Ushuaia: To the Ends of the Earth

Mar 6

Ushuaia: To the Ends of the Earth

Images & Words by Sarah Casewit

This story was originally written for Vogue.

There is something spiritual about being at the edge of the world. Travelers who’ve also made it to Ushuaia’s Tierra del Fuego may share this feeling; knowing that what lies beyond is the last continent, a white desert of ice, is humbling and pushes you to think of the world beyond the boundaries of your everyday life. The air is crisp and pure, the sky a haze of grays and blues, and the wind is a sharp whistle sweeping over the currents of the Beagle Channel.

I traveled to Ushuaia during the southern hemisphