Visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia
It was a fun day when we headed out to visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia. We enjoyed a train ride through the Tierra Del Fuego National Park and then boarded a catamaran for a view from the water. When the catamaran arrived back in Ushuaia, we explored the town.
Our transit into Ushuaia gave us some great views as we circumnavigated Cape Horn. And we got our first view of the fjord glaciers, as we left along the Beagle Channel.
Ushuaia was a great port on our cruise around South America.
Cruising Around Cape Horn
We had a wonderful day when we visited the penguins in the Falkland Islands. From the Falkland Islands the Oceania Cruises ship headed towards Cape Horn. Our ability to visit the Cape Horn was entirely dependent on the weather. Many cruise ships missed this treat.
As the ship approached the cape, the waves picked up. We even had waves on the cruise ship pool! The seas were rough but still calm enough to do the trip. Our captain was determined to give us the full trip around Cape Horn.
Our balcony faced the land on our trip around Cape Horn. So we bundled up in our warm coats and settled in and enjoyed the views. It was a fascinating trip as we circumnavigated Cape Horn.
As we rounded the final corner and headed towards Ushuaia, we were treated to a beautiful sunset. A perfect way to crown our trip around Cape Horn. When we cruised to Antarctica, we did not get the same beautiful views of Cape Horn.
Entering Ushuaia Early In The Day
We arrived in the port of Ushuaia very early in the morning. It was a magical sight to look back at the town on the hill as the sky lightened.
After breakfast, we got ready for our excursion to visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia. Along the dock we saw many of the expedition ships as they prepared to head off for Antartica. The gear on these boats made it clear that these voyages were a very different kind of cruising. And it pushed Antarctica even higher on our travel wish list.
On the way out for our excursion we had no time to wander in town. But on our return, we explored the town on foot for a short while.
The Train To The End Of The World In Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia
Our bus headed out of Ushuaia and towards the Tierra Del Fuego National Park. We got a view of the mountains with small towns nestled in the valleys.
When we arrived at the train station, we saw the trains to “Fin del Mundo” (the end of the world). The Fin del Mundo trains were narrow gauge and ran by steam. This train line originally transported prisoners and only the last 8 km are used today for tourists.
As we moved through the park, our noses were pressed to the windows. We saw why so many headed this way to hike. Streams ran through the valleys. In areas, we saw vast expanses of tree trunks where logging was done.
There was one stop at the Macarena Falls. Everyone got off the train and headed towards the hills. The waterfall was visible with a short climb to the lower viewpoint. A 3 minute walk took us higher for a closer view at the cascading waters.
It was great to visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia and take the train to the end of the world.
Drive Through Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia
At the end of the rail line, we left the train and boarded buses. The buses moved slowly through Tierra Del Fuego National Park and we got a running commentary from our guides. We passed a deep green lake with glass-sided igloos on the shores. And then we stopped at Lake Acigami (aka Roca Lake). This lake extends through Argentina and Chile. The high mountains in the distance were reflected in the still waters.
When we arrived at Bahia Lapataia (Lapataia Bay) everyone left the bus and headed for the walkway to the catamaran. Lapataia Bay was once home to Tierra del Fuego’s first inhabitants.
The bay is at the end of National Route 3, the last leg of the Pan-American Highway network. This is the most southern point of the longest motorway in the world that starts in Alaska about 19,000 km to the north. So travelling by road was another way to reach Lapataia Bay.
We saw many beautiful sights on our visit to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia.
A Catamaran Ride On Lapataia Bay
Once we were all aboard the catamaran, we headed out onto Lapataia Bay. This fjord was at the extreme south of Argentina connected to the Beagle Channel.
As we moved along, we saw the mountains in the distance. Boats were at work on the waters. And we caught sight places where people lived with this amazing view every day.
The first island we pulled close to was filled with noisy and stinky birds of many types. We were not the only boat out enjoying the view. The boat captain took us slowly around for bird views from all sides.
The second spot provided us with a view of the lazy sea lions taking in the sun. They reminded us of the many places we found sea lions on our travels along the coast of California.
As we moved out, we slowed down as we passed the lighthouse on the rocks. More birds covered this island.
The catamaran trip was a fun part of our visit to the Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia.
Heading Back To Ushuaia
The catamaran finally headed back towards Ushuaia. Since it was dark when we arrived, we really did not get much of a view of this city on the hill. When we sailed back to the dock, we got a great view of Oceania Cruises Marina getting ready to head back out to sea.
