Destination content © Wayne Bernhardson, used from Moon Handbooks Argentina, 1st Edition.
Maps © Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
USHUAIA
Beneath the serrated spires of the Martial range, on the north shore of the Beagle Channel, the city of Ushuaia is both an end—virtually the terminus of the world’s most southerly highway—and a beginning—the gateway to Antarctica. The surrounding countryside is increasingly popular with activities-oriented visitors who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and skiing.
After two decades–plus of economic growth and physical sprawl, the provincial capital is both declining and improving. On the one hand, the duty-free manufacturing, fishing, and tourist boom that transformed a onetime penal colony and naval base into a bustling city has weakened, but on the other, it’s begun to clean up the waterfront and restore some of the historic buildings that gave the town its personality. The streets are cleaner, and there are parks and plazas and green spaces, but it still has one of the worst particulate pollution problems of any Argentine city because high winds kick up clouds of dust in the unpaved streets of its newer neighborhoods.
History
Ushuaia dates from 1870, when the Anglican South American Missionary Society decided to place the archipelago’s first permanent European settlement here. Pioneer missionary Thomas Bridges and his descendants have left an enduring legacy in Bridges’s Yahgan (Yámana) dictionary, the memoir of his son Lucas, and the family estancia at nearby Harberton (sadly, the Yahgans whom Thomas Bridges hoped to save succumbed to introduced diseases and conflict with other settlers).
Not long after Ushuaia’s settlement, Argentina, alarmed by the British presence, moved to establish its own authority at Ushuaia and did so with a penal settlement for its most infamous criminals and political undesirables. It remained a penal settlement until almost 1950, when Juan Domingo Perón’s government created a major naval base to help support Argentina’s claim to a share of Antarctica. Only since the end of the military dictatorship of 1976–83 has it become a tourist destination, visited by many cruise ships as well as overland travelers and air passengers who come to see the world’s southernmost city.
Orientation
Ushuaia (population 45,205) is 240 kilometers southwest of Río Grande, the island’s only other city, and 3,220 kilometers south of Buenos Aires. It stretches east and west along the north shore of the Beagle Channel. Now bedecked with flowerbeds, the main thoroughfare is Avenida Maipú, part of RN3 which continues west to Bahía Lapataia in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. The parallel Avenida San Martín, one block north, is the main commercial street; the focus of Ushuaia’s night life, it gets gridlocked on summer nights as surely as any avenue in Buenos Aires. From the shoreline, the perpendicular northbound streets rise steeply—some so steeply that they become staircases.
Museo Marítimo de Ushuaia
Misleadingly named, this museum most effectively tells the story of Ushuaia’s inauspicious beginnings as a penal settlement for both civilian and military prisoners. Alarmed over the South American Missionary Society’s incursions among the indigenous peoples of the Beagle Channel, Argentina reinforced its claims to the territory by building, in 1884, a military prison on Isla de los Estados (Staten Island), across the Strait of Lemaire at the southeastern tip of the Isla Grande.
Barely a decade later, in 1896, it established Ushuaia’s civilian Cárcel de Reincidentes for repeat offenders; after finally deciding, in 1902, that Isla de los Estados was a hardship post even for prisoners, the military moved their own facility to Ushuaia. Then, in 1911, the two institutions fused in this building that, over the first half of the 20th century, held some of the country’s most famous political prisoners, celebrated rogues, and notorious psychopaths.
Divided into five two-story pavilions, with 380 cells intended for one prisoner each, the prison held as many as 600 prisoners at a time before closing in 1947. Its most famous inmates were political detainees like immigrant Russian anarchist Simón Radowitzsky, who killed Buenos Aires police chief Ramón Falcón with a bomb in 1909; Radical politicians Ricardo Rojas, Honorio Pueyrredón, and Mario Guido (the deceptively named Radicals are in fact a bland middle-class party); and Peronist politician Héctor Cámpora, who was president briefly in the 1970s.
