Fin Del Mundo: Ushuaia and Puerto Natales

The bus from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia left at 9 in the morning. Another day we had to get up early. No luxurious bus options were available, hence we all got into a standard tour bus. To get to Ushuaia we had to cross the border twice, driving a large part of our journey through Chile. The Chileans have a strict border control procedure. They want to keep their country free of major pests and diseases that affect agriculture, therefore Many different kinds of food and produce cannot be taken into the country. Combined with a small workforce at the crossings meant long waits. Furthermore, Ushuaia is on the Tierra del Fuego island, which can only be reached by ferry. On the ferry we spotted some Commerson’s dolphins, which only live around southern Patagonia. The last two hours of the bus drive were the most beautiful. The surroundings changed from desert like to mountainous with lots of forests. At 9 PM the bus arrived in Ushuaia. The southernmost city in the world!

Ushuaia

We quickly got to the hostel. Only three blocks from where the bus dropped us off (Ushuaia has no bus terminal), but quite steep uphill. By recommendation of the hostel owner we went to a parilla restaurant. There I got to taste one of Patagonia’s specialities: lamb from the asado. The lamb is prepared on spits above a fire for the better part of a day, resulting in the most tender and delicious piece of lamb I ever had. I just love it when they stick to pure flavors, and refrain from using spices and sauces to make a meal.

Day 1

Today was all about exploring the city of Ushuaia and its surroundings. We got some breakfast at the hostel and went out. The city feels more like a small village. There are few high rise buildings, none higher than let’s say ten stories. The city has one major street all catered to the tourist crowd. Plenty of stores sell expensive hiking, sports, and clothing items. Some even sell electronics, although the items they sell are outdated. The Playstation 2 was still on sale. Because of the large tourist crowd the prices are very high compared to the rest of Argentina. We even got a small taste of the tourist crowd. A huge cruise ship arrived during the night with thousands of tourists.

Our first stop in the morning was the Fin del Mundo museum. The small museum had a couple of exhibitions about the native inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, the explorers that mapped the island, and the wildlife. The museum is housed in the first bank building of Ushuaia. If not for the student discount we received, the museum was a little bit of a disappointment. We hardly spent an hour there due to the small size. Luckily, the entrance ticket was also valid for the original government office in town.

In the afternoon we went on a small hike to the Martial glacier. Starting from our hostel, it was an 1.5 hour hike to start of the trail. From there on it was a steep climb uphill for about one hour to get to the glacier. Once arrived we had a pretty nice view over the city of Ushuaia. Luckily the weather was good also. On the top of the trail we bumped into a Dutch girl from Amsterdam, traveling with her Argentine friend. One way or another you always meet Dutch travelers on your journeys.

Day 2

With only two full days to spend in Ushuaia, we spend the morning booking the bus tickets and hostels for our next destinations. We made a small travel itinerary for the week to come. After Ushuaia our next destination will be Puerto Natales in Chile. From Puerto Natales we will return to Argentina to visit the famous Perito Moreno glacier near El Calafate, and hike to see Mount Fitz Roy near El Chaltén.

At noon we took a shuttle bus to visit the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Just 12km west of Ushuaia near the Chilean border. The park has only a few trails to offer, but the scenery definitely makes up for the lack of trails. We spend just under four hours walking the 8km Costera trail along the southern coast. The views of the rugged nature and mountains covered with snow kept us occupied. It is always nice to see a piece of nature untouched. Nearing the end of the trail we met another Dutch girl traveling with her friend from Switzerland.

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego is also the place where the Argentine highway 3 ends after 3079 kilometers. One of the longest highways of Argentina, and the highway where we spend most of our time on traveling by bus. Going all the way from Buenos Aires to the national park along the atlantic coast. Passing a 100 kilometers through Chilean territory.

Puerto Natales

The bus from Ushuaia to Puerto Natales left early in the morning, 7:30 AM. A 12 hour drive on Tierra del Fuego, into Chile and on the ferry again. We were delayed by one hour before we arrived at the ferry. Due to the hard winds and rough sea conditions we were told at 5 PM that we had to wait until 8 PM for the next ferry. Luckily the wait was only 30 minutes. There was only a small indoors space to shelter us from the wind. Tightly packed, as everyone wanted to get onto the ferry.

At 8:30 PM we arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile. The next bus would leave at 9 PM to our final destination: Puerto Natales. Because of the short stop we could not get anything to eat or buy some food. The final three hours of our trip were the toughest. We arrived just past midnight. Now we only had to find our way to the hostel. It was rather easy to find, a 1.5km walk passing through only two streets. At about 1 AM we were finally checked-in, and could get some sleep.

Day 1

The first day in Puerto Natales was a Sunday. Unlike many other tourist destinations we have visited, everything is closed on a Sunday morning. We got some breakfast in the hostel, which was only served until 9 AM, took a shower and got out to explore the town.

Puerto Natales is really only the hub for the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Filled with hikers, and plenty of stores selling the ‘newest’ hiking equipment. Most visitors only stay for a couple of days to prepare for their multi day hikes in the national park. Produce quickly sells out with only one supermarket in town. Besides the facilities for the tourists and hikers, the town has a nice plaza with a church and harbor to offer. Just like all other hikers, we had to prepare our day hike for the following day.

In the afternoon we explored the surroundings of the town also. Enjoying the scenery of nature. The town is built next to a large lake, with lots of mountains just across the water. The colorful buildings in front of the mountains made for some nice views. We returned to the hostel early to prepare for dinner, and get some sleep for tomorrow.

Day 2

We had to rise and shine early again. The bus to the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine left at 7:30 AM. The bus was packed with hikers, all prepared to do either the ‘W’ track (5 days) or ‘O’ track (Paine circuit, 9 days). A two hour drive to the park entrance, where we had to pay the entrance fee and register our visit to the park. They showed us a video about the park rules as well. The Chilean government puts in a lot of effort to protect the national park for future generations.

After a half hour wait we could finally enter the park. A short shuttle bus ride — for which we had to pay extra — took us to the start of the trail. The entrance of the trail was badly marked, so we had to ask for directions. The unnamed trail went to the Mirador de las Torres, the viewpoint to see the famous Torres del Paine. The 9km trail passes through 5 kilometers of private property and 4 kilometers of national park grounds. Starting at 135 meters elevation, it finishes at 880 meters elevation. Rising 350 meters in de last kilometer. The first 5 kilometers took us 1.5 hours. Hard winds made it difficult to walk at times. Near the border of the private property and national park there was a campground and mountain hut. We took shelter from the winds and had some lunch.

The trail continued from the mountain hut, following a river upstream for some time. We crossed the fast running river multiple times over poorly made wooden bridges. Often the bridges should not be used by more than two persons at the same time. We walked through forests, and reached the final climb after 45 minutes. The last kilometer was a steep climb uphill. We had to climb on and over large boulders, following small orange poles that marked the trail. This part was definitely the toughest part of the hike. But it was absolutely worth it! The viewpoint of the Torres del Paine was amazing! I would really like to return here one day to hike the full Paine circuit.

The walk back to the park entrance took us just under two hours. A short shuttle ride and one hour wait for the bus to get us back to Puerto Natales. At about 10 PM we were back in town and quickly went for something to eat. Restaurants close early in town. We had some steak and Austral Beer (which is a Chilean Patagonian beer — tasted pretty good). As dessert we tried a mousse of the Calafate berry. The berry is native to Patagonia, the city of El Calafate is even named after it. That night we could finally get a good nights rest. The bus to our next destination would leave at 2:30 PM this time.