Tierra de Fuego

Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the Beagle Cannal with the islands of the South Atlantic Ocean.
With a population of about 70.000 inhabitants, this southern region with unexplored places is characterized for having a rich and vast territory at the southern tip of the world.
10 thousand years ago this region was inhabited by Onas, Alacalufes and Yáganes tribes which used to make campfires to warm themselves. Thus the name "Tierra del Fuego" (land of fire).
Ushuaia
3.171 kilometers from Buenos Aires
591 kilometers from Río Gallegos
229 kilometers from Río Grande
Ushuaia is the capital of the province Tierra del Fuego and is characterized for its tracks, the most southern ones in the world.
Since 1906, when there were scarcely 40 houses, it began to be the destination for some of the most dangerous criminals that lived in Argentina. However, they didn't go there to take possesion of the land, but to build, with their own hands the prison "Carcel de Reincidentes de Tierra de Fuego", the most southern prison of the world.
Its solid walls made of stone hosted up to 600 prisoners who were used to build streets, bridges, buildings and cut wood. In order to transport the wood used to warm the prison and the whole town the most southern railway of the planet was built in 1910.
When you walk through the cells, which are kept in the same state as in those times, you are taken back to the time when the prisoners, many of which faced long stays or life imprisonment, inhabited that chilling place.
It's hard to imagine that even the well known tango idol Carlos Gardel did some time there.
Before the prison was built, Ushuaia was a picturesque village at the shore of the cannal. After the prison was closed for good, in the 60's and 70's, this place satarted to grow again. It was in those years that many important places were built, like: the Hotel Albatros, the Tv Channel, the Centro Polideportivo and the first dorm centers. In that way Ushuaia started to became the turist town that it is today. And also the capital of the province Tierra del Fuego, Antartica and the islands of the South Atlantic Ocean.
Since then, the growth of the population has been so great that the government is still trying to control the housing crisis.
In 1970, only 5.677 people lived in Ushuaia. That cipher was tripled in the following 20 years. Today, it has an estimated population of 38.470 inhabitants.
When visiting Ushuaia, currently leading the tourism of southern Argentina, it's a must to go to the restaurants and try the exquisite centolla - a delicious shellfish from that region. After that tasty meal what could be better than taking a walk through the history of this land in the interesting Museo del Fín del Mundo, or walk along the shoreline that leads to the trilling Beagle cannal.
Ushuaia has all the infrastructure and services of a consolidated city.

Tourist Attractions

· Ushuaia, capital of the province. It is most southern city of the world. The Museo Fín del Mundo is dedicated to the natives, nature, local history and shipwrecks occured in that area.

· The Beagle Cannal and the National Park Tierra del Fuego. This National Park preserves several species of the sub antartic forest, like: red foxes, guanacos, rabbits, beavers and condors. From there you have beautiful sights from the Beagle Cannal and the islands with their mountains. In the Lapataia Bay you can see several sea birds and the remains of a boat used by the Yaghanes indians.

· Camino Río Grande. The Garibaldi Pass is spectacular in fall due to the red leaves of the lengas. In this region there are ski tracks and some lakes like the Fagnano and the Escondido. At 10 kilometers from Rio Grande, the regional museum Misión Salesiana exhibits material from the Onas Indians, fossils and rock samples, fauna and flora of the region. · Other interesting places: The Maria Behety ranch One of the biggest sheep searing shacks of the world, with room for more than 5.000 animals. From Cabo Domingo you have an excellent view over the sea.

Islands of the South Atlantic

This region comprises the eastern part of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, the Antartic part of Argentina, the Falkland islands, Georgias, Sandwich, Orcadas de los Estados and other smaller islands.
The total surface of the province is 1,002.445 square kilometers, and the islands take up 981.359 square kilometers. All these islands have a continental origin and are geologically linked to the Antartica.
Also important to mention, is the light difference between summer and winter. Due to its extreme southern position, there´s a difference of 7 to 17 hours between summer and winter seasons, so in the summer the days are long whereas night are short, and in the winter the opposite.

Falkland

The Falkland Islands are in Argentina sea, over the marine plataform, about 600 kilometers away from the coast of Patagonia (370 miles). The comprise an area of 12.170 square kilometers.
The two bigger islands (Soledad and Gran Malvina) take 70 % of the total surface of the archipelago. The rest is divided among the hundreds of smalles islands that surround them. The main islands are separated by the strait of San Carlos, a cannal with soft coasts and sandy beaches.
The high season for tourism is between October and April. Tourist arrive by sea, either on tour cruisers or sail ships. Access to the archipelago is by air. From the Chilean city Punta Arenas to the international airport of the army Mount Pleasant, near from the Argentinean port.

Things to do

Navigate along the end of the world. Cruisers to the Antartica depart from Ushuaia. Sail cruises through the Beagle Cannal can be taken where you will have the chance to see sea dogs, Magallanes penguins, carmorans and other sea birds.
In the summer, you can get to the Harberton Stanza, house of the first white settler of Tierra del Fuego. You can also sail through Cape Hornos and the Island Estados.
Ski in the most southern snow. Ski in one of the several ski resorts. Take a ride on Siberian dog pulled sleds.
Sport fishing. Salmons in the rivers and lakes of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego.
Travel on the historical train to the National Park Tierra del Fuego. Or go trekking and observe the nature. Taste the centollas, shellfish and roasted lam.