Ushuaia

[bocaraton]

Wow...what a place. Why do people live there. We were told most do not stay. You do not see old people. We went with a guide we found at the dock to the end of the world Post office. They used to stamp your passport "end of the world" but now that ships do not return your passport...dont ask us why...It is a good idea to copy the first page a few times before you leave. That way you have extras in case it is lost. We used one of the pages for each of us to get it stamped and put it in an album. Very touristy...but we were tourists. Its dark its dank...but remember the next stop is Antartica 400 miles away...we did not go. You are truly at the end. There is also a sign we photographed that says end of Route 4 which starts in alaska and takes a year to drive. Very cool. We were never so touristy and we have been around the world.

[4774Papa]

Ushuaia was or favorite port around the horn.

I had read the book about early English settlers in Terra del Fuego, Uttermost Part of the Earth by Lucas Bridges.

The port is surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains, the Beagle Channel is loaded with wildlife and the National Park is the cherry on top of the cake.

 

We were told that people in Argentina and Chile are offered special tax incentives to live in the far south.

[bocaraton]

Ushuaia was or favorite port around the horn.

I had read the book about early English settlers in Terra del Fuego, Uttermost Part of the Earth by Lucas Bridges.

The port is surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains, the Beagle Channel is loaded with wildlife and the National Park is the cherry on top of the cake.

 

We were told that people in Argentina and Chile are offered special tax incentives to live in the far south.

 

They need to offer tax incentives for people to live there. Seriously, we think its great that you understood the history of what you are seeing...but for us...it was just too plain cold and nasty ...windy and chilling...Still it definitely was an experience.

[J-D]

Ushuaia is a very scenic and, to us, interesting place. We stopped there for a day on each of two cruises. [Also, 10 days or so after one of those port visits, we did an unscheduled return to Ushuaia and disembarked there to fly home -- a long story associated with the magnitude 8.8 Chilean earthquake of 27 Feb. 2010.]

 

The half-day boat trips out of Ushuaia to see seabirds, marine mammals and scenery in the Beagle Channel are excellent, even on a wet and windy day. On such a day, a visit to the Museo del Fin del Mundo (within easy walking distance from pier) is a good way to learn about the history of the area while staying dry. We also enjoyed the historical train tour into the National Park. If we ever get back, I would like to do one of the day tours into the mountains immediately north of the town. In addition, Ushuaia is a place where one is exposed to the Argentinian perspective on the Falklands dispute. It was from Ushuaia that the General Belgrano cruiser sailed just a few days before she was sunk during the 1982 Falklands war.

 

It can certainly be cool, windy and wet in and around Ushuaia -- there were 40 knot wind gusts along Beagle Channel during one of our visits, and those delayed our departure from the dock at the end of the day. However, anyone on a Cape Horn cruise should come prepared with layers of clothing and full rain gear, not just for Ushuaia but for other places in the area. The weather during the austral summer is sometimes excellent, but most cruises around the Horn encounter wet and windy weather on some days. With appropriate gear, Ushuaia should be a very interesting stop in almost any (summer) weather.

 

John

Edited February 6, 2015 by J-D

[t60]

Love Ushuaia. You need to ask Passenger Services desk to return your passport so you can get them stamped...we did this...no problem. You can get passports stamped at the small post office along the walkway leaving the dock,where they charge 2dollars. Easier to do there than at the End of the World post office when out on tour.

 

Sandy in Spain

[Holly2]

We did ask to have passport returned as did several other passengers. Told that it was needed to clear customs.

[bocaraton]

We did ask to have passport returned as did several other passengers. Told that it was needed to clear customs.

 

We asked each morning and evening starting 3 dAys before docking in Ushaia and it was totally impossible to have them returned. All kinds of reasons. Have copy of first page stamped. But it's touristy but we wanted it. Also. Never got post cards we mailed from there. Has anyone?

[PerfectlyPerth]

I had 5 days there in 2010 before my first polar trip and 10 days there - 5 either side of my 3rd polar trip last year, and am boarding an expedition ship in 12 hours that will disembark there in a month and can't wait to see the stunning channel and snow capped mountains again.

 

I have yet to run out of things to see and do. I find the whole region stunning and the convict and indigenous history fascinating. The museums are excellent. The people are lovely and friendly. The lamb is to die for - as is the chocolate. A helicopter ride over the channel and the town and the mountains is beyond compare (and I do helicopters all over the world so am hard to impress). The Pira tour out to the original Bridges property, laboratory and island full of magenellic penguins is well worth the long bus ride. Also did a brilliant 2 seater plane ride over the mountains and channel.

