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Ushuaia Trips
Click on any of the trips below to the see the trip details:
Ushuaia Tours
Below you will find all the tours in Ushuaia which we recommend to our guests:
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Penguin Island
Duckies
Road to Harberton
Beaver Tree
Beaver Tree Close-up
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The Odyssey Of Ushuaia’s Discovery: The Gable
Expedition For your adventure spirits we have
arranged this ultimate adventure experience that involves paddling in a inflatable
rubber canoe on the Beagle Channel, a visit to Harberton Estancia, a motorboat
tour to the Penguin Island, and a hiking experience on the awesome virgin Gable
Island. If you are not fond of water activities like paddling we will take you
by vehicle to Harberton Estancia where you will join the rest of the group. The
largest island on the Beagle Channel, Gable, features the full range of elements
that compose the classical Patagonian landscape. Provisional indigenous settlements
and an abandoned sheep shearing barn are the only human vestiges in this now uninhabited
patchwork of beech wood forests and rolling pastures set in the dramatic backdrop
of Andean peaks. The tour begins early in the morning when
you are picked you up at your hotel. We follow highways “3” and “J” for an hour
and a half until we reach Bahía Brown (Brown Bay). Once there, we prepare
the duckies (modified inflatable kayaks) and server you hot drinks and snacks.
Duckies are extremely stable boats that will ensure you enjoy a safe fun
ride. Your guide will be a professional paddler who will guide you and be there
for your safety. In this point you can choose between doing the journey
to Harberton Estancia in a vehicle or paddling in the duckies. Following
the path of the Yamana canoe-men, the first Indian colony that settled in this
region, we’ll start paddling through a narrow passage of a river, pretty close
to the Beagle Channel, enjoying the beauty of the changing vistas and the local
fauna and flora. You’ll start warming up while our guides teach you the basic
paddling techniques. When we arrive to the Beagle Channel, we leave the
river and start heading to the Harberton Estancia (ranch), the first settlement
of the founders of Ushuaia. Indeed, the founders of this region did the same paddling
path that you are going to do. When you arrive to this picturesque estancia you´ll
be able to rest, enjoy the magnificent view and dry yourself. It’s important for
you to know that upi will provide all the wet gear you´ll need (boots, water proof
rain jacket and trouser, etcétera) so your clothes wont be all wet from the duckie
ride. At this "estancia" you will meet the travelers that chose
the vehicle ride. A motorboat waits for us at the dock. We board it and
head to the Penguin’s Island. On this island you will admire a colony of Magellan
penguins. Walking on this island is prohibited in order to protect the penguin’s
natural environment. Our boat will get close to the island so you can take pictures
of these cute little fellows. We then head to the mystic Gable Island,
a natural, cultural and historic icon of the foundation of this region. We disembark
on its 15 miles (24 km) of pure magic. We unite at our rural retreat, light up
the rustic salamander and indulge in a Yamana-style meal. Near the retreat
there´s an old sheep shearing barn no longer in use that you can visit. Once
we’ve had some time to rest and digest we´ll begin our cross-island trek, through
pastures and haunting woods, towards the rugged southern shore. Steep glacier-ravaged
cliffs descending into the channel greet us on the other side, showing us the
fiercer face of Tierra del Fuego. We stand on the edge with the wind blowing hard
on our faces while down below, wind-swept and immense, the Beagle Channel stretches
itself in all its splendor. you´ll be surrounded by the elemental wilderness and
curling waves that mark the Ends of the Earth. Before long we´ll be returning
inland and making our way into the heart of the island to a lagoon harboring a
beaver lodge. Beavers are considered a plague in these regions because of the
damage they do on local flora. In their settlements you will be able to see chunks
of wood and fallen trees which are the result of the beaver’s work of constructing
dams. Because beavers are excellent swimmers, they need to flood their habitats
in order to protect themselves from preying species. The interesting fact is that
beavers have no natural predators in this region, so they keep constructing dams
and flooding areas without pause and without real necessity. They sleep during
the day and work all through the night, therefore if you are lucky we might just
encounter one of these magnificent little hydraulic engineers. The surrounding
woods yield a unique, eerie beauty. Light-green colored lichens hang long
from the bark and branches of the tangled up tree-tops, while the floor is thick
with white orchids, violets, ferns and wild strawberries. After a three-hour
hike, we´ll return to our retreat, where we´ll stop for hot drinks and some snacks,
and then prepare for our motorboat ride back to the mainland. We´ll return to
the city as the twilight descends over the Beagle Channel. Requirements
for this tour: the paddling experience is for people over 12 years of age, in
moderately fit physical conditions. Difficulty: moderate Length:
full day Guide: shared English/Spanish
speaking guide Transfer: shared vehicle - approximate
maximum capacity: 16 people Includes: breakfast + lunch with beverages
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4x4 Off Road Adventure
at
the Ends of the Earth
Our 4x4 Land Rover Defender will take us to a thrilling
journey where excitement, natural beauty and driving skills
will nourish your spirit of adventure.
