From Torres del Paine we carried on down South to Ushuaia, the most Southerly permanent settlement in the World on the Island of Tierra del Fuego. The border between Argentina and Chile at the Southern tip of South America is a bizarre construction with the island itself split in the middle by a straight line, however the mainland coast of South America being in Chile, as are the islands to the South of Tierra del Fuego. Thus travelling from Southern Argentina to Ushuaia you have to cross into Chile and back into Argentina, with all the checks, especially over fresh produce, involved in crossing land frontiers in South America.

The ferry across the Magellan Straight was surprisingly efficient but incredibly exposed. The straight itself was very windy, driving straight from West to East, which while we were going directly across the water, one can only wonder how difficult it was for the early explorers like Magellan to sail from East to West, given how narrow it is, the other direction would have been very quick.

Northern Tierra del Fuego is a treeless land and is incredibly windy and exposed. The early explorers named the land after the fires that the local Yamana and Selk’nam population set up to warn against the European invaders. Very little remains of the original inhabitants, apart from a few photographs exhibits in museums. Both communities were largely wiped out by the combination of imported European diseases and also infections brought about from clothes that they were made to wear by the early missionaries and settlers, which in the inhospitable climate of the region were impossible to keep clean.

At the South of Tierra del Fuego is the town of Ushuaia, the self styled capital of the end of the world and the launching pad for Antarctica and the Southern Atlantic Islands. The Falklands / Malvinas Islands sovereignty issues also has a big influence on the local population, though not with any animosity to the British visitor.

Ushuaia has one of the world’s most notorious prisons, where many political and other prisoners were sent. Conditions were very hash, and given the remoteness it was very difficult to escape from. The prisoners built the famous end of the world railway, now an expensive tourist attraction. The prison itself has now been turned into a museum, and consists of five wings extending out of a central building. One of the wings has been left as it was when the prison was closed, while another shows the many stories of the inmates and the prison itself. Another tells the story of the explorers and how the early sailors, including Magellan, Cook and others explored the Southern Oceans and Antarctica.

Ushuaia is firmly on the cruise ship circuit, though thankfully none arrived while we were there. The town itself has many shops that sell the various tourist tat to tour ship and other visitors. In addition it is the regional centre so has many other shops, including toyshops, and other similar shops that you rarely see now – Amazon has not yet arrived in Argentina in any significant manner.

The Argentinian Government has long had a policy of encouraging its population to move to its Southern lands including Ushuaia through tax and other incentives. There is therefore an eclectic group of industries in Ushuaia in addition to the tourism and oil industries. The town itself is therefore relatively wealthy which can be seen by some of the things for sale in the shops. Also in the period when Argentina was in default from the world’s financial markets, Ushuaia through its long connection with the cruise ships had an easy and accessible supply of US Dollars and hard currency denied to large parts of the rest of Argentina. Like Argentina, Chile also has a similar policy to its Southern Regions in that taxes are reduced proportionately the further you are away from Santiago de Chile.

Ushuaia sits on the Beagle Channel, which is a much calmer stretch of water, through which most of the round the world cruises, and shipping that does not use the Panama Canal sail through. The light and the surrounding mountains on both sides make this a stunningly beautiful stretch of water. Furthermore there is a significant amount of wildlife, including South American sea lions, penguins and numerous sea birds resident in these waters.

Date: 18/03/2018 to 23/03/2018