You’ll see when you look on the internet there are so many walks you can do from the city of Ushuaia and the best of it is that most of the walks are really easy to access and for a cheap price. But, with an attraction comes tours and with tours come confusion on whether or not it is necessary to pay for. Luckily I have done a few so you can get ideas from below:
First of all, if you’re not an experienced hiker I don’t recommend to go on any that require a climb alone. I’m not saying you necessarily have to pay for a guide. However, going with someone who knows the way is a much better place to start.
Don’t worry if you’re reading this and thinking I’m this person, there are still walks that don’t need any assistance!
1- Tierra del Fuego national park
With Tierra del Fuego national park being the reason a lot of hikers come to Ushuaia its definitely worth it to visit this park. There is a variety of walks you can do from here. Some being longer than others. We decided to take the coastal walk which was around 20 kilometres. This was a pretty easy walk with stunning views of the bays and the mountains. On a clear day you are able to see the Chilean mountains in the distance. The waters on this walk are beautiful clear blue. There are a few steep inclines although nothing to strenuous for a long time. There are also some walks you can go on in the national park that are all flat depending on your fitness level.
If your planning on staying a while in Ushuaia there are options to camp in the park for free! So if you want to do several walking tracks I highly recommend this option.
We took a very easy steady walk for around 8 hours with a rest at the cafe in the national park, where we stopped to have coffee and cake as a little treat.
We also walked to the post office at the end of the world and sent some postcards to the family. I mean familys love a post card so really there is no better place to send one than from the end of the world. Also if you forgot your passport when you went on the city tour you can get your passport stamped here too!
Cost…
The park is too far to walk to, however there are some different options on how to get there with different price points. Just to note the entry fee for the park is $5500 if you enter before 8am you can enter the park for free as there is no one there to charge you. A bit cheeky but it is what it is… right?
Free – Hitchhiking: In Ushuaia it’s very common to see people hitching a ride. Your notice that if you make your way to the main road or highway leading to the national park there are also other hitchhikers trying to catch a ride too. I’d say as long as you are patient your be able to find a ride. The best time to do this is around 8-9am when most of the cars are on their way.
$3500 pp return – Private transfer: This is what we paid to get to the park. We found that the more the people in the car the cheaper it is (this price was for three people). You may find that your hostel or posada provide a transfer to the park. These are usually small businesses and not big hostels or hotels. This was the cheapest option we found and the one we opted for. The transfer was from Posada del Valle which isn’t from the city. With this option they purposely bring you to the park before 8am so you don’t have to pay the entry fee.
$4500pp return – Bus transfer: This option is definitely the best one if your a solo traveller and it gives you a reasonable amount of time to explore the park for the return.
$10-15000 each way – Taxi: I’m not 100% sure on the price of a taxi. All I know is it is around the $15000 point and this is only for one way however if there are several of you this isn’t too bad. It’s an option for flexibility.
$12000 pp return– End of the world train: This option to me is just crazy expensive. I understand your on the train at the end of the world but I didn’t think the price was worth it at all. Don’t get me wrong if you’re into trains and into doing things for the sake of what they are this is a really nice scenic option. However for someone traveling on a budget this option is sadly way overpriced.
If none of this options work for you, and maybe you wanted to see as much of the park as possible there are of course tours that take you to all the highlights of the national park. This is a good option if you have limited time or you don’t feel you’re up to the long walks.
There are walking options for all fitness levels and hiking levels in the national park.
2- Laguna Esmerelda
This one is my personal favourite. Not only it is the easiest walk we went on, its the most scenic and beautiful one for the duration of the walk. Just slightly situated out of Ushuaia this walk is a 9km return and takes around 4-5 hours depending on your pace. With only a small amount of incline this walk suits to all fitness levels.
I highly recommend this walk! The mountain views, glacier rivers and turquoise blue lake are breathtaking and something you won’t forget. To top it off it has no entry fee! The easiest way to get there is via the transfers provided from the city. The bus company charges $4500 return. This is the best option for solo travellers. Taxis charge form around $8000-10000 one way so if there are a group of you this would be the cheaper option. Or you can do what me and Ed did and Hitchhike.
From the city you can take the line A or B bus to the end of Ushuaia which is also the end of the bus line. You’ll see other hitchhikers trying to get a lift to the entrance of the walk as it is along the main road out of Ushuaia. From the end of the bus line to the park, the drive is approximately 10 to 15 minuets. Or a 17 kilometre walk along the main road.
We waited for around 20 minuets for a ride and not even 5 for the way back. This option only cost $47 pesos. So definitely the cheapest one if you feel comfortable with hitchhiking. You’ll find that most cars going that way are going to the walk themselves.
Once on the track, it’s marked with blue signs which you have to follow. Some are hard to see so you just have to keep a look out. Even though its an easy track I still recommend hiking boots as the walk can get very muddy.
Cost…
Free – Hitchhiking: From the city or from the end of Ushuaia.
