07 Dec |
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Michael Stipe was running through my head as our Aerolineas Argentinas flight from the sub-tropical steaminess of Buenos Aires wheeled to starboard and dived for the runway at Ushuaia's tiny international airport  .The flight into Ushuaia is not for the faint-hearted. With a runway built on land reclaimed - no doubt without a fight - from the storm-tossed Beagle channel and an approach that dodges the jagged peaks of the Andes and Chilean airspace (the latter being more important) this is no gentle touchdown. It's only once the screaming (engines, not passengers) dies away that you realise you've made it. This is the end of the world, and you are fine. Clinging to the little toe of South America at a few minutes shy of 55 degrees from the equator, Ushuaia is generally agreed to be the most southernmost town on earth. There is the small matter of that Chilean navy base across the Beagle Channel at Puerto Williams, but any Argentine worth his football shirt will tell you that the Chileans built that just to annoy them. But I digress… "… the best place to start exploring is down at the pier…" Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swai-ya) draws tourists from across the globe throughout the year, but is perhaps a little curious in its popularity. At first glance there is little to recommend it… from the air it seems a nondescript settlement clinging to the slopes of Cerro Martial. With deserted streets and snowmelt on the outskirts it's curiously reminiscent of Northern Exposure's Cicely, only Chris the hot DJ speaks Spanish. As with many seaside towns the best place to start exploring is down at the pier, Ushuaia’s Muelle Tourístico. It’s here where you’ll find a number of tour operators running trips out into the Beagle Channel, and no journey to the deep south is complete without a trip onto this magnificent waterway linking the Atlantic to the Pacific. Although it’s very name means 'Land of Fire', when you’re crouched in the cabin of one of the many boats sailing on the strait that separates Argentine and Chilean Tierra del Fuego it’s hard to think of any flames other than the ones in the hearth keeping the cabin a toasty twenty degrees above the freezing temperatures outside. With winds blowing straight up from Antarctica, the temperature in the channel can plummet unexpectedly, and snow can fall at any time of the year. As tempting as the fire may be, don a down jacket and brave the outside deck and you’ll be rewarded with sightings of black-browed albatrosses, giant petrels, Magellanic penguins and even the occasional orca. Wildlife aside, the landscape stretching into the distance has hardly seen the touch of civilisation and appears much as the indigenous Yamana people would have seen it a thousand years ago. During the summer months yours is unlikely to be the only boat out on the Channel. Although Ushuaia is over 1000 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula it’s still the world’s closest harbour to the great white continent and many tourists leave from here to cross the storm-tossed Drake Passage that separates the two. Regular cruise ships leave from the harbour between November and March, with many calling in at the Malvinas (as the Falklands are known in Argentina) and South Georgia. Trips last anywhere from eight days to three weeks and cost upwards of $3000; not a cheap holiday by any means but certainly an experience worth every cent. But don't worry if you can't afford a visit to the wilds of Antarctica. Tierra del Fuego is an untamed landscape itself, and it's this very edge-of-the-world remoteness that attracts thousands of visitors to the region every year. One of the most popular excursions is down the coastline to Lapataia Bay, the small harbour in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Just 12 kilometres west of Ushuaia, the park’s 630km² of dramatic coastline, pristine mountains and lakes overflowing with trout and salmon attracts adventurous tourists from all over the world. Well-marked trails meander across the Parque, and a good map is available free of charge form the tourist office in town. Keen walkers can happily spend a few days exploring from sea to peak, wandering through ancient beech forests and past beaver dams while Magellanic woodpeckers and steamer ducks flap overhead. Keep an eye out for the rare sea otter and Patagonian grey fox, which are also found in this area. The park is accessible by boat or car (regular mini-buses also run from Ushuaia), and is a popular day trip to enjoy the scenery and adventure activities. How low can you go? If you're the competitive type, Ushuaia is a great place to pick up accolades that'll fuel dinner party one-upmanship for months to come. Apart from standing on as near as damnit to the end of the Americas, you can also play a round of 18 on the world’s most southerly golf course or take a ride on the southernmost train in the world, unsurprisingly billed as Tren fin del Mundo; "The Train at the End of the World". Steam train sound too sedate? Even if it’s just for the bragging rights of hitting the slopes so far south, the mountains around Ushuaia offer fantastic skiing and snowboarding from May to September and it's well worth hitting the slopes. The Glacier Martial seven kilometres behind town is the closest run to Ushuaia, while Cerro Casto (26 kilometres away) offers up to 15 kilometres of pistes. If you’re looking for something a little different, there are also several winter-sports centres in the area which offer ice-skating, snow-shoe excursions, snowmobile trips and dog-sledding. All that fresh air is bound to work up an appetite, and thankfully Ushuaia does not disappoint when it comes to cuisine. Lamb from the Patagonian steppe a few hundred kilometres north compares with the best the Karoo has to offer, but it’s the seafood that’ll have you coming back for more. The region’s rivers teem with salmon and trout that are slapped on the grill not long after being hooked, and won't set you back a fortune. The region’s speciality though is the mighty Centolla, or King Crab. Sporting spindly legs up to a metre from tip to tip, these colossal crustaceans make for fine eating. Just be sure that it’s fresh though, as frozen or tinned crab is often used out of season. The eclectic Volver seafood restaurant on the sea-facing Avenida Maipú is certainly one of the best in town, offering well-priced seafood and fantastic views of the Beagle Channel. Given that it's over 3000 kilometres to the nearest vineyard their wine list is also fairly reasonable. No surprise then that the best tables with a view are often booked up, so make sure you reserve a seat in advance. For something lighter, take a wander through the coffee shops and restaurants scattered along the bustling Avenida San Martin, where you can pick up anything from pizza to a traditional Argentine parilla. The Argentines are famous for their chocolate, and a mug of traditional Ushuaia hot chocolate is the perfect way to beat the chills after a day in the mountains. Chilly it may well be, but like the fictional Cicely, Alaska, there's a quirkiness and character to Ushuaia that makes it more than a place to escape from. After days spent tramping through the forest or sailing the seas made famous by Sir Francis Drake, this charming little town - shoulders hunched against the elements - is as fine a place as any to enjoy the end of the world. If you go… Getting there: Malaysia Airlines flies twice-weekly from Johannesburg to Buenos Aires, stopping in Cape Town en route. From BA, it's a 3½-hour flight on Aerolineas Argentinas to Ushuaia. A metered taxi from the airport into town costs about R25. Long-distance buses from Buenos Aires will take about 36 hours to reach Ushuaia. Accommodation: Ushuaia offers everything from backpacker hostels (often with comfortable en-suite rooms) to five-star hotels. The excellent tourist office at 674 Avenida San Martín can help you find accommodation in town and has a wealth of information on local tours and attractions. The Cumbres del Martial Hotel (www.cumbresdelmartial.com.ar) is a little way out of town, but boasts one of the best views in town at the foot of the glacier chairlift and is popular with skiers in winter. Currency: Argentina is an affordable destination for South Africans. The current exchange rate is R2.57/$1 (Argentine Peso). Visa: South Africans do not require a visa for Argentina for trips shorter than three months. Language: Spanish is the official language of Argentina. Although English is spoken in most tourist areas a smattering of Spanish will certainly help you get around. » Originally published in the Saturday Star Travel supplement; December 2008 Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites            |