Many if not most of the prisoners, though, were long-termers or lifers like the diminutive strangler Cayetano Santos Godino, a serial killer dubbed “El Orejudo” for his oversized ears (the nickname also describes a large-eared bat that is native to the archipelago). Julio Ordano has written a play, performed in Buenos Aires, about Santos Godino, “El Petiso Orejudo.”
Life-size figures of the most infamous inmates, modified department-store dummies clad in prison stripes, occupy many of the cells. A particularly interesting exhibit is a wide-ranging comparison with other prisons that have become museums, such as San Francisco’s Alcatraz and South Africa’s Robben Island.
The museum does justify its name with an exceptional exhibit of scale models of ships that have played a role in local history, such as Magellan’s galleon Trinidad, the legendary Beagle, the South American Missionary Society’s three successive sailboats known as the Allen Gardiner, and Antarctic explorer and conqueror Roald Amundsen’s Fram. In addition, there are materials on Argentina’s Antarctic presence since the early 20th century, when the corvette Uruguay rescued Otto Nordenskjöld’s Norwegian expedition, whose crew included the Argentine José María Sobral. On the grounds outdoors is a full-size model of the Faro San Juan de Salvamento, the Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) lighthouse that figures in Jules Verne’s story “The Lighthouse at the End of the World.”
In addition, this exceptional museum contains a philatelic room, natural history exhibits, and admirable accounts of the region’s aboriginal peoples. In fact, it has only two drawbacks: there’s too much to see in a single day, and the English translations could use some polishing—to say the least.
The Museo Marítimo (Yaganes and Gobernador Paz, tel. 02901/437481, museomar@satlink.com, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) offers guided tours at 11 a.m. and 2, 4:30, and 5:45 p.m. Admission costs US$4.50 pp but, on request, the staff will validate your ticket for another day; since there’s so much here, splitting up sightseeing sessions is not a bad idea. There are discounts for children (US$1), students and senior citizens (US$1.75), and families (US$9 including up to four children). It has an excellent book and souvenir shop, and a fine confitería for snacks and coffee.
Other Sights
Even if it’s leveled off, Ushuaia’s economic boom provided the wherewithal to preserve and even restore some of the city’s historic buildings. Two of them are now museums: the Casa Fernández Valdés (1903), on the waterfront at Avenida Maipú 175, houses the historical Museo del Fin de Mundo, while the Presidio de Ushuaia (1896), at Yaganes and Gobernador Paz, is now the Museo Marítimo.
Three blocks west of the Casa Fernández Valdés, at Maipú 465, the classically Magellanic Poder Legislativo (1894) houses the provincial legislature. Five blocks farther west, at the corner of Avenida Maipú and Rosas, prisoners built the recently restored Capilla Antigua, a chapel dating from 1898. Ushuaia’s municipal tourist office now occupies the Biblioteca Sarmiento (1926), San Martín 674, the city’s first public library. At the corner of Avenida Malvinas Argentinas and 12 de Octubre, the waterfront Casa Beban, is an elaborate reassembled pioneer residence dating from 1913; it now houses the municipal Casa de la Cultura, a cultural center.
Benefiting greatly from its exterior restoration of its block-style construction, Ushuaia’s impressively evolving Museo del Fin del Mundo (Avenida Maipú 175, tel. 02901/421863, museo@tierradelfuego.org.ar, US$3.50 adults, US$2 students and retirees, free for children 14 and under) contains improved exhibits on the Yámana, Selknam, and other Fuegian Indians, and on early European voyages to the area. There remain permanent exhibits on the presidio; the Fique family’s El Primer Argentino general store; the original branch of the state-run bank, Banco de la Nación (which occupied the building for more than 60 years); and run-of-the-mill taxidermy. Its celebrity artifact is one of few existing copies of Thomas Bridges’s Yámana-English dictionary.