We had a fun filled day when we headed out to visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia. But we knew there was much more to explore on a return visit to this most southerly point on the South American continent.
A Walk Around Ushuaia
The catamaran let us off just outside of the port and we had a short time to wander in Ushuaia before the ship left. We saw bus and tourist trains that provided a good look at the town. But on this trip, we missed that chance.
When we passed the Plaza Civica we saw one of the many sculptures we saw around town. And in another part of town, we were delighted by the collection of colourful street art.
To get back to the ship, we passed through a small shopping strip. We were tempted by many of the items that referred to Ushuaia as “Fin Del Mundo” or the “End Of the World”. And David never passed by interesting local beers.
This was the first port where it became very obvious that we were cruising during start of the Covid-19 pandemic. We saw the first of the posters that soon became a part of life. At the point, we still hoped to finish our awesome South America cruise before the pandemic caught up to South America.
Cruising Out Along The Beagle Channel Fjords
Our ship cruised out of Ushuaia as the sun started to set. Our path out took us along the Beagle Channel Fjords. So as we cruised, we watched for our first view of the fjord scenery carved out by the movement of glaciers. We found this very similar to our trip along the fjords of Norway. Even with low visibility, we were quite excited when we saw our first view of the glaciers that crept down to the water.
We watched until it was impossible to see anymore. But it made us excited about our coming cruise for two days through the Chilean Fjords in Patagonia.
A Great Day In Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia
We had a full day when visited Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia. The train to the end of the world offered much to see. And it was great to see a different view from the water. A catamaran trip provided much to see as we headed back into the beautiful port of Ushuaia.
From Ushuaia we cruised out along the Beagle Channel. Our next stop was in Punta Arenas in Chile and an opportunity to enjoy more penguin fun at Magdelena Island.
Have you visited Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushuaia in Argentina? Did you take the train, hike the park or enjoy from the water?
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The views of Cape Horn were incredible and it seems like such a fantastic world landmark to experience. The boats preparing for Antartica definitely would have captured my attention too! The National Park though was the highlight of your article – getting there by train is such an interesting part of the journey. But my favorite, and what I think I would’ve enjoyed most, is all the beautiful wildlife!
Our day trip to Tierra del Fuego was a perfect choice. We had a bunch of different ways to enjoy the park and the views.
Tierra del Fuego National Park looks beautiful! This tour sounds like a great way to see it, I love that you traveled by train bus and catamaran all in one tour.
It really was quite amazing to experience the Tierra del Fuego National Park in so many ways. A great day.
What a beautiful adventure! During my trip to Argentina, I have no time to visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park. The weather was awful, so we decided to skip this place actually to back one day. So it’s still on my bucket list, as Argentina is fantastic. For sure, I will take catamaran ride on Lapataia Bay to see sea lions and penguins.
We were so glad we had a beautiful day to explore Tierra del Fuego from many different parts. A good one for your return visit.
What an amazing experience! The cruise ship, the train, the National Park, the catamaran…sounds like a great adventure you had. I think my favorite part would be seeing the sea lions and penguins!
This was one of the best full day excursions we have done. There was always something new to see.
I think I would have gotten nervous if the water was rough enough to create waves in the pool, and then been so happy to have had the experience once the water was calm. Ushuaia appears so pretty from the water and the trip to Tierra Del Fuego National Park is gorgeous. Awesome to be able to say you have been to the end of the world!
It is indeed awesome to have visited the end of the world! We were so glad we got to transit around Cape Horn since it is often missed due to weather. But luckily we don’t easily get seasick. Ushuaia was definitely worth a visit and we will go back one day.
What an amazing trip! I love the close ups of the animals and the blue ice of the glacier is incredible. I am pinning this for future eference.
We did a cruise all around South America and this southern section was our favourite. Every day was a new amazing sight.
What a lovely journey this was. For one, I enjoyed reading about the train through those view points. Such magnificent landscapes all the way. And then, those adorable seals! They stole my heart right through those pictures. Adding a bit of color to your journey were those street arts. Definitely a trip to remember
Our visit to Ushuaia and our trip to the Tierra del Fuego is one of our great memories of this trip. Awesome to re-live the experience as we put the blog post together.
What an amazing and thorough trip! I’ve always wanted to visit Argentina and this article makes me want to go even more. Such a lovely experience to share!
We had an amazing visit and it is definitely a spot we want to return to!
What a wide range of places to explore in just one trip! That’s awesome.Thanks for sharing. I would love to get a picture of the Macarena Falls!
This was one of our best day trips because there was so much in one day.
