 4 mm of tree growth per year. One hike circumnavigated the lake shore, ending at the southernmost post office in the world, seen below.
If only we had more vacation time, we could have hopped on a cruise to Antarctica that so frequently leave from the port in Ushuaia. I guess that will have to wait for next time!