The Southern Area is a place of mountains & plateaus, heavily forested. It is here that the major visitor attractions are to be found.

This region settled by a hardy people, derives income from fishing, cattle & sheep, oil, some mineral production ( gold, copper & zinc are mined ) but mainly from visiting vacationers, heading to Tierra Del Fuego & the southern tip of the South American Continent.

Here the visitor will find a excellent selection of small hotels, guest houses & excellent restaurants. For those who favour the outdoors , there's a host of activities to immerse oneself in, be it Summer, Autumn, Winter or Springtime.

Despite being a small city, Ushuaia has an infinite varity of things to do & see. Whether your preference is for walking, trekking, 4x4 outdoor safaris, fishing for trophy sized salmon & sea trout, bird & mammal watching, skiing ( both commercial ski area or cross country trails ) snowmobiles - Ushuaia claims to being Argentina's outdoor pursuits capital.

A 'must do' for all visitors is to the Museum of the End of the World. Here, the penal colony & jail's exhibits are fascinating. Martial Glacier is only 4kms from downtown & from here, wonderful views of the Beagle Channel are to be had.

Located a mere 12 kms from the city center is the National Park. Created in 1960 it represents the southern most protected natural region as well as being Argentina's only seaside National Park. Resplendent in verdant green forest, here too the Beagle Channel provides for wonderful viewing. A typical tour lasts 4 hours. You can also opt to take the original convict train from central station into the National Park & on the way see the reconstructed indigenous Indian village.

If it is water excursions that take your fancy, there are many choices. Sail to 'Isla de los Lobos' & Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse & seal station ; Isla Redonda, where the most southerly post office on the planet provides the opportunity to send postcards with a suitable inscribed stamp or perhaps to Pinguin station & Estancia Haberton. We recommend each of these water excursions for scenic variety & historical value.

At these southerly latitudes, summer extends from mid-December until mid- March & there's many more hours of daylight than normal. It is not uncommon for folks to start a round of golf at 8.00pm, finishing easily before darkness falls. Even then, darkness is but for a short time, as the sun rises very early.

Autumn conditions are expected to start mid-March & the onset of winter comes around the end of April, extending into late September.

During winter, daylight hours are greatly reduced but certainly, outdoor activities dominate lifestyles. Alpine skiing is most popular as the city has a magnificent newly established world class ski area equiped with high speed chairlift access & a wealth of all manners of terrain.


Cross country skiing too is widely practiced on forest trails in & around the city outskirts.

For those who like 'adventure' why not hire a dog team & sled master or perhaps, a skidoo to go exploring the forest & immense snowfields nearby the city. However, whatever you are going to undertake in winter, be prepared for the extremes of cold which averages -10 degs C at the coast, but plummets to - 17C to -35C inland. So it is imperative to dress accordingly.

Due to the atmospheric conditions, this region is known for the optical phenomenon called Austral Aurora. It is created by electromagnetic activity near the pole that mix with the ionization of the layers of gases. When conditions dictate, this evening light spectacular is simply awesome.

Springtime brings with it a flurry of new growth, new born sea mammals & birds. Favored visitor pursuits include excursions to the seal & penguin colony to observe the 7 different species of penguins that make this area their nesting ground & home. So too can you see blue whales, sperm whales, right whales & orca, known more commonly as killer whales, who hunt fur seals & penguin as a delicacy in their diet.

Seabirds are in abundance - skua gulls, black back gulls, the magestic albatross with wing spans up to 8 feet & who spend 60% of their lives soaring in the soutern oceans but come here to mate & hatch their offspring.

Do not discount Tierra del Fuego as a place that is snow covered & cold therefore unattractive. This truly is a region that offers so much & caters to all manner & personal needs of visitors, both outdoor & indoor, irrespective of season of the year. It is a place we can recommend for both adventure & the more passive outdoor pursuits & a place where the people who reside here, will welcome you with open arms, huge smiles & assure you of a wonderful memorable time well spent.