After a few days in Puerto Madryn, it was time to go to the end of the world – or rather the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia in Tierra Del Fuego (land of fire)…
A short trip from Puerto Madryn (1 hour to the airport, 1 hour waiting, 2½ hours flight) I arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina around 21.30 – it was still light and the mountains and strait (Beagle Channel) was pituresque still… After all, Ushuaia is located at 54.48S , 68.18W – same distance from equator as Denmark – but south. And now is summer!
However, it is much colder: 5-14 degrees Celcius in the summertime… Enough about the weather… Tierra del fuego is an island – separated from South America by the Magellan strait, and the environment so hostile, that the Argentine government felt like giving some incitaments for moving there – so the island is duty free area!
Also, like Brittain did with Australia, Argentina decided to create a high security prison in what has now become Ushuaia… That was the first population, and they had a hard time… The prison museum in town (60.000 inhabitants!) and the railroad at the end of the world (fin del mundo) are still witness to that time. The prison was closed in 1944 – but operative since 1902…
The environment is sub-artic and stunningly beautiful – like Norway or Greenland… And only 800 km. from antarctica. Thats why many of the cruises and expeditions to Antarctica start in Ushuaia…
The southernmost settlement in New Zealand, Invercargill, is at 46.25S, so almost 800 km. more north – and actually the 25th southernmost settlement in the world – so this is very south! For comparison: The southernmost point of South Africa is at 34.50S – and thereby 2000 km. more north – or more or less same distance from equator as Cyprus or Crete – whereas Ushuaia is same distance as Denmark!
I loved this “little” town… Clearly touristic, but very rustic and authentic (despite all the tourist outlets). It kind of reminds me of Queenstown, except Queenstown feels more turistic (like Val d’Isere or Tignes) – but the landscape and panoramic views seem the same.
In Buenos Aries I felt Argentina was cheap, but I have definetly changed my mind: Argentina is rather expensive. Even compared to Australia and the US…
I did a couple of excurisions: Tierra Del fuego National Park. A ½ day trip, without entry fee to the park, without lunch and without ticket for the train the price was 190 ARS ~ USD 50. The entry was 50 ARS and the train another 90 ARS. Totalling (without lunch) USD 100. This is crazy prices in my book…
But to get to “fin del mundo” and see the majestic lakes, mountains and landscape is worth it… I wouldn’t recommend the train though. Pure rip-off. See it leave the station – take the photos, and save the money. Tierra del fuego borders Chile, so more or less all lakes here are split between Argentina and Chile. And Chile actually have land more south than Argentina – on the other side of the Beagle Channel.
The other trip I did was to Lago Fagnano and Lago Escondido… A full day. And even though we saw beautiful vistas the actual time at the big Fagnano lake wasen’t worth the drive… So again I felt a rip-off….
