With previous incarnations as a missionary outpost and, subsequently, prison town, Ushuaia is now most well-known as the "Gateway to Antarctica." From its dramatic setting between the Beagle Channel and the rugged glaciated peaks rising from the landscape, opportunities for hiking and exploring abound. The afternoon is free to wander local museums or explore nearby trails.

This morning you will meet your boat at the tourist dock in Ushuaia, the navigation goes along the Beagle Channel visiting the Sea Lions and Sea Birds Island and the mytic Les Eclereurs Island. Around noon you will arrive to Estancia Harberton, your Easternmost point, where you will have a 15 minute navigation on a smaller semi-rigid boat towards Isla Martillo. On the island you will have a 1 hour hike with the guide, who will show and teach you habits, characteristics and nesting grounds of Magellanic & Gentoos penguins that return here every year. These species share the habitat with albatrosses, petrels, skuas, cormorants, vultures, South American Terns and other birds. After the hike, you will get back to the Estancia for lunch and time at leisure at this historical place and also a visit to the Acatushún Museum. The return will be by minibus, driving on gravel roads and arriving early evening in time for dinner on your own in Ushuaia.

Just north of Ushuaia is the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Argentina's first coastal national park. The trail system of easy and undemanding paths makes this an ideal place to spend a relaxing day exploring Patagonia. We'll wander along the coastal path, undoubtedly the most beautiful in the park. The 3 ½ hour hike takes us through forests of both high and low deciduous beech, evergreen beech, winterbark, firebrush, and more. We finish the walk at Lake Roca in time for lunch. After eating our fill, we climb into inflatable canoes and begin the easy downstream paddle to the Ovando River. The crystal-clear water runs into Laguna Verde, one of the most picturesque, panoramic spots in the park. Our take-out point is Lapataia Bay, where we may see petrels, albatross, steamer ducks, and on occasion, penguins. We'll return to Ushuaia for dinner and a restful sleep.