Tierra del Fuego Explorer

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.

Embark on your boat this morning at the Ushuaia tourist pier. You'll travel via the Beagle Channel and make stops at the legendary Les Eclereurs Island and Sea Lions and Sea Birds Island. Sea lion specimens can be seen from the boat in their permanent habitat as you approach Sea Lions island to the southwest. Continue traveling to the island of the birds, a great place to watch Magellan and Imperial cormorants. Proceed to the Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse, which is situated in the same archipelago as the Monte Cervantes disaster in 1930. The Tnel and Fique ranches are seen as you travel through the Paso Chico on the way back. Mt. Martial, which is magnificent, can also be seen. 
Duration: 2,5 to 3 hours.
Recommendations: Coat, hat, gloves, waterproof jacket. In summer: Sunglasses and sunscreen.

There's free time to enjoy lunch before setting you depart from our office at the Ushuaia tourist port, you'll travel northeast on Nationals route 3 & J, the fabled path to Estancia Harberton. Sail for 15 minutes in a semi-rigid boat from Harberton harbor to Martillo Island. You will go on an adventure like no other as you spend an hour on the island walking among Gentoo and Magellanic penguins.

Penguins establish themselves on the island during the summer. They live in an environment with other species, including South American terns, petrels, cormorants, vultures, and asskúas (their primary predator). Magellanic penguins reside on Martillo Island in the Beagle Channel, a part of Estancia Harberton, from September to April. Of the three Magellanic penguin rookeries in Tierra del Fuego, The Rookery is home to over 1000 nests. Additionally, the sole colony of Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis Papua) in South America consists of nine breeding pairs. Today, a tour guide can take visitors to a small portion of the nesting area.

Duration: 6 hrs approx. (subject to weather conditions).
Schedule: 2:30 pm from the tourist dock.
Recommendations: Bring a hat or cap, waterproof jacket, trekking shoes, gloves and sunglasses.

Note: Estancia Harberton is closed on Tuesdays

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.