After Puerto Madryn we headed onto Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world. Most people come here to travel to Antarctica and although we were sorely tempted at US $4000 per person (last minute price) we had to be sensible and forgo the experience this time..
There was lots else to do though in and around the city. The centre itself is a tourist haven set up to cater to the influx of foreigners it receives every summer when the boats start going out as well as those that come in the Winter to enjoy the ski season. As such it has a very Swiss feel about it. It is also tax free so very good for shopping! We spent a morning just wandering around.
However we came down here to see the sights and aside from Antarctica that includes the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego national park and the glacier.
On our first day we decided to go to the glacier. We were told it wasn't too hard a climb and with it being the first test of Mike's ankle we thought this would be a good thing to try out. More a mountain than a glacier we packed some lunch and headed up the mountain. The day itself was beautiful and views stunning. Mike was happy because he got to make snow angels as well.
Mike's ankle held out fine so we decided the next day would be a good time to visit the national park for a gentle 8K hike, not before indulging in an asado and a few glasses of wine the night before with some new friends.
As planned, although maybe slightly a little worse for wear we headed out the next morning by ourselves to the national park. No words can describe its beauty really, snow capped mountains, pristine lakes, private little beaches and an abundance of forest. Serene is all I can really use to describe the place. I wish we had more time to explore and maybe camp overnight.
After another day of hiking we had a relaxing evening of pizza and watching Taken 2. We had booked the next day to go horse riding in the national park for two hours, a fitting activity we thought as it was also my niece Lexie's birthday and she is obsessed with horses. Mike was a little apprehensive at first but he soon settled into it and enjoyed the day out. I haven't ridden in years but loved it especially the look on Mike's face when we started cantering!
Once horse riding was done we had an afternoon off, before heading out on a night boat trip to see the Beagle Channel, the stretch of water that heads out towards Antarctica and has an abundance of wildlife including more seal lions. The views were dramatic especially as the wind picked up and a storm closed in. It was the perfect way to end the visit, topped off with a pint of Beagle Beer in the cabin of the boat.
Most people only go to Ushuaia for Antarctica and miss it out if they aren´t going to go there. In our opinion it is worth a visit regardless. We loved it. Our favourite place so far. So GO.
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