On the grounds outside, an open-air sector includes representations of a Yámana encampment and dwellings, plus machinery used in early agriculture and forestry projects. The museum also contains a bookstore/souvenir shop and a specialized library on southernmost Argentina, the surrounding oceans, and Antarctica. Hours are 9 a.m.–8 p.m. daily in summer. The rest of the year, hours are 3–8 p.m. daily except Monday. There are guided tours at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
While both the Museo del Fin del Mundo and the Museo Marítimo do a creditable job of covering Tierra del Fuego’s indigenous heritage, the small, private Museo de Maquetas Mundo Yámana (Rivadavia 56, tel. 02901/422874, mundoyamana@infovia.com.ar, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily) consists of skillfully assembled dioramas of life along the Beagle Channel prior to the European presence, at a scale of 1:15. It also includes cartographic representations of the Yámana and their neighbors, interpretations of the European impact, and panels of historical photographs.
The museum charges US$1.75 pp for adults, US$1 for students and retirees, and is free for children under 13. The staff speak fluent English.
Shopping
Boutique del Libro (San Martín 1129, tel. 02901/424750) offers an excellent selection of Spanish-language books and a smaller choice of English-language materials. Fin del Mundo (San Martín 505) has a wide selection of kitschy souvenirs but also maps and books.
Information
Ushuaia’s well-organized municipal Secretaría de Turismo (San Martín 674, tel. 02901/424550, muniush@speedy.com.ar, www.e-ushuaia.com) is open 8 a.m.–10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–8 p.m. weekends and holidays. English-speaking staff are normally present.
In addition, there is a subsidiary office at the Muelle Turístico (tel. 02901/437666, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily), and another at the airport (tel. 02901/423970) that’s open for arriving flights only.
The provincial Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (Infuetur) has ground-floor offices at Hotel Albatros (Avenida Maipú 505, tel. 02901/423340).
For motorists, the Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA) is at Malvinas Argentinas and Onachaga (tel. 02901/421121).
The APN (Avenida San Martín 1395, tel. 02901/421315) is open 9 a.m.–noon weekdays.
From October to March, at the waterfront Muelle Comercial, the Oficina Antártica Infuetur (tel. 02901/423340 or 421423, antartida@tierradelfuego.org.ar) has information on Antarctic tours.
Services
Several banks have ATMs, including Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (Avenida Maipú 297), Banco Macro Bansud (Avenida Maipú 781), and Banco de la Provincia (San Martín 396); the latter accepts travelers checks at a three percent commission. Cambios Thaler (Avenida San Martín 788, tel. 02901/421911) also takes three percent on travelers checks but keeps longer hours: 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4–8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 5:30–8 p.m. Saturday, and 5:30–8 p.m. Sunday.
Correo Argentino is at San Martín 309; Ushuaia’s postal code is 9410.
Locutorio Cabo de Hornos (25 de Mayo 112) provides telephone, fax, and Internet access, as do many other businesses.
The Chilean consulate (Jainén 50, tel. 02901/430970) is open 9 a.m.–1 p.m. weekdays only.
The Dirección Nacional de Migraciones is at Beauvoir 1536 (tel. 02901/422334).
Los Tres Angeles (Juan Manuel de Rosas 139, tel. 02901/422687) has quick and reliable laundry service.
The Hospital Regional is at Maipú and 12 de Octubre (tel. 02901/422950, tel. 107 for emergencies).
Getting There
Aerolíneas Argentinas/Austral (Roca 116, tel. 02901/421218) normally flies twice or thrice daily to Aeroparque, sometimes via El Calafate or Trelew. On occasion, Buenos Aires–bound flights land at Ezeiza instead of Aeroparque.
In the Galería Albatros, LADE (Avenida San Martín 564, Local 5, tel. 02901/421123) flies weekly to Río Gallegos, El Calafate, and Comodoro Rivadavia.
From November to March, the Chilean carrier Aerovías DAP (25 de Mayo 64, tel. 02901/431110, 02901/431111) flies 20-passenger Twin Otters Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to Punta Arenas, Chile (US$100), Ushuaia’s only scheduled international service.
For Puerto Williams, across the channel in Chile, it may be possible to arrange a private-charter flight through the Aeroclub Ushuaia (tel. 02901/421717 or 421892) for about US$100 pp.
