Argentina - Ushuaia - Tips and recommendations
I remember looking at it on a map as a child. The pointy bit at the bottom of South America. How remote it seemed. How did one get there? What was there to see?
This includes a wide range of hotels. We chose the Los Acebos, a large complex behind the town on a neighbouring hillside. We were lured by the promise of outstanding views. We were not disappointed.
The city is geared up for the tourist trade with any number of outdoor pursuits shops along its pleasant main street.
In addition there are a number of travel agents offering a variety of trips in and around the city.
The most popular are those which operate along the Beagle Channel by boat.
There are essential two trips to choose from. The half day tour which takes visitors to the lighthouse on the edge of Ushuaia via a seabird and sea lion colony. This offers anyone who fancies themselves as a wildlife snapper great opportunities to practice their skills.
A number of operators offer similar trips. Apart from the travel agents which trade on the main streets, the boat operators themselves have small cabins close to the jetty and they can also sell you a trip. It costs the same whichever option you choose. Some offer taxi transfers from your hotel.
The other great maritime adventure is to see the penguin colony. Some points to note. First of all this is seasonal. I was lucky enough to be on the first journey of the new season in mid-October. Sometimes the trips start earlier in the year and sometimes later. It is all at the whim of the penguins and when they return to roost.
Only one operator has access to the island by foot. It is expensive. Here is the link.Piratour.
Instead I saved about half the fee by booking on a boat trip with promised to sail up to the island. It did. It places its hull on the beach and you can get excellent views of the two types of penguin that occupy the island.
The trip itself is in excess of six hours but it was one of my favourite excursions of my time in Argentina. One got a sense of the navigation the early explorers, including Fitzroy and Darwin, must have undertaken when they reached the end of the earth. Here is the link Rumbo Sur Boat Trips. It is in Spanish but most search engines have an English translation these days.
On land most visitors make their way to the old prison, the reason Ushuaia exists in the first place. It is not expensive and worth an hour or two of your time.
Incorporated within it is a maritime museum which gives an indication of the heritage of the sea to this part of Argentina.
Before travelling I read about a steam train which took visitors to the nearby national park. I was put off by its price and its poor reviews.
When I was in Ushuaia I saw very little about this attraction so clearly it is one aimed at the foreign tourist pre-booking their holiday.
Behind the town centre you cannot miss the huge mountain which dominates the area. This is the Martial glacier. In the spring and summer it is possible to climb up the centre on what, in the winter, is the ski piste. You need to be relatively active to get to the top. It will probably take a little under an hour. It is reached by the road that takes visitors to the giant hotels of Los Acebos and Las Hayas.
Nearer the foothills there are well marked treks from which you get wonderful views of the Andes, snow capped year round.
You can find more by visiting the tourist office website Tourism Ushuaia or if you are in the town go to their impressive new offices. It is situated near the entrance to the docks. Some of the staff speak English.
It is perhaps only went you get an elevation above the town that you get a true perspective of where you stand in the world.
For me the answer was provided on a journey to Argentina, some of which has been written about in this blog.
A daily flight takes travellers from Buenos Aires to the airport of Ushuaia.
Ushuaia claims to be the most southerly city in the world. It is probably fair to call it a large town rather than city.
It is well appointed and has all the amenities a visitor could want.
This includes a wide range of hotels. We chose the Los Acebos, a large complex behind the town on a neighbouring hillside. We were lured by the promise of outstanding views. We were not disappointed.The city is geared up for the tourist trade with any number of outdoor pursuits shops along its pleasant main street.
In addition there are a number of travel agents offering a variety of trips in and around the city.
The most popular are those which operate along the Beagle Channel by boat.There are essential two trips to choose from. The half day tour which takes visitors to the lighthouse on the edge of Ushuaia via a seabird and sea lion colony. This offers anyone who fancies themselves as a wildlife snapper great opportunities to practice their skills.
A number of operators offer similar trips. Apart from the travel agents which trade on the main streets, the boat operators themselves have small cabins close to the jetty and they can also sell you a trip. It costs the same whichever option you choose. Some offer taxi transfers from your hotel.
The other great maritime adventure is to see the penguin colony. Some points to note. First of all this is seasonal. I was lucky enough to be on the first journey of the new season in mid-October. Sometimes the trips start earlier in the year and sometimes later. It is all at the whim of the penguins and when they return to roost.Only one operator has access to the island by foot. It is expensive. Here is the link.Piratour.
Instead I saved about half the fee by booking on a boat trip with promised to sail up to the island. It did. It places its hull on the beach and you can get excellent views of the two types of penguin that occupy the island.
The trip itself is in excess of six hours but it was one of my favourite excursions of my time in Argentina. One got a sense of the navigation the early explorers, including Fitzroy and Darwin, must have undertaken when they reached the end of the earth. Here is the link Rumbo Sur Boat Trips. It is in Spanish but most search engines have an English translation these days.On land most visitors make their way to the old prison, the reason Ushuaia exists in the first place. It is not expensive and worth an hour or two of your time.
Before travelling I read about a steam train which took visitors to the nearby national park. I was put off by its price and its poor reviews.
When I was in Ushuaia I saw very little about this attraction so clearly it is one aimed at the foreign tourist pre-booking their holiday.
Behind the town centre you cannot miss the huge mountain which dominates the area. This is the Martial glacier. In the spring and summer it is possible to climb up the centre on what, in the winter, is the ski piste. You need to be relatively active to get to the top. It will probably take a little under an hour. It is reached by the road that takes visitors to the giant hotels of Los Acebos and Las Hayas.Nearer the foothills there are well marked treks from which you get wonderful views of the Andes, snow capped year round.
You can find more by visiting the tourist office website Tourism Ushuaia or if you are in the town go to their impressive new offices. It is situated near the entrance to the docks. Some of the staff speak English.It is perhaps only went you get an elevation above the town that you get a true perspective of where you stand in the world.
Beyond the snow capped hills that Chile claim on the other side side of the Beagle Channel is six hundred miles of sea before the ice of Antarctica and the South Pole. It is quite something.
Comments
Post a Comment