You two have some pretty amazing adventures. I love all of the pictures!
We do love to explore. This was a great day on our South America trip!
I have seen a few travel vloggers video on Tierra Del Fuego National Park. I was blown away by the topography and its beauty. Even Ushuaia is such a beautiful place. It ranks on my top places to visit on this planet. Hopefully soon!
I hope you do get to visit Ushuaia. We will surely go back!
I hope so, too. Thanks
I would love to visit Argentina one day let alone Ushuaia! The town looks more Scandinavian than Latin, which is quite surprising. The tour of the park was great to read, and I enjoy all the photos of the animals. Definitely one for my list one day!
I would agree that Ushuaia is one for the wish list. And we still have so much more we want to see on a return visit.
The train around the world looks like a super cool thing to do with kids!
I think that kids would love the End of the World train. It is not too long to have them squirm but there is enough to see out the windows. The stop at the waterfall is fun for all.
Awesome! I’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future 🙂
This is making me so excited for my honeymoon at the end of the year. We postponed it due to the pandemic but are finally going to Antarctica from
Ushuaia. We were thinking about a visit tierra del fuego too. Your account and pictures have convinced me I need too.
It is great that you have Antarctica planned for your honeymoon. We also slipped in a trip in February and are glad we canceled for this year. But we will definitely head back and enjoy more of the area around Ushuaia.
That sounds like an amazing journey! That train to the end of the world is definitely a fantastic experience just by itself but when combined with the visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park it sounds even better. I am a huge fan of narrow gauge train lines so I would definitely add this to my bucket list!
We too love trains and this was a fun one with the steam plumes going. Definitely something we were glad we did not miss in Tierra del Fuego.
What a beautiful place! I love the little train taking you into the park. And what an interesting history it had with the prisoners. We have never been to Argentina but I have seen many articles lately that really make me want to visit there. And the the nature there seems to be amazing.
We really had no idea before we went how much we would love this part of South America. IF it were not for the pandemic, we would be back there right now!
I have yet to visit Argentina, and this article just reinforced how high up on my bucket list it is, and particularly Ushuaia! I would absolutely love to see the Beagle Channel Fjords. They look so incredible. Thanks for this great guide!
Every part of this stop in Ushuaia was stunning. Definitely a place we need to spend more time.
This looks like such an amazing trip! I knew very little about Ushuaia before reading this, but it looks like a place we definitely need to visit!
I am glad to have introduced you to Ushuaia. It was sure a great discovery for us!
Wow seems like you really did it all! Cruise, train, wildlife, and hiking! What a busy trip. Seemed like a lot of fun!
Our visit to Tierra del Fuego was indeed a busy day trip. But one of our favourites on this trip.
What a great trip to enjoy the park! Started with a train, followed by a bus, and ended by a catamaran. You got to see the park both from land and water. Definitely the views are breathtaking!
It was such a perfect day to see Tierra Del Fuego in so many different ways.
Wow, this is exactly the trip I want to take: Penguins and Tierra del Fuego – and then to Antarctica. Anyway, when I was in Argentina, I didn’t have enough time to make it all the way to Ushuaia. My trip ended at the glaciers. But one day when I’m retired and have all the time in the world, I’ll go back and check out all I had to miss out on.
There is so much to see in Argentina, this trip was just a taste test for us. One day we will go back for much more!
That’s so nice that it didn’t take long to get to the falls. I live in VA, and sometimes those off-road waterfalls can be such a long hike. It looks like a lovely trip, and you’re getting to explore so much!
We loved the scenery from the train. But it was fun to get off and do a short and relatively easy walk to see the waterfall. Ushuaia and this lower part of Argentina and into Chile is definitely a spot we will re-visit.
What an amazing adventure! In addition to the fantastic scenery, I love that you were able to travel by train through this magnificent part of the country.
It was indeed an amazing adventure to see the Tierra del Fuego National Park in so many different ways.
Such beautiful scenery! Loved those dramatic rock formations in the water and that has to be the biggest sea lion I’ve ever seen??? I’ve never seen one like that in California yet. This article comes at a good time, as I am currently considering going to South America for the first tie, and Argentina is definitely on the agenda. It’s hard to know what to expect from a country with so many types of landscapes but this helps me picture it.
I sure hope you get a trip to South America and visit this part of Argentina. We would definitely go back and spend far more time exploring. More South America posts coming!
Did it feel like you were at the end of the world? I remember having that feeling when we visited Pt Neist on the Isle of Skye — like there was nothing beyond that point. Your visit to Ushuaia sounds amazing with the train ride, wildlife spotting, national park views, the waterfall, and so much more!
