Keep it Short and Sweet

Puerto Williams:

• Awesome 5 day trek- De Dientes De Navarino; to be some of the most southern people in the world
• Chill and relax, very cosy and comfortable vibe

Ushuaia:

• The boat fromj Puerto Williams to Ushuaia costs $160USD per person. Pay at the only tour agency in Puerto Williams (Turismo Shila) in Chilean Pesos so you aren’t disadvangted by the Argentinean Peso exchange rate!
• Day hike to Laguna Esmeralda and if your up for it, continuing further to Glacier Albino del Ojos
• If you got the $$$ bills, take a tour to Antartica. If the tour leaves tomorrow, make sure you bargain because you can get a massive discount (We heard from other travelers who were offered $5000USD compared to the usual $10,000 USD)
• Take a boat tour to see penguins.
• High end cafes and shopping
• Pretty expensive overall

Tell me Everything

Puerto Williams

Reaching the end of the world – except Antarctica – is a pretty exciting feeling. We flew from Punta Natales to Puerto Williams, officially the southernmost city in the world. Hilarious fact: this is a reasonably new title, as Chile only recently changed their municipal definitions to include the tiny population of 2000 to be defined as a city. Puerto Williams pushes boundaries in that sense and no other. It is a quiet, sleepy coastal town, boasting a single tourism agency. It’s vibe is “end of the world”, but in the sense that it’s the end and nobody goes there. It is honestly,  completely lovely. Not that there is anything to do; our opinion is probably skewed by our choice of accomodation – a cottage that we found on Airbnb, tucked into the forest, away from the township with chooks, a garden and a wood-burning stove. We picked it because it was only 5 minutes away from the the start of the Dientes de Navarino, the southernmost hike in the world & the reason we visited Puerto Williams. However, it turned out to be the best choice, and the peaceful setting gave us the utmost sensation of being at the end of the world.

This is our recommendation for Puerto Williams, if you aren’t (or can’t be arsed) hiking. Enjoy the peace. Unless you’re made of money and can head to Antarctica, this is the time to appreciate the fact that you’re one of the southernmost people in the world!

Ushuaia

Now, while Puerto Williams gives you the sensations of isolation and tranquility at the end of the world, you will find neither at the original Fin Del Mundo. Ushuaia feels like a city, and has the price tag to match. Picture this: two silly kiwis enter Argentina at its most isolated town, at the country’s most expensive point in history. That makes two hungry, hungry kiwis. To be fair, the “ferry” crossing from Chile to Argentina costing 160USD ea should have given it away. “Ferry” = 60 mins of driving along the coast of the Chilean side to reach the narrowest point of the Beagle Channel, then 30 mins on a speedboat to reach Argentina. 

There are many more activities in Ushuaia, but all of them have a hefty price tag. 

Channel cruises to see seals, penguins, and a few random attractions (lighthouse, anyone?) can be taken on big catamarans, or you can take a smaller boat for a higher price. We opted for the latter, and got to see some penguins up pretty close, but we would say it wasn’t worth it for the cost. There are better, cheaper places to see penguins, and the breeds aren’t endemic to the Beagle Channel. The channel itself has some interesting history – we enjoyed some explanations of the local indigenous population and

As with all the national parks in Argentina, Tierra Del Fuego is now a pay-to-enter model. There’s a single shuttle group which has a monopoly of price, so you’ll be paying around 50k ARS to enter the park. There are options for camping, with a multi day circuit available. For reference – kiwis should be thinking “west coast”, aussies should be thinking “tassie”. It rains a lot in this region, so be prepared for some very boggy group and knee high mud patches. With a big price tag and tough conditions, we avoided!

There are a few other day hiking options around Ushuaia which are not national parks. Absolutely our favourite was Laguna Esmeralda and Glaciar Albino del Ojos. This was also a shuttle ride away, so they took a fair bit of money off us for a very short ride – but we spent the whole day out, enjoying the track. This is an out and back – Laguna Esmeralda is an easy walk, well graded and well marked. It’s worth it and gorgeous. However, if you’ve got a good pair of boots and are feeling strong and fresh, we highly recommend continuing onto the glacier. The track is not well graded, it’s big rocks and some scree, which eventually turns into some rock climbing. It’s technically a little challenging and so – to us – super fun! As long as you have good weather, good boots and experience using them, there is no need for a guide. The glacier at the top has receded a fair bit but is still very cool to look at, and a great reward. We saw some people hanging our right under its shadow (but always take care doing this – glaciers can calve at any time!). We spent so long enjoying the views and chatting that we had to run back to our shuttle – worth it, though. 

There are also some options for short hikes closer to Ushuaia. We climbed around the old ski lift, which is near the entrance to the Martial Glaciar track, for some great views and generally nice walking. We think we read you can get to the Martial Glacier yourself, although there are lots of (expensive) tours if you want to do it guided. Wandering around the wetlands and along the promenade is also pleasant, although the wind can really chill you, and watch out for the seagulls! They’re super aggressive. 

Other than that – being a city, Ushuaia has plenty of cafes, restaurants and cute nooks that you can sit and have a bevvy and a treat. It’s also got at least three supermarkets (Emma’s dream), which gives you plenty of options to cook at home if you’re on a budget like us. It’s definitely a different “end of the world” vibe – think ‘Fin del Mundo’ plastered on shopfronts, the world’s southernmost mall, European and American outdoor brands in stores, flash coffee places. It’s a place made for money, especially with the Argentinian currency as it is, but there is still a place for a backpacker if you’re willing to skimp a little!