We will pick you up at the hotel in the morning. Our journey
starts on the National Road Nº 3 heading northwards. Our guide
will tell us about how hard was to populate this city located
on an island. The harsh weather conditions of this region
made it quite difficult for convincing people to move to Ushuaia.
The argentine government found a fast and “easy” way to begin
populating this region: They set up a maximum security prision!
As we leave the city behind and begin to climb the mountains,
you will enjoy the magnificent views of the valleys around
us. We reach Garibaldi Pass and stop to enjoy a panoramic
view. From this spot you will have an overwhelming view of
the Escondido Lake.
We then take a secondary road which will take us to the
shores of Fagnano Lake. Our “adventure engines” start to roar
as we prepare to enjoy a thrilling 4x4 off-road experience
at the lake’s shore. After the train along the lake, an enchanted
wood welcomes us. In this wonderful natural scenario you will
enjoy breakfast (coffee, tea and sweet cookies). Our off-road
trail varies between lake and wood paths depending on how
high the lake´s water is.
We reach our rustic refuge by the lake and our guide starts
preparing lunch. You have about 40 minutes to walk towards
the lake´s shore or the woods, or both. Lunch is ready! We
start with a snack (cheese, salami and chips) and then enjoy
a delicious steak barbecue with salad. Drinks included are
red and white wine, beer, soft drinks and water. You’ll have
lunch while enjoying very nice views of the woods and the
lake.
You can spend some time after lunch chatting with the other
travelers or walk around to enjoy the landscape views.
At
3:30 PM we will follow another off-road path till we reach the old road Nº
3 that borders Lake Escondido. We head to the
end tip of the Lake where we
will find and stop by Hostería Petrel. Depending on the climatic conditions,
we will venture on a boat trip on the lake or have some free time to walk
while enjoying the beauty of this place. The hosteria offers us the possibility
of buying hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cookies.
At
5:00 PM we will start our journey back to the city of Ushuaia, arriving
around 6:00 PM.
Difficulty:
low
Length:
full day
Transfer:
shared 4x4 Land Rover Defender - approximate
maximum capacity: 8 people per vehicle
Guide: shared
English/Spanish speaking guide
Includes: breakfast + lunch with beverages + snack
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Ushuaia Harbor
King Crab
Bird's Island
Sea Lion's Island
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Navigation on the Beagle Channel
You will be picked up at the hotel and head for the tourist wharf of Ushuaia,
from where we set sail to navigate the Beagle Channel. This navigation will take
approximately two and a half hours to complete. You will have to pay a fee of
approximately US$ 1 per passenger when departing. This fee can only be paid at
Ushuaia Port. We navigate around the Islands of the Birds and the Sea Lions
and "Les Eclaireurs lighthouse" ("The Explorers" in French),
known as the false “Ends of the Earth” lighthouse since quite far to the south
there is yet another one. There are some impressive rocky outcroppings in the
middle of the channel which are a continuation of the mountain chains which surround
it. You´ll also see a large variety of wild species since over the Birds
Island and the Island of the Sea Lion. Throughout the trip you will see colonies
of Imperial and Magellan cormorants, South American terns and other birds worth
observing, be it because of their size, their flight patterns or their colors:
albatrosses, petrels, skuas, geese, etc. Tour catamaran description:
Boat Length: approximately 100 feet (30 meters) Capacity: approximately
150 passengers Difficulty: low Guide:
shared English/Spanish speaking guide Transfer:
shared boat and private transfer to port | | |
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Trek on the coastal path
Informative talk
Getting ready
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Hiking and Canoeing at
the Ends of the Earth
Great tour for those who want to
walk along easy and undemanding paths and navigate on inflatable
canoes along the rivers and lagoons of the National Park and
the Beagle Channel. Between 9 and 9:30 am we'll pick
you up at the hotel and take National Road Nº 3 westwards.
