Local Storytelling, Birdwatching & Sailing in Tierra del Fuego

What is YOUR perfect travel day? Relaxing, (city) touring, meeting a local, sharing stories, good food, not a single thought about money or work maybe … ? Well, you can have all of that – and more – in amazing Tierra del Fuego. It is certainly worth travelling here though it is far from everywhere. Let me tell you about the perfect travel day I have had at the end of the world (of all places)!

The merit of Group Travel: Out & About with Tres Marias and Allen Gardiner Turismo

Since I can think of, I have always been an independent traveller, rather despising what’s called group (or “sheep”) travel, as I often jokingly referred to larger tour groups flocking together with stickers on their shirts. It pays, though, to stay open-minded about the concept. Because group travel can a) be heaps of fun and b) simply ease your travel experience by not having to organize it all yourself – especially when chasing up last-minute offers in high season. This was the case for me in Tierra del Fuego, and I am very glad for all the support and local advice I have had during my four days here.

A special thanks therefore goes to sustainable, community-based operator ANDA Travel (for making it all possible!), as well as touring companies Tres Marias & Allen Gardiner Turismo in Ushuaia, for actually promoting small-scale, eco-cultural tourism in the area. Exactly what I LOVE – group travel “reloaded”! 😀

Sailing company Tres Marias takes us out on Canal Beagle, off the city of Ushuaia, for amazing birdwatching & hiking opportunities on a nearby island of the sea canal.

Native birds, such as this female goose, are circling or walking by really close to us, allowing a special experience of their natural habitat.

Mariano is heaps of fun to be with, and he knows many stories about the local customs of the Yamanas who unfortunately have become extinct as a result of recent colonization … A very sad example of local human history that follows us around the country and the whole continent of South America really. Here, Mariano demonstrates the favorite food of the Yamanas natives: Sea lions! with leftover bones.

A sailing excursion on Canal Beagle, off the city of Ushuaia, allows for wonderful vistas, exceptional bird & plant life on nearby islands and is a must for any trip to this area.

On our way back to Ushuaia, we sail past (and really close!) to a colony of sea lions & cormorants who are demonstrating: Do not get any closer! The odor (Chanel No. 5, of course) is somewhat keeping us at bay, too. 😉

Local History: Visiting Tolhuin & the Settler’s Hut of German Ernesto Krund

Waking up at 8 in the morning, enjoying my breakfast with beautiful city views at Posada Fueguina, leaving on my Velero (sailing trip) at 10 a.m., complete with sweet Alfajores, coffee, stunning sea views, birdwatching & hiking on a nearby island, I return to Ushuaia perfectly relaxed at about 2.30 p.m. in the afternoon. It is also a perfect time for being picked up at 3.10 p.m. by charming Daniel and his daughter, both from Ushuaia, running their own small travel company and taking us out to nearby Lake Fagnano, the second-most important “city” of Tolhuin (2.500 people … ). The visit then continues into the local forests for a beautiful Asado including great storytelling and settler’s history about the area. A wonderful day / experience that makes everything come to life with activities: History, nature, the sea, the local climate, first human settlement and so on.

In addition, Daniel “has taken the trouble” to be my personal Greeter on my very first day of arrival in Ushuaia, sharing travel tales & local insights into “life at the end of the world” plus inviting me on this trip like a friend. Thank you so much Daniel for this experience !! You deserve having many more like-minded, open and culturally interested visitors 😀 . Link up with Daniel here: https://www.facebook.com/allengardinerturismo

About one and a half hours north from Ushuaia is the city of Tolhuin, which we visit on our way to the Lake Fagnano a large sweet water lake in this area. Beautiful – I would never have come here in such a short time had it not been for this tour.

Knowing where to go: This map shows the area in and around Ushuaia and Tolhuin, at the southern tip of the island of Tierra del Fuego, separated from the continent through the Magellan Sea Passage.

In the evening, we are greeted to this local settler’s hut (a replica of the original, already dilapidated one) where a beautiful Argentinian Asado (Barbecue) is prepard for us spiced up by local settler stories.

Enjoying our pork & chicken roast with grilled potatoes and onions, in addition to some good red wine from the area around Neuquén, central Argentina.

Thank you ANDA Travel & Allen Gardiner Turismo for your support during this visit of Tierra del Fuego. All opinions are my own.