Tierra del Fuego Hiking Tour

In the morning, half private excursion to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. We will visit one of Ushuaias classics in the best possible way: in a small group and against the crowds. Throughout the excursion we are closely in touch with nature and the tranquility that it conveys. We stroll along the principal and most important trails in the National Park, which are of low difficulty. In half a day we would´ve walked enough to have a special and unique impression of the fuegian ecosystem. Our well trained guides will pass on to you all of their experience and passion for this surroundings giving away a once in a lifetime experience. Lapataia Bay, Roca Lake and Ensenada Bay will be the southern spots we will introduce you to during this unforgettable excursion.

Not included: train of the End of the World.  Let us know in case you want to add it.

In the afternoon, Beagle Channel navigation. To start this journey, make your own way to the port from where
you’ll depart with a small group of passengers to Alicia Island, where we will observe a colony of one-haired sea
lions. Then we head towards the Island of the Birds, where colonies of royal and imperial cormorants live next
to their nests, being able to see their chicks from spring to autumn. Again, we head east to another small island
that, depending on the time of year, there are sea lions with two hairs. Very close is the Les Eclaireurs
Lighthouse, symbol of the city of Ushuaia, built in 1919. From there we can see the island of rocky cormorants.
On the way back, we disembark at Bridges Island to go through a path of interpretation of flora and birds, telling
them the history of the Yámanas aborigines. The largest anthropogenic Yámana shells in the region are found
on this island. Because it is the largest island, we touch the highest panoramic point from where we observe the
magnificence of the Beagle Channel with the City of Ushuaia in the distance. During the trip we share tea,
chocolate, coffee with liquor, cookies. The navigation is in yacht up to 25 people.

Overnight in a hotel in Ushuaia with breakfast included.

The Vuelta de Fuego is a 3 or 4 day trek of approximately 55 km and 2500 meters of accumulated altitude
difference, through the most spectacular and scenic places of Tierra del Fuego. This trail stands out for its pristineness (few marked trails) and for its lack of traffic. We will cross valleys, lagoons, glaciers, mountain passes, large lakes, peat bogs and high altitude rivers. The special spice will be the wildness of the place and the energy of the group will do its thing to finish one of the most interesting Loops of the Island.

• Day 3: We start our trekking on the Laguna Esmeralda trail with light backpacks, since most of the equipment will be carried to the first camp by the Patagon team. We follow the trail to Laguna Esmeralda and continue ascending to the Ojo del Albino Glacier where we have lunch. We cross the glacier with crampons and descend to the Beban valley to find the camp set up.
  -Duration: 8 hs
  -Distance: 15 km
  -Positive difference in altitude: 800 m

• Day 4: We start the day with a hearty breakfast and loaded backpacks (from here everyone will carry the total of their belongings). We leave for the Beban Pass and descend through the valley to the northwest to reach the Bahía de los Renos (Reindeer Bay), on the waters of Lake Fagnano. There, we will be picked up by the boat of the “Bahía de los Renos” cabin complex to take us to our destination, where we will spend 2 nights and a full day of rest.
  -Distance: 18 km
  -Duration: 10 hours
  -Positive elevation gain: 350 m

• Day 5: After a good rest and a full breakfast we will take a boat ride on the waters of Lake Fagano to Bahia Grande, a great bird reserve. We will see beaver forests, mountains, virgin valleys and enjoy a great lunch on the shores of the largest lake in Tierra del Fuego. In the afternoon we will replenish our energy for the next day. We finish the day with some delicious pizzas by the fire.
  -Duration: 4 hours

• Day 6: We leave by boat mid-morning to begin our crossing to Paso Valdivieso. As we ascend we cross incredible lagoons and waterfalls. From here we will be able to observe the Fagnano Lake, the Andes Mountain Range and the Carbajal Valley, which will be our next destination. We head south through the same valley descending to the bottom of the Carbajal to find our last camping site. We will find our last camping place in the shelter of the sub-Antarctic forest.
  -Duration: 8 hours
  -Distance: 13.5 km

