After three years, we found ourselves back in Argentina – a country we have come to love. This trip, in addition to a few days in Buenos Aires, we had a little time in Ushuaia – the Fin del Mundo (End of the World).

This was our first time visiting Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), which is an archipelago at South America’s southernmost point and Ushuaia’s home. We arrived via charter plane from Buenos Aires and were welcomed with epic views of the snowy Andes mountains and Beagle Channel.

After collecting our things and catching a bus into town for lunch, we had a little bit of time to walk around before heading to the port and catching our expedition ship to Antarctica.

When we returned from our voyage, we had a few hours in the morning to explore as well. Because each of those visits was incredibly brief, I’ve rounded up the highlights in this short post.

Ushuaia Port Area

As you would expect, the port area is filled with little booths offering different charter options to explore the Beagle Channel. There is also the iconic ‘fin del mundo’ sign – we joined the line of people waiting for their chance at a photo.

The tourist information center nearby has additional information about things to do in the area, as well as clean public toilets. Also of interest are the free rubber stamps noting you’ve arrived at the “gateway to Antarctica.” Many people were putting these in their passports, but I had read doing so can sometimes negate the validity of your passport (and our newer U.S. passports no longer have the tourism visa area at the back, where we could have traditionally applied them) so I opted to stamp them in my journal as a memento.

A couple blocks inland are a variety of shops, outfitters, restaurants, and hotels along with some locally-inspired street art. I was particularly taken with the depictions of early exploration in this area by indigenous people as well as Europeans. While I wasn’t looking for many things to purchase, I was really hoping I could get a pin at the Hard Rock Cafe. For the first time ever, I was told they were completely sold out! I guess everyone had the same idea – I didn’t realize those pins were still that popular!

There were a few museums I would have loved to visit had we been in Ushuaia longer and if they had been open during the times of our visits. Instead, we spent our final morning looking for coffee and spreading out in the warm and welcoming Tourist Box, which is part gift shop / part coffee shops. Brian jumped on their free WiFi while I enjoyed a latte and alfajor (one of my favorite desserts – these are delicious any time of day!) and shopped for a couple stickers for my journal.

Plaza Gendarmeria Nacional

A 15-minute walk along the water brings you to Plaza Gendarmeria Nacional, which has a monument honoring those who fought in the war of Islas Malvinas (a.k.a. the Falkland Islands) and a variety of historical plaques.

Along the way we paused at the HMS Justice, a 1943 rescue tugboat that was used by the Royal Navy at the end of WWII, sold for commercial use in 1946 (when the name was changed to Saint Christopher), and beached and abandoned in Ushuaia in 1957.

Near the plaza and closer to the water there’s a small observation area where you can look out on the Beagle Channel and take your picture with the large white letters spelling out the city name.

With only a handful of hours in Ushuaia – several of which were outside the operating hours for most museums and businesses – we tried to explore a few highlights all within walking distance of the port and downtown.

Given how much we’ve enjoyed our time in southern Argentina and the entire Patagonia region, I have a feeling we may be back in Ushuaia again. Let me know what I should add to their itinerary!