Ushuaia

The town of Ushuaia is situated in the brim of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains on the island of Land of Fire, in the extreme South of the American continent like the Strait of Magellan. Ushuaia is the capital of the Provinces of Land of Fire. Even though there isn't much to see and to do, Ushuaia is become a tourist town, without much heart. Its success comes from its geographical position. It's the most southern town in the world, like we locally say "El fin del mundo" (the back of beyond). The only occupations boil down to two museums which one occupies the old convict prison. One relates there the history of the town and particularly the slaughter of the Indians civilizations today disappeared : Selknam, Yahgans and Alacalufes. The local life is given rythm to by the luxurious cruises coming to stop over and to drop its crowd of tourists greedy for memories.

The first inhabitants of this belt were Aborigenes Yánamas, fishermen of molluscs who lived in huts in the Lapataia Bay. It offers an infinite quantity of landscapes : rivers, sea, mountain and immoderate vegetation. It's the ideal starting point for numerous excursions in sea, in mountain and in the forest. A fascinating experience, unique in the world.

In Summer

In Winter

It's in September 1884 that an argentinian expedition disembarks in this place in the aim of found a subprefecture. The 12^th October of the same year the argentinian flag is hoisted facing the bay of Ushuaia. The town developed particularly itself from the years 1970 when the government of the epoch decided to promote the industrial activities on this territory. The name of Ushuaia comes from the language of the Yánamas Aborigenes and means "bay which come into the sunset". The first habitations have been built by the South American Missionary Society, Church of England which during the first 40 years took care of evangelize the Aborigenes.

The average temperature in winter is of -2°C, and in summer the thermometer can reach the 30°C.

Today, the town owns an airport and an infrastructure to receive the tourists of the whole world. Ushuaia is a paradisiac place.

Little Visit

The Costanera Avenida Maipú avenue which borders the Beagle Channel rejoins the Harbour of Ushuaia. A footbridge leads to the peninsula where we have there a spectacular sight of the town. In this belt is the Encerrada Bay, frozen in winter and which uses of track ice skating. In coming back towards the center by the Malvinas Argentinas street, one can see the Casa Beban and a reconstitution of the Old Village (Pueblo Viejo), relic of the old Ushuaia of the pioneers.

The prison of the Presidio (today maritime museum), closed in 1947, is the symbol of the colonization of Ushuaia. Its construction began in 1902 and ended in 1920. Composed of 5 pavilions and of 380 cells, it sheltered criminals, thieves, political prisoners, soldiers, etc. Among the famous prisoners are the anarchist Radowitzky, who killed the police chief Falcón and made a spectacular running away by the sea to Punta Arenas, or the "Petiso Orejudo" or Santos Godino, a child killer in Buenos Aires. The prisoners who showed good control, was in a position to work in the outside of the prison and received money that they could send to their families or get back in their leaving. Thus Ushuaia developed itself around this prison, with the numerous workshops and commerces employing these prisoners : printing-houses, shoemakings, gem cuttings, carpentries, baker's shops, pharmacies, etc.

It's the other great attraction of Ushuaia. The "Tren del fin del mundo" (the train of the back of beyond) or then "Ferrocarril austral fueguino" (the railway of the South of the Land of Fire) has its history linked with this of Presidio. This train is composed of heated cars with great windows and pulled by a steam locomotive. The journey is of 8 kilometers from the "Estación del fin del mundo" (the station of the back of beyond) to the "Estación Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego" (the station of the national park of the Land of Fire). The complete journey there and back lasts about 1h40. The train goes along the Río Pipo and permits to see a reconstitution of a yámana encampment, and comes to an end in the inside of a dense forest in the National Park.

One of the most known attractions of Ushuaia, it's the lighthouse being on one of the islets of the Beagle Channel, facing the town. One calls it more commonly "Faro del fin del mundo" (the lighthouse of the back of beyond). It's a tower of 11 meters of height, painted with rot and white bands, and it is nourished by solar panels which furnish the energy for its working.

The summer is the best period to go at random in Land of Fire. One can make trekking in the mountains, excursions on horses or on mountain bike in the National Park of the Land of Fire. It's also the period to go fishing or make strolls with ship on the Beagle Channel, in the Cape Horn and even to go to the Argentinian Antarctica.

The National Park of the Land of Fire is the principal attraction of the island and spreads on 63000 hectares. One can discover there the lakes Escondido and Fagnano like the Martial glacier. The possibility is offered to visit the typical ranches of Patagonia like this of Harberton. The little place of Tolhuin owns a lot of charm and one can go not very far on the brims of the Chepelmut and Yehuin lakes.

The coast is the ideal place to observe the birds of the region like the albatrosses, the petrels and the ducks. Into the sea one can see there a rare species of marine otter that we name over there "chungungo". And in the inside of the lands live the guanaco and a coloured and specific fox of the Land of Fire. It should be noted that the introduction of the American beaver has caused ravages on the surrounding environment, this one constructing dikes and provoking inundations which are the cause of the death of numerous trees.

In the extreme North of the island, one can discover Río Grande, the second town of the Land of Fire and center of the industry, of the rearing and of the oil of the Land of Fire.

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