 

In winter it's a massively popular ski season with athletes from all over the world using its extended season to train.

 

The sun doesn't set til 10pm so it's definitely never felt "dark and dank" to me.

 

Postcards - mine sent to myself and to friends always seem to take 6 weeks on the dot to Australia.

[t60]

On Holland America and Princess we had no problems getting our passports back for the day

 

Sandy in Spain

[oakbender]

I had 5 days there in 2010 before my first polar trip and 10 days there - 5 either side of my 3rd polar trip last year, and am boarding an expedition ship in 12 hours that will disembark there in a month and can't wait to see the stunning channel and snow capped mountains again.

 

I have yet to run out of things to see and do. I find the whole region stunning and the convict and indigenous history fascinating. The museums are excellent. The people are lovely and friendly. The lamb is to die for - as is the chocolate. A helicopter ride over the channel and the town and the mountains is beyond compare (and I do helicopters all over the world so am hard to impress). The Pira tour out to the original Bridges property, laboratory and island full of magenellic penguins is well worth the long bus ride. Also did a brilliant 2 seater plane ride over the mountains and channel.

 

In winter it's a massively popular ski season with athletes from all over the world using its extended season to train.

 

The sun doesn't set til 10pm so it's definitely never felt "dark and dank" to me.

 

Postcards - mine sent to myself and to friends always seem to take 6 weeks on the dot to Australia.

 

Can you tell me the name of the helicopter tour company you used?

[ski ww]

We where there a few years ago, beautiful scenery did a ships tour to a national park that was been destroyed by beavers that where brought in from Canada back in the 1800 for the fur trade, now they can't get rid of them. We also went out in the woods by 4x4 to a cabin and had a typical meal which was great and some local red wine, all in all a great day & experience.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Can you tell me the name of the helicopter tour company you used?

 

Sorry for the delay - been in Antarctica.

 

The main company is http://www.heliushuaia.com.ar/en/ - they have a big office on the intersection of Av's San Martin and Laserre - you cant miss the signage above the penguin mural.

 

For light aircraft - you can also phone the aeroclub. http://www.aeroclubushuaia.com/en/

[WesternTrader]

Sorry for the delay - been in Antarctica.

 

The main company is http://www.heliushuaia.com.ar/en/ - they have a big office on the intersection of Av's San Martin and Laserre - you cant miss the signage above the penguin mural.

 

For light aircraft - you can also phone the aeroclub. http://www.aeroclubushuaia.com/en/

 

Hello PerfectlyPerth

This is very useful - thank you.

Having looked at the prices I see that 1 hour in a fixed wing aircraft is only slightly more expensive that 15 minutes in a helicopter... Have you done either/both? If so, which would you recommend?

Any further help gratfully received.

Thanks

WT

[PerfectlyPerth]

Hello PerfectlyPerth

This is very useful - thank you.

Having looked at the prices I see that 1 hour in a fixed wing aircraft is only slightly more expensive that 15 minutes in a helicopter... Have you done either/both? If so, which would you recommend?

Any further help gratfully received.

Thanks

WT

 

Yes have done both many times. Personally I dont look at the price - I look at what experience I want to achieve.

 

The plane is great for the fun experience of zipping between mountain peaks and zooming down over old shipwrecks etc etc but not so good for primo photography as much of the cameras view cops the propellors.

 

The choppers on the other hand are perfect for photography. Nice big windows catching expansive views. And they can of course land - on places like the top of Mount Olivia for some awesome panoramic photography.

[tartanexile81]

We asked each morning and evening starting 3 dAys before docking in Ushaia and it was totally impossible to have them returned. All kinds of reasons. Have copy of first page stamped. But it's touristy but we wanted it. Also. Never got post cards we mailed from there. Has anyone?

 

Our postcards arrived but there was no fin del mundo stamp on it despite the fact they said would do it

Edited April 8, 2015 by tartanexile81

[lindaa]

We sent several postcards from The end of the world on March 11th. As of today none have been received - but we are still hopeful that they will eventually appear.

 

DH and I really enjoyed our time in Ushuaia. The locals were all so friendly and after missing several ports due to mother nature we had a wonderful time there.

[Northern Aurora]

In reading this thread I found some of the comments regarding Ushuaia interesting. We were at Ushuaia twice in March as were were on a B2B2B series of cruises; both the first and second legs of that series called at Ushuaia.

 

Both times we used Pira Tours to go out to the Bridges Ranch and visit a penguin colony (breeding colonies of Gentoo and Magellanic penguins with a few non-breeding King penguins also there).

