It feels … cooler. Pleasant, actually. The landscape is: A miracle. Mountains with snow fields clad in lush forest reach down to sea level. I smile, happy as a child. After 18 months of living in beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand, I immediately bond with this far-away region and city. 13°C, a light breeze and clear southern skies. From the woman at the airport waiting to attend international arrivals such as myself, I learn that today is one of the best summer days for exploring. “Today, I’m only wearing a T-Shirt”, she laughs and points direction Ushuaia, the southern-most city in the world.
Ushuaia, “la ciudad más austral del mundo” is located at 60 degrees latitude south, even further south than the southern-most tip of New Zealand. During summer, days are up to 18 hours long, making cooler temperatures seem less of a “burden” compared to sunny, hot Buenos Aires.
“It’s a long way from anywhere”: A “mere” 3 1/2 hours for the distance of 3.000 km from Buenos Aires …
The travel itself is worth the journey: After many hours flying over the sea, the magic of Tierra del Fuego first hits us looking on from above.
10 Questions for … ANDA Travel, Responsible Tourism Operator
As much as I love FIT (“free independent travelling”), I’m very happy to have had help in organising my trip this time. Thank you to the team of ANDA Responsible Tourism, one of the first national sustainable tourism organizations in Argentina and thus especially worth mentioning and supporting. Just for me, Elvira, Hervé & Daniel (who has lived in Ushuaia for over 30 years!) have spent the entire last two days putting together a wonderful, 4-day-programme complete with accommodation, activities & carry-on travel to Punta Arenas in Chile. As a travel blogger, I am entitled to a discount of up to 20% on usual prices, thus enjoying my chance to tell you all about my adventures in Tierra del Fuego. Travel bloggers, this is clearly our age: We are “wanted!” 😀
Elvira and I at the Office of ANDA Travel in Buenos Aires: Together, we are planning my program at the southern-most tip of the South American continent. Responsibility towards the environment, culture and local inhabitants are at the forefront of all trips undertaken with ANDA: Right up my alley.
Ushuaia Bay at the so-called Beagle Canal invites you to go for a pleasant wander.
For dinner, I go by local recommendation of Daniel who I quickly become friends with and take off to a less frequented restaurant called “Placeres Patagonicos” (Patagonian Pleasures), including healthy Quinoa & red wine, of course. Delicious!
As for the following day, I look forward to seeing the Magellan Penguins in real life in Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here, they are welcoming travellers along the main street of Ushuaia!