47 pesos – A OR B line bus: From the city to the end of town and after to hitchhike.
$8-10000 each way – Taxi: This depends on how many you are and where about you get your taxi from.
$4500pp return – Bus transfer: This option can be done from the city and is a good option for solo travellers.
This walk is an option for any hiking level and for all fitness levels.
3 – Glacier Martial
This hike can be done from the city and worth it on your stay In Ushuaia. The view over the Beagal channel is breathtaking and the town looks so beautiful from above. The waterfall on the way up is stunning and the scenery in general is what makes this walk so special.
There are a few ways to get to the base of the glacier walk. You can catch the D line bus from outside the old prison and tell the driver you want to get out at the bottom of the Martial glacier walk. We went from the city so to catch the D line cuts out the walk through the houses. Your other option is to catch a taxi form the city to the tea house cafe which is situated at the bottom of the steep hike you have to take up to the glacier.
The walk through the woodland is really peaceful and the waterfall on the way up is very beautiful. You have the option to either follow the road or follow the yellow signs in the woodlands.
The majority of the walk from the tea house is up hill, there is a track in place and its very easy to follow the signs there so you do not need a guide, unless you are considering going on the actual glacier. The walk is up hill so it can be tough depending on your fitness level. I highly recommend to bring poles to help take some of the load off when going back down the hill. This walk can also become very muddy so make sure you are in hiking shoes. It can also get very windy when you are at the top so even on a warm day I recommend a wind break too. This is probably the easiest walk to get to from the city, because of that it’s very popular.
Cost…
47 pesos – D line bus: Can be taken from the city and dropped at base of the walk.
$8-10000- Taxi: this can be done from your accomodation or the city and they can either drop you at the base of the walk (probably for a cheaper price) or at the tea rooms and the start of the incline.
This walk is an option for any hiking level although I would say it requires a medium fitness level.
4- Laguna Encantada (superior)
There are two Laguna Encantada’s very near each other one called ‘Laguna Encantada’ and one called ‘Laguna Encantada superior.’
Even though one of the hardest, it was one of the most rewarding. You can catch the C line bus from the old prison to as far as it goes and start the walk from the end of the bus line. The start of the walk is very easy and very beautiful. Depending on the time of year the fields you walk through are covered in beautiful yellow flowers and there are free roaming horses along the way. Be aware though this track can get super muddy so it’s best to have a pole or a stick to check how deep some of the mud is before you walk through it.
To get to Laguna Encantada is pretty simple as its sign posted for the majority of the walk. After the pretty meadow you will start the incline up towards the lagoon. This is pretty steep but if you take it slow I think no experience is required for this first part. Once you reach the Lagoon its very beautiful and surrounded by mountains. However, for me this is nothing compared to Laguna Encantada superior.
This part is where some experience in hiking would help you some more. Or at least, be with someone who has hiking experience. From here the main track ends and you have to find your own way to the wall. There is a foot track that you can follow that has been made by the people that go this bit further.
You’ll come to a wall that has many loose rocks and here is where you start the hike to the top. Its best to take this part as slow as possible but its important not to stop for too long as the rocks on this wall are loose. Give yourself a meter distance between the person in front of you and go in order of the lightest to heaviest for safety reasons. It’s important to have the right footwear and a pole or stick for this part.
Another walk located in the same area is the Vinceguerra Glacier- this Is a four hour return and supposed to be reasonably easy. We didn’t end up going on this walk however I heard it is beautiful.
Cost…
47 pesos- C Line bus: You need to catch this from the old prison to the end of the bus line.
This walk requires some experience and as is mostly on an incline a fitness level that can go uphill for the duration of the walk is required.
5- Cuerno Summit
So this walk was by far the hardest one I’ve done and actually was what we included in one day with the Laguna Encantada superior. In total to see the laguna and go to the summit and back to the bus stop is a 7-9 hours return. Depending on how fit you are the quicker it is to complete. Although this walk for me was extremely hard it was definitely one I feel mot proud to accomplish and was the one with the most rewarding view.
From the Laguna Encantada superior you have another steep incline for around 1-2 hours up the the summit of the mountain. It is very steep and a path of only rocks and loose gravel. At one point on the walk it involves a climb on all fours so it’s important you don’t have any upper body injuries. The weather changes drastically fast as you’re in the mountains and you can go from bright sunshine to snow within moments. Although this is what truely adds to the magic of this walk. I won’t lie, I found this walk very difficult and wanted to give up a few times but the reward at the top was so worth it.
We had a professional walker with us from our hostel who was able to give us all the right advice on climbing the mountain and it is something I strongly recommend if you want to go and have no one with experience to do this with. The walk back down for me was just as hard as going up as you have to concentrate very hard on where is the right place for your feet. You definitely need to have a decent fitness level to be able to achieve this walk as it is defiantly one of the harder ones.
Cost…
47 pesos – C Line bus: You need to catch this from the old prison to the end of the bus line.
This walk requires hiking experience and a good fitness level.