 

Ushuaia was an interesting community. Since Ushuaia has a special tax status a number of manufacturing companies have located there. Jobs are readily available assembling electronics and the average income per capita is much higher than in other areas of Argentina. With the natural beauty of the area, low rates of crime, the recreational opportunities provided by the national park and the abundance of good paying jobs it was clear to me why folks enjoying living there.

 

We actually found this whole series of cruises so interesting that we have booked B2B (Buenos Aires to Valparaiso and then on through the Panama Canal) again for 2017.

[PerfectlyPerth]

We sent several postcards from The end of the world on March 11th. As of today none have been received - but we are still hopeful that they will eventually appear.

 

DH and I really enjoyed our time in Ushuaia. The locals were all so friendly and after missing several ports due to mother nature we had a wonderful time there.

 

your profile doesn't say where you are but 6 weeks is the average from all my trips there and all friends from other countries.

[ptrpanpens]

In reading this thread I found some of the comments regarding Ushuaia interesting. We were at Ushuaia twice in March as were were on a B2B2B series of cruises; both the first and second legs of that series called at Ushuaia.

 

Both times we used Pira Tours to go out to the Bridges Ranch and visit a penguin colony (breeding colonies of Gentoo and Magellanic penguins with a few non-breeding King penguins also there).

 

Ushuaia was an interesting community. Since Ushuaia has a special tax status a number of manufacturing companies have located there. Jobs are readily available assembling electronics and the average income per capita is much higher than in other areas of Argentina. With the natural beauty of the area, low rates of crime, the recreational opportunities provided by the national park and the abundance of good paying jobs it was clear to me why folks enjoying living there.

 

We actually found this whole series of cruises so interesting that we have booked B2B (Buenos Aires to Valparaiso and then on through the Panama Canal) again for 2017.

 

I have been emailing Pira tours for the past two weeks but have received no response. I have read of othrs having this same experience. Were you able to reach them by email or did you have to call them? Do you have an email address for them that is more succesful than using the address on their web page.

 

They have great reviews but it is a little troubling that they are so hard to reach.

 

Any help will really be appreciated.

[Northern Aurora]

I have been emailing Pira tours for the past two weeks but have received no response. I have read of othrs having this same experience. Were you able to reach them by email or did you have to call them? Do you have an email address for them that is more succesful than using the address on their web page.

 

They have great reviews but it is a little troubling that they are so hard to reach.

 

Any help will really be appreciated.

 

We had no problems reaching Pira Tours using this e-mail: info@piratour.net. We were corresponding with someone named Sebastian (who was not one of the two bird guides we met).

 

Hope this helps.

[burm]

Can anyone tell me if it is easy to pick up tours at the dock in Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Port Stanley, and Puerto Madryn?

[Northern Aurora]

Can anyone tell me if it is easy to pick up tours at the dock in Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Port Stanley, and Puerto Madryn?

 

In Ushuaia at the end of the dock (as you leave the secured area --the secured area is actually past a gift shop) there will be a number of taxis and companies offering tours. Some of the tour operators have small structures (similar in size to a bus shelter) to the right of the exit; while their offices are downtown these buildings are where you meet your tour guide. We were in Ushuaia twice in March (two separate port calls on a B2B2B series) and while we had reservations with Pira Tours it seemed to me that a number of these companies had spaces available on their tours.

 

Since the port was closed due to extreme winds we didn't dock in Punta Arenas.

 

In Port Stanley we had reservations with Patrick Watts. We were on the first tender to arrive and since we had reservations I wasn't paying close attention but I think that there were again some other tour operators soliciting business.

 

Our B2B2B series also included two port calls in Puerto Madryn. The first port call we had a private tour arranged. Like many ports in South America Puerto Madryn is a busy industrial cargo port. We were picked up directly off of the ship and I have no idea if there were other tour operators offering tours at the port entrance (the port entrance was gated). Our ship was providing a no-extra-cost shuttle to a point downtown which we used during the second port call.

[burm]

Thank you for the information, N Aurora. I am slightly concerned about private tours in Ushuaia because of the short day we have there (7 to 2), but it is nice to know that there are possibilities if we arrange nothing beforehand. So far, we have had amazingly good luck with tours that we will picked up at the dock.

 

Now I will ask in a different way - Can anyone tell me if there is any reason why it would be unwise because of bad roads, distances, or other potential problems, to venture off on our own in any of the following ports: Puerto Madryn, Port Stanley, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Puerto Chacabuco, or Puerto Montt.