Visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina

Things To Do In Ushuaia

Visit Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Cape Horn Oceania Cruises.jpg

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.

Cape Horn Oceania Cruises.jpg

Cape Horn Oceania Cruises.jpg

Cape Horn Oceania Cruises.jpg

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.

Cape Horn Oceania Cruises.jpg

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.

Port at Dawn - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Port Antarctica Epeditions.jpg

Port Antarctica Epeditions.jpg

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.

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World.jpg

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.

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World La Macarena Waterfall - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World La Macarena Waterfall.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World La Macarena Waterfall.jpg

Train Fin del Mundo End of the World La Macarena Waterfall - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Lake Acigami.jpg

Lake Acigami - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Lapataia Bay.jpg

Lapataia Bay.jpg

Lapataia Bay - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Lapataia Bay.jpg

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.

Lapataia Bay Catamaran - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Views.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Views.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Views - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Views.jpg

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.

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Bird Views.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Bird Views - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Bird Views - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Sea Lions Views.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Sea Lions Views - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Sea Lions Views - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

As we moved out, we slowed down as we passed the lighthouse on the rocks. More birds covered this island.

Lapataia Bay Catamaran Lighthouse Views.jpg

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.

Beagle Channel Port From Water.jpg

Beagle Channel Port From Water - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Beagle Channel Ushuaia Oceania Cruises Marina - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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.

Town Bus Tour.jpg

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.

Town Art Plaza Civica.jpg

Town Street Art Mural - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Town Street Art Mural - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

Town Street Art Mural.jpg

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.

Town Fin Del Mundo.jpg

Cape Horn Beer.jpg

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.

Covid Restrictions.jpg

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.

Beagle Channel Ushuaia Oceania Cruises Marina - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg
Beagle Channel Glacier.jpg
Beagle Channel Glacier - Tierra Del Fuego National Park From Ushuaia Argentina.jpg

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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86 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

  9. 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!

  10. 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!

  11. 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.

  12. 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!

  13. 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.

  14. 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!

  15. 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!

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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!

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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

  24. 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!

  25. 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

  26. 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

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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

  30. 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.

      • 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!

  31. 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!

  32. It looks you have had a great experience! I would love to see those places someday! Thanks for detailed information and great photos!

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