Ushuaia

Ushuaia climbs from the Canal Beagle towards the mountains that close it to the north. The channel is its main street: islands of sea lions and cormorants, the Les Éclaireurs lighthouse and, further east, the penguins of Isla Martillo next to Estancia Harberton, the oldest farm on the island. West of the city, the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego protects the last forest of the continent, down to Lago Roca and Lapataia bay; north, over the Garibaldi pass, lies Lago Escondido.

Three nights cover it well. A day on the water: a small boat to the islands with a walk on Isla Redonda, or the long trip to Harberton and a walk among the penguins at Martillo. A day in the national park, walking and canoeing in Lapataia. A day in the mountains: the hike to Laguna Esmeralda, the climb to the Glaciar Vinciguerra, or a ride through the forest to Lago Escondido. The Ruta de la Centolla leads east to Puerto Almanza, a hamlet of king crab fishermen facing Navarino island. By sea, Ushuaia is the port for Cabo de Hornos and for the rarely visited Isla de los Estados, and for the Antarctic. It connects by air with El Calafate and by road with Punta Arenas.

October to April is the season, with the penguins at Martillo from October to March. Winter brings snow, skiing at Cerro Castor and dog sledding, and the shortest days of the year.