The weekend before last, I traveled to Ushuaia, otherwise known as El Fin del Mundo (The End of the World). It earned this name as it is the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams in Chile is technically farther south, but it has so few people that it does not qualify as a city). In fact, most Antarctic cruises start there. Prior to arriving in Argentina, I had never actually heard of Ushuaia. However, once I learned about it from other students, I knew I had to visit. For one, you can see penguins there, so I was sold.
When I arrived, I was shocked at how intense the wind was. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the wind nearly blew me over when I was waiting for my Uber— and this is coming from someone who has experienced multiple hurricanes. Drivers were helping each other open and close car doors because of the wind’s force. This also caused an incredible windchill, so Ushuaia’s weather felt very cold when I was there (all the locals told me that this was considered warm weather for them, which is practically unfathomable to my Floridian self). I ended up layering leggings under my jeans the whole trip and was glad I did. My Uber driver told me that these gusts are normal for that part of the world, so it was obvious to me that Ushuaia would be unlike anywhere else I had ever visited.
That's a good thing, though, because Ushuaia was one adventure after another. The first day, we hiked around Tierra del Fuego National Park. I’ve never been to Alaska, but it looked pretty much like what I imagine Alaska looks like in the summer. There were incredible lakes, mountains, and numerous hiking trails. We hiked 15 miles and took 37,000 steps (thanks, Health app!). The last four hours, we met two other hikers— one Russian and one American— and hiked with them. That’s one thing I love about travel: getting to meet people from all over the world and hear their stories.
The second day, we took a cruise around the Beagle Channel, a strait in the southern tip of South America between Argentina and Chile. This was probably my favorite excursion of the trip. First, we sailed to an island filled with sea lions. I have never seen so many sea lions in my life. Some were even cuddled up next to each other and taking naps. We then visited an old lighthouse known as the Lighthouse at the End of the World before sailing for a couple of hours to Martillo Island, home of penguins. We only saw a couple due to the side of the island we were on, but it was still special to see them in person and in the wild (prior to this, I had only seen penguins in aquariums). I was surprised at how small they were. I always picture penguins as being thigh or hip height or so, but these couldn’t have even reached my knees.
The following day, we hiked up to Glaciar Martial. This was by far the hardest hike, as a lot of it was pretty steep. Luckily, we made some new friends from Israel on the way with whom we shared snacks and listened to Israeli music at the top. The view was totally worth it. We could see the whole city, the ocean, and the glacier, which had snow and ice all over its slope. We could even watch airplanes take off and land at the airport across the water. It was truly mesmerizing.
After the hike, I visited the Museum of the Prison of Ushuaia. The museum tells the story of how Ushuaia began as a penal colony in 1902. Many of the country’s worst criminals were sent there to start constructing the town and the Presidio Nacional (the prison itself) which was finished in 1920. The remoteness and harsh weather of Ushuaia caused many prisoners to lodge complaints alleging inhumane treatment, and the prison was closed in 1947. It was very eerie to tour. It reminded me a lot of Alcatraz, with its isolation, cold temperatures, “escape-proof” reputation, and notorious population. Walking into the cells was very unsettling. Imagining living years largely confined to such a cold, small space was a disturbing thought, even though I’m not a claustrophobic person.
Finally, on the last day, we hiked to Laguna Esmeralda with another American a friend of mine met in a hostel. He was the fourth person we met who was doing a gap year abroad, so we enjoyed listening to stories about his travels in South America. The hike to Laguna Esmeralda was pretty flat, so it was not as physically demanding as the other two hikes. It did, however, provide some of the prettiest scenery of the trip. Small bridges traversed the landscape, giving us views of streams, mountains, and valleys all in bloom. Of course, the Laguna Esmeralda took the cake. The water was a bright blue-green color unlike anything I’ve seen in any other lakes, complete with a backdrop of the Andes. Many families picnicked on the shore, and we got to pet a couple of dogs that were running around too. Even though I accidentally stepped in a mud puddle and completely stained my shoes, I would do the hike again for sure. It was the perfect end to the trip.
Overall, Ushuaia was more than I could have ever expected. I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a super outdoorsy person, but Ushuaia was so picturesque that I really did have a wonderful time reconnecting with nature. I do hope to return someday, especially to take an Antarctic cruise. I highly doubt that will happen for a while, but it’s a bucket list item for sure. ¡Hasta luego, Ushuaia!