Tierra del Fuego, the Land of Fire, is where South America
finally funnels into the icy waters of the south: the end of the
inhabited globe. Known to its erstwhile indigenous Selk'nam
inhabitants as Karunkinka , it gets its Spanish name from
the fires that these people lit when Magellan and his crew first
sailed fearfully through the newly discovered straits. Strictly, it
comprises the entire archipelago of southern Patagonia, but the
term is more commonly applied to just the main island of the group,
the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego , which is also known
simply as Isla Grande . Roughly a third of the island (some
21,000 square kilometres) is Argentinian, the rest lies across the
border in Chile. The region has three principal and strikingly
distinct geographical zones - north, central, and southern - but
only one principal tourist destination: Ushuaia , in the
south. If at all possible, introduce yourself to the island with
the stunning aerial views afforded by a flight down to
Ushuaia.
Ushuaia is the base for visiting the tremendous Canal
Beagle and the wild, forested mountain ranges of southern
Tierra del Fuego. And with the Parque Nacional Tierra del
Fuego just 12km to the west, you should aim to spend a week of
so in the area to get the most out of your trip. Estancia
Harberton , home to descendants of the Bridges family, is an
easy day-trip from the city and you could also make a trip across
the Beagle Channel to Puerto Williams on Chile's wild Isla
Navarino.
The north of the island consists of windswept plains and scrubby
coirón grassland, and you won't be missing much if you leave
it to the sheep that thrive there. The main town here, Río
Grande , is a bleak place, but nonetheless makes a useful
overnight stop for travellers exploring the island's heartland, and
for those heading south into the region overland. It's also popular
with fly-fishermen, who come here from all over the world, hoping
to outwit the sea-going brown trout of the Río Grande, the world's
premiere river for catching that species. Central Tierra del Fuego
spreads out from Río Grande to Paso Garibaldi 100km to the south,
an area of considerably more interest than the north, and is
centred on Lago Fagnano and the village of Tolhuin .
Here, estancias nestle amongst patches of low, transitional,
Fuegian woodland that looks as if it has been exposed to a
tickertape parade of shredded rags, such is the prevalence of
lichen beards hanging from the branches. Much of the area's beauty
is only really accessible for those with their own transport: try
the loop along the RCf and RCh or, better still, the
RCa , which runs through some rugged scenery by the eastern
coastline.
The southeastern chunk of the Tierra del Fuego, Península
Mitre , is one of Argentina's least accessible regions. This
triangle of land - which lies beyond the end of RCa and RCj - is
only for the very few who are committed to slogging it out on foot,
horseback, or perhaps a motorized quad bike across an intemperate
boggy wilderness, with low scrub and next to no human habitation.
You'll need a gaucho guide, good waterproof clothing, stamina, and
a minimum of a week to spare. Finally, to the east of Península
Mitre lies the Isla de los Estados , known in English as
Staten Island. Almost perpetually swathed in mist and cloud, it is
a land of deep fjords, swamps, scrubby subantarctic forests, and
craggy peaks, and had a black reputation amongst mariners of past
centuries for the fierce currents that surround it. There are
currently plans to give this place protected status as a provincial
nature reserve, but the only way to visit at present is by
extremely expensive chartered launch from Ushuaia; for details, ask
at the tourist office or port.
Most people tend to visit Isla Grande during the summer months
(Dec-Feb), when places such as Ushuaia can get very busy. The best
time to visit is between late March and the end of April,
when the mountains and hills are daubed with the spectacular
autumnal colours of the Nothofagus southern beech woodland.
Springtime (Oct to mid-Nov) is also beautiful. For winter
sports , you need to head for Ushuaia between June and August:
the area is good for cross-country skiing, especially around Sierra
Alvear, though the downhill facilities are best suited to beginners
and intermediates. The climate is generally not as severe as
you may expect here given the latitude, and temperatures rarely
reach the extremes of mainland continental areas of Patagonia.
Average temperatures in Ushuaia range from 1°C in July, to 12°C in
January, and you could easily find yourself sunbathing in balmy
20°C heat on a calm summer's day, enveloped not in some stuffy
smog, but in air of delicious, Antarctic purity.