• Day 7: Our last day starts early in the morning. We head east through the long and peaty Carbajal Valley. The terrain will be mostly flat most of the way. Our journey concludes on National Route 3 in mid-afternoon.
  -Duration: 8 hours
  -Distance: 15.5 km

Continue your Tierra del Fuego hiking tour and explore the Mitre Peninsula, one of the most isolated places in Argentina, a region of hundreds of thousands of hectares inhabited by fewer than ten inhabitants. Walk through sublime landscapes: forests, peat bogs, and paradisiacal coasts. Enjoy the local wildlife: wild horses and bulls, guanacos, beavers, foxes, and a great diversity of birds. Discover traces of history: abandoned ranch posts. This expedition is intended for people with previous trekking experience. The slopes are not prolonged, but the terrain is varied and very irregular. You will walk through forests, sand, rocks, grasslands, reed beds, and peat bogs. Additionally, you will have to ford streams.

The traditional expedition lasts 9 days, but this one is a mini-expedition of 3 days to Peninsula Mitre that leads you to Cape San Pío, the southernmost point of Argentina.

• Day 8: Moat to Casa Vieja / 16 km of hiking, elevation + 170 M / – 170 M
  We depart from Ushuaia early in the morning. After three and a half hours of driving, we begin the expedition at the end of Route J, at the Moat post of the Argentine Naval Prefecture. We alternate our progress between the coast, forests, and grasslands, always alongside the Beagle Channel, which makes its way toward the Atlantic. Approximately two hours into the hike, we cross the Chico River. We camp where the “Puerto Rancho” ranch once operated, beside a ranch known as Casa Vieja. We don’t use the facility for sleeping; instead, we set up our tents on the grassland.

  

• Day 9: Casa Vieja – Cabo San Pio – Matacaballo – Mesita – Distance: 22 km elevation gain: +410 m / -390 m
  From Casa Vieja, we begin ascending through the grasslands until we reach a high path, from where we later have a view of Cabo San Pío and its lighthouse. This point represents the southernmost tip of Argentina. We approach the lighthouse to enjoy the view of the cliffs at the foot of which we can hear a colony of sea lions. Then, we’ll continue toward a cliff known as “Matacaballo”, from where we’ll have an incredible -panoramic- view of the Mitre Peninsula and its cliffs. In the afternoon, we return to our camping site, where we dismantle our camp to begin the return journey. We find our new camping site, La Mesita, protected by a forest of evergreen trees.
• Day 10: We break camp to return to MOAT around midday. In the afternoon, we’ll reach Ushuaia, arriving at the pickup location for the transfer. Terrain: peat bogs and wetlands, muddy forest, peat bogs, reed beds, grasslands, stone beaches. From MOAT to Ushuaia, land transportation (about 3.5 hours).Overnight in a hotel in Ushuaia with breakfast included.  End of our Tierra del Fuego hiking tour, and time to relax.

This day you’ll have free time to keep exploring the city on your own and relax.

On this day, take your transfer to the airport. End of our services.

The activity may be suspended or modified due to weather conditions or other factors that arise during the activity and any reason that the guide deems relevant in relation to the risk of the environment or the condition of a participant of the excursion. An online health form will be sent to be completed by the participant before the excursion. HELICOPTER RESCUE IS NOT INCLUDED.

If you liked this Tierra del Fuego Hiking Tour, check out our other adventures:

• To learn about other trekking tours in Patagonia, please visit our Patagonia Hiking trips section.
• To see more tours apart from hiking, please visit our Patagonia Tours and Argentina Tours sections.
• Other topics:  Wildlife holidays Argentina and Chile,   Punta Arenas and/or Ushuaia to Antarctica,  Flights to Antarctica,  Ushuaia tours and Cruises to Cape Horn, self drive Argentina and road trips.