We probably felt more at the end of the earth when we went around the cape because there was nothing below us until you hit Antarctica. But it was a stunning part of South America to visit.
Gosh I wish we had done it on this cruise line. Your Experience sounds so much better than ours. Your photos too as always are fab.
This stop was a wonderful one on our cruise of South America. But it just made me wish we had more time.
This looks like such an amazing trip! I’d love to be able to say that I went to the end of the world – the train looks so vintage which I love.
It was very cool to be at the end of the earth. And fun to explore it in so many ways!
Wow – what an adventure! I would love to visit Argentina one day, and taking the train to the end of the world sounds like an awesome way to explore. I would also love the cruise along the Beagle Channel Fjords – looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Xx Sara
We were so glad we got to see this part of Argentina on this trip. Hope you get to visit one day.
Wow, seeing the glacier move towards the water is a stunning sight! That is exciting that you got great weather to make it around Cape Horn. The view of Ushuaia from your ship is so beautiful. The mountains and waterfalls in the national park looks amazing to explore. This is a trip I’d definitely like to take one day!
I am sure this is a trip that you would love. One of our favourite stops on this trip.
This looks like a fantastic trip. I’m slowly making my way through Central and South America, so I will definitely keep this post in mind when I make it to Argentina. Great pics
I sure hope you do make it down to Ushuaia. There is so much to see in that area in Argentina and then into Chile.
Tierra Del Fuego National Park looks like a wonderful place to visit for the wildlife!
It was indeed a great spot for wildlife!
I love all the animals! Your photos are stunning, and I’ve love to visit one day!
We were so happy we saw so many things on our visit to Tierra del Fuego.
This trip looks amazing! I didn’t make it this far south when I was in Argentina but I’d love to visit Tierra Del Feugo NP & now I want to go back. Thanks so much for sharing
I hope you do get back to Argentina. We definitely know this part of Argentina has much more for us to see.
This seems such a wonderful journey. The train journey combined with a visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park sounds really exciting. Narrow gauge train lines have their own charm and would love to do this journey as well hopefully sometime.
I hope you get to visit this part of South America one day. So much to see and do when we explored in Tierra de Fuego from Ushuaia.
wow wow what a cool adventure!!! Argentina is really high on my list. I also would love to go to Antarctica, but I get sea sick and I’ve heard the passage can be really rough. Sounds like you got a bit of a taste of that around Cape Horn. But those views look worth it!
This was truly an amazing trip. There was so much more to see and do in this part of South America than we imagined. We almost made Antarctica this year but have that back on our plan. We would certainly spend more time in this area when we do that trip too. And yes – seasickness is an issue for travel south of Ushuaia.
Wow! What an epic adventure! Tierra de Fuego looks incredible.
Our visit to Tierra del Fuego sure was an amazing adventure. One day we will go back and see more.
This post brings back fantastic memories for me! My dad and I backpacked through Argentina together and made it down to Ushuaia before getting on our ship bound for Antarctica. It is certainly a beautiful pocket of the globe <3
We are definitely planning to explore more when we finally get our trip to Antarctica booked. High on the travel wish list.
These are places that I would really love to see. If you wouldn’t have been able to get through Cape Horn would you have made it to this port?
We probably would have made it to the port earlier. It took us most of a day to go around Cape Horn. All of it was great.
Oh my word, what an experience. There’s something kind of wistful and romantic about the train to the end of the world! And I love that lighthouse! Adding this to my bucket list.
It was indeed awesome to travel around the End of the World. So much to see and one visit was not enough.
Tierra Del Fuego National Park looks stunning! The Catamaran Ride on Lapataia Bay sounds like the perfect activity for me. I love wildlife and lighthouses, so the perfect combination! Would love to take a train to the end of the world to! Aregentina is high on my bucket list!
It was a lot of fun to finish up our tour of Tierra del Fuego on the water. So fun to see it from so many different perspectives.d
I’m dying to go to Antarctica so this post really piqued my interest. I’d definitely want to budget a few days to explore this incredible area before hopping on the ship to Antarctica! I hope you guys make it to Antarctica sometime soon!
When we finally get back to Ushuaia to head to Antarctica, we too will plan to spend more time here. It was almost on our 2022 plan and then things just fell apart.
It looks you have had a great experience! I would love to see those places someday! Thanks for detailed information and great photos!
Our visit to Ushuaia sure was great. And it was awesome to see the Tierra del Fuego National Park in so many different ways. Hope you get to visit one day.