This week we get up close and personal with The Land at the End of the World. Enjoy the rideβ¦. You get the pictureβ¦. The men worked in a crab-cannery or in a naval yard, kept busy by a niggling cold war with Chile. The last house before the barracks was a brothel.
Skull-white cabbages grew in the garden. There are, however, a few excellent day-trips from Ushuaia. A boat cruise on the Beagle Channel is an absolute must: these usually last four hours and there are two trips every day.
They offer great views, decent wildlife-watching opportunities sea lions, cormorants, magellanic penguins and a touch of history. This historic ranch is the former home of Thomas Bridges, an English missionary who did a lot of great work with the local community and wrote a dictionary of the Yaghan language.
The other essential daytrip is to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Less than 5 miles from Ushuaia this is a land of glaciers, lakes, mountains and history. A number of luxury lodges cater specifically for the fly-fishing market, although their unique brand of gaucho hospitality makes them extremely attractive for non-fishing guests too.
For many the biggest drawcard is the recent establishment of a colony of king penguins near the town of Porvenir accessible from Punta Arenas by both road and ferry.
