Discover Ushuaia: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Exploring and Playing in the Southernmost City

This is my second time in Ushuaia, and I already have a clear understanding of what to do here. Essentially, coming to Ushuaia is all about: eating king crab, riding the End of the World Train, checking in at the End of the World Post Office, seeing the lighthouse, and watching penguins. These are probably the things most people would want to do when they come here. So, keep this guide handy, and you’ll have a clear idea of how to do these things.

Eating King Crab: King crabs can be found in many restaurants in Ushuaia. The more popular ones are El Viejo Marino and Bamboo Chinese Restaurant. In March, it’s the fishing ban period, so it’s hard to get king crabs now; only small snow crabs are available. It’s said that the next season will start in July, so if you want to eat king crabs, it’s best to come between July and February.

Riding the End of the World Train and Checking in at the End of the World Post Office: I’m putting these two together because both are located in Tierra del Fuego National Park and can be done together. You can buy tickets for “El Tren del Fin del Mundo” online. Departure times are around 09:00, 12:00, and 15:00.

After buying the ticket, take a taxi from the city to the Southern Fuegian Railway station. Uber is very convenient and not expensive. The train ticket is round-trip, and the train returns to the starting point immediately after reaching the end. If you take the 09:00 or 12:00 train, you can walk to the End of the World Post Office after arriving at the end.

The end station is called Estación Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, and it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the post office. The post office itself will take some time to buy postcards, write, and send them, and the surroundings are also beautiful, so you can walk around and take photos. Finally, return to the station before 16:00 to catch the train back.

If you take the 15:00 train, the last return train is at 16:00, so you won’t have much time. Of course, you can choose not to take the return train and find a car near the post office, but cars in the park are not cheap. Besides these two places, there are several hiking routes in the park for those who love hiking.

When entering the station, you will be required to buy a park ticket. For foreigners, it’s currently 12,000 pesos, and with a DNI, it’s 2,500 pesos, so remember to bring your DNI if you have one. There is also a tourist information center at the starting station where you can ask staff for details about hiking.

Experience the Lighthouse and Penguins: Combine these two adventures into one thrilling activity with the Beagle Channel Four Islands tour. If you’re only interested in the lighthouse, there’s also a Three Islands tour available. The Four Islands tour, however, offers the best of both worlds, including a visit to the lighthouse and the opportunity to observe penguins in their natural habitat.

While it’s not a close-up encounter on Penguin Island, which is a separate activity, this tour allows you to watch penguins from the comfort of your boat, providing an up-close and personal view that will surely satisfy your penguin-watching desires. Numerous tour operators offer this experience, and I had the pleasure of joining Canoero Catamaranes.

You can easily book your adventure online through their website or visit their conveniently located booth next to the pier to purchase tickets for the next day.