We'll arrive to the National Park, and after we pay the entrance
fee (included), we'll go to the coastal path. This 4 and a
half mile path (7 kilometer) 3 hours hiking is doubtlessly
the most beautiful in the Park with lots of vegetation (High
Deciduous Beech, Low Deciduous Beech, Evergreen Beech, Winters
bark, Fire bush, etc).
We finish our walk at Lake Roca
where we have lunch. Then we lay down the canoes and put on
our life vests and waterproof clothes. We will receive a short
informative talk to then begin canoeing down the waters of
Lake Roca, to the Ovando River. The river has crystal clear
waters and this part of the trip is really easy since the
river rides quietly. The Ovando River runs into Laguna Verde,
one of the most beautiful panoramic spots in the National
Park. We keep drifting downstream, watching some of the most
astonishing landscapes in Tierra del Fuego. When close to
Lapataia Bay, you will be able to see petrels, albatrosses,
steamer ducks and sometimes penguins. Lapataia Bay is our
target, the end of the famous Panamerican Road at the Ends
of the Earth, pure beauty.
We disembark, and
after we have a snack we sit and
contemplate the sunset on the Beagle Channel.
Difficulty: low
Length:
full day
Transfer: shared Vehicle
- approximate maximum capacity: 12
people
Guide:
shared English/Spanish speaking guide
Includes: breakfast + lunch with beverages + snack
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Trek on the coastal path
Our navigation
On the shore
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Hiking and Navigating at
the Ends of the Earth
Great tour for those who want to walk along easy and undemanding
paths and sail on a Zodiac along the Beagle Channel.
Between 9 and 9:30 AM we pick you up at the hotel and take
National Road Nº 3 westwards. We arrive to the National Park,
and after we pay the entrance fee (included), we go to the
coastal path. This 4 and a half mile path (7 kilometer) 3
hours trek is doubtlessly the most beautiful in the Park with
lots of vegetation (High Deciduous Beech, Low Deciduous Beech,
Evergreen Beech, Winters bark, Fire bush, etc.).
We then board an 18 people Zodiac boat and head to a beautiful
bay called Ensenada. We navigate along the Beagle Channel
to the Redonda Island and have a view of Rocky Cormorants
that nest in a rocky wall of the island. We disembark on the
island and have lunch in a refuge, enjoying one of the best
views of this landscape. Lunch is usually home-made pasta
and drinks; included are red wine, sodas and mineral water.
After lunch you have some free time to walk around the
island. This island is a natural reserve and it has only been
opened for tourists a couple of years ago.There are two paths
to walk, 20 minutes each.
We will then head to Lapataia Bay and along this trip we
will see some of the most beautiful seabirds of the Argentinean
South (Albatrosses, Petrels, Snowy Sheath Bills and maybe
also Penguins). We arrive to Lapataia Bay, the end of the
famous Panamerican Road at the Ends of the Earth, pure beauty.
Here we will take our van to go back to Ushuaia, where we´ll
arrive at around 4:30 PM.
Difficulty: low
Length:
full day
Transfer: shared Vehicle
- approximate maximum capacity: 18
people
Guide: shared
English/Spanish speaking guide
Includes: breakfast + lunch with beverages + snack
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4x4 off road adventure
They build dams and inundate the area creating lakes
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Engineers of Nature: The Beaver 4x4 Expedition
During the 20th century, various
pairs of beavers were brought from Canada to try to develop the local fur industry
in Ushuaia. The results were unexpected and our furry friends did nothing
but get along with each other extremely well and reproduce on a large scale. Naturally,
beavers built their dams in the middle of the lakes that they themselves had
created, thus changing the landscape beyond all recognition.
This tour takes place in the
evening because beavers sleep during the day. We will access the natural habitat
of beavers through challenging mud tracks and beautiful Ends of the Earth landscapes
on our 4x4 off road vehicles. In this exciting experience you will learn about
these fascinating "engineers of nature" which skillfully build dams,
lakes, shelters, knocking out trees with their powerful teeth. Then, you will
enjoy a delicious stew beneath an impressive sunset.
Difficulty: low
Length:
4 to 5 hours
Transfer: 4x4 vehicle- approximate maximum capacity: 8
people Guide:
shared English/Spanish speaking guide
Includes: Appetizer, Lentils stood, desert. Water, soft drinks and red wine also
included.
Beavers use their powerful teeth to knock down trees.
Enjoy a magnificent sunset at the Ends of the Earth
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