The End of the World holds a certain fondness for me. This one at least.
Over 15 years ago, we sailed around the Cape Horn from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. Ushuaia was one the gems from that trip. Arguably the “Southernmost City in the World” (a title also claimed by Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams) it is a port city resting at the edge of Tierra del Fuego. It’s spectacular from the harbor, with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Its motto lays claim to being the End of the World.
It has changed a lot since our last visit. The population increased by about 50%. There is now a full-fledged university. It has a Hard Rock Cafe. And the increasing interest in Antarctica jams the port with cruise ships. And travelers …like us. We will sail out of and return to Ushuaia on our voyage.
While the plethora of gift shops lends an air of “Wisconsin Dells”-level lowest-common-denominator tourism, I like the city. It is a busy working port. It clings to the mountainside to keep from falling into the Beagle Channel. And it has history.
The border between Chile and Argentina in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago was negotiated by Pope John Paul II.
The region is called Tierra del Fuego – “Land of Fire” – due to the large bonfires Magellan noticed on his voyage past. These bonfires kept the indigenous population warm and dry in this rather damp climate. Capitalizing on the “End of the World” motif, there was a prison here – there were few ways out for any potential escapees. Prior to the Panama Canal, it was a stopping point when circumnavigating the globe. Then, of course, came the Antarctic expeditions. From our last visit, we knew the old prison contains wonderful exhibits on the history of the region and its significance in exploration. Sadly, our timing did not allow a tour this time.
The Falkland Islands / Malvinas loom large here. Ushuaia is the administrative capital of the Tierra del Fuego region – Argentina includes the Falkland Islands / Malvinas in this territory. There is a large memorial to the 1982 war in the city center, including the names of all the soldiers lost. An Eternal Flame was a new addition since our last visit.
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