Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego Park: Ultimate Hiking Guide for Adventure Seekers
Travel time: end of February 2024
Two recommended ways to tour: minibus, or private taxi.
Minibus: Buy tickets at the bus terminal on the day of travel. Departures are at 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14. There are several minibus companies, and the ticket will have the company’s logo; you should take the return trip with the same company.
The route is illustrated in Figure 1. Point 1, buy tickets at the entrance. Point 2, the End of the World Post Office. Point 3, rest stop Alakush, see Figure 4, where you can eat. Point 4, the minibus may not stop here, it is suggested to ignore. Point 5, Arias port, with a scenic boardwalk. Point 6, from Point 5, walk along the right-side boardwalk entrance to a slightly more southern seaside.
Since it is said that the post office grandpa works according to his mood, it is suggested to take the 10 or 11 o’clock minibus, get off at Point 2 first, check-in at the post office, take a short walk by the lake, and then return to the drop-off point around 11:20 or 12:20 to wait for the next bus to Point 3.
Of course, you can walk 4 hours from Point 2 to Point 3, but I think it can be skipped. After arriving at Point 3, with your back to the building in Figure 4 and facing the water, you can walk along the lakeside for a round trip as shown on the map, or start walking towards Point 5 along the road to the left.
This is the route I took. Note that at the beginning, you won’t see any signs indicating the start of the hike until you pass a small bridge and see a house with an Argentine flagpole. A little further ahead, there will be a sign marking the start of the hike, as shown in Figure 3. Follow the lake and the yellow markers for about an hour (passing an abandoned lookout), and eventually, you will return to the road, which is the section of Route 1 in Figure 2.
At this point, turn left along the road, passing Point 4. On the right side of the road, there will be a sign similar to the one in Figure 3, marking the start of a round-trip hiking trail to Lago Negro, which I did not take, but it is not long. Continue along the road for a short distance, and on the left, you will see a sign for the final destination, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Soon after entering, you will reach the fork between Routes 3 and 45 in Figure 2, with a sign. I took Route 3, which is to the left. It takes about half an hour to reach Point 5. The return minibuses from Point 5 depart at 15:00, 17:00, and 19:00, and they also pick up passengers at Point 3. They will also stop at Point 2, the post office, but it seems they stop on the main road of Route 3 and do not turn into the post office, so be aware of this.
It is strongly recommended to take the round trip from Point 5 to Point 6, which takes about 40 minutes, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Point 6 is a small beach, the border with the Chilean side, with a small border sign and a small lighthouse that can be climbed, but be careful.
For this route, I took the 11:00 minibus and returned at 7:00.
The journey is quite manageable and allows for ample time. The round-trip fare for the minibus is approximately 18 USD, making it a budget-friendly option.
Initially, I planned to start from the post office at Point 2, bypass Point 3 without stopping, and head straight to Point 5. From there, I intended to walk back to Point 3 for the return trip. However, the minibus driver made an unexpected stop at Point 3 and did not continue further. With the language barrier—since they only spoke Spanish—effective communication was a challenge.
If you prefer more flexibility, hiring a taxi is a great alternative. You can use my map and itinerary as a guide and instruct the driver accordingly. One of the key benefits is that you won’t be constrained by the fixed departure times of the buses. Additionally, if you start early, you can explore the round trips in my itinerary that I missed, simply by having the driver wait for you. Unfortunately, since I didn’t hire a car, I can’t provide specific pricing details.
