Kimiri Aike

About 30 kilometers east of San Gregorio [1], paved Ruta 257 leads southeast to Punta Delgada, the ferry port for the Tierra del Fuego [2] via the Primera Angostura narrows. Depending sometimes on tidal conditions, the ferries Fueguino and Pionero shuttle across the channel every 1.5 hours 8:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Fares are US$2.50 per person for passengers, US$1.25 for kids ages 10–14, US$22 for automobiles, and US$6.50 for motorcycles. Buses to Argentine Tierra del Fuego use this route because the longer ferry to Porvenir [3] goes only once daily and is subject to delays or cancellation for rough seas.

At the highway junction, Hostería Tehuelche (tel. 061/1983002, US$35/60 s/d) was once the casco (big house) for the British-run Estancia Kimiri Aike; now, November–May, it offers satisfactory but arguably overpriced accommodations in huge rooms with shared bath. Buses between Punta Arenas [4] and Río Gallegos often stop here for lunch; breakfast, dinner, and snacks are also available. The Barros Luco sandwich can be good, but insist that they hold the mayonnaise.