Lider (Gobernador Paz 921, tel. 02901/436421) runs buses to Tolhuín (US$4) and Ushuaia (US$7.50) eight times daily except Sunday and holidays, when it goes only five times. Transportes Montiel (Marcos Zar 330, tel. 02901/421366) goes to Río Grande seven times daily except Sunday and holidays, when it goes six times only.
Tecni-Austral (Roca 157, tel. 02901/431612) goes daily at 6 a.m. to Río Grande (US$7.50, 3.5 hours); the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday buses continue to Río Gallegos (US$29, 12 hours) and connect with Pacheco buses to Punta Arenas, Chile (US$25, 12 hours).
Tolkeyén (Maipú 237, tel. 02901/437073) goes to Río Grande 5:30 a.m. Monday, 6:30 a.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 8 a.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 7 p.m. Friday and Sunday. The Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday services hook up with the 11:30 a.m. Pacheco bus from Río Grande to Punta Arenas.
Political complications between Chile and Argentina have held up regular transportation across the Beagle Channel to Puerto Williams, but in December 2001 the two countries agreed to open Puerto Navarino, at the east end of Isla Navarino, as a port of entry to Chile. What that means for regular public transportation is not yet clear. In the meantime, ask around the Club Náutico, at Avenida Maipú and Belgrano, for private yachts that may be willing to take passengers (a large enough group should be able to charter a boat for around US$70–100 pp). One possibility is Claudio Don Vito (claudio_don_vito@hotmail.com).
Getting Around
A causeway links the city with Aeropuerto Internacional Malvinas Argentinas, which has the country’s highest airport taxes: US$5 to elsewhere in Argentina, and US$20 for international flights. Taxis and remises cost only about US$3 with Manuel Tienda León (San Martín 995, tel. 02901/422222).
Several bus companies charge around US$7.50 round-trip to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego; it’s normally possible to stay in the park and return on a later day. Note that the companies listed here, as indicated, use several different stops along the waterfront but do not have offices there; some have telephones and others do not. The schedules listed are summer hours that may change; during other seasons, schedules are reduced.
From Avenida Maipú and 25 de Mayo, Transporte Pasarela (tel. 02901/433712), Buses Eben-Ezer (tel. 02901/431133), and Transportes Alvarez have 21 buses daily to the park between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., returning between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
From Maipú and Fadul, Transporte Puky (tel. 02901/435418 or 02901/15-618547), Body, and Bellavista go a dozen times daily between 8:30 a.m. and 7:45 p.m., returning between 9:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
From Maipú and Roca, Transportes Kaupén and Gonzalo operate seven buses daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., returning between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Most of the same companies have slightly less frequent services to the chairlift at the Glaciar Martial (US$2.50 pp), normally with a minimum two passengers. Trips to Estancia Harberton (US$14 pp) need a minimum three passengers.
Car rentals start around US$30 per day and range up to US$60 per day for a 4WD vehicle. Some agencies offer unlimited mileage within the province of Tierra del Fuego, but others limit this to 150 kilometers per day or even less, so verify before signing the contact.
Ushuaia rental agencies include Cardos (San Martín 845, tel. 02901/436388, cardosr@hotmail.com), Europcar (Maipú 857, tel. 02901/430786, europcar@carletti.com.ar), Hertz (at the airport, tel. 02901/432429, hertzushuaia@infovia.com.ar), and Localiza (San Martín 1222, tel. 02901/430739, ultimoconfin@tierradelfuego.com.ar).
DTT Cycles Sport (Avenida San Martín 903) rents mountain bikes.
The Chilean M/V Mare Australis operates luxurious sightseeing cruises to Puerto Williams and through the fjords of Chilean Tierra del Fuego to Punta Arenas; while not intended as simple transportation, they can serve the same purpose for those who can afford them. It’s possible to either disembark in Punta Arenas (three days) or return to Ushuaia (in a week). These cruises are usually booked far in advance, but on rare occasion—normally just before Christmas—it may be possible to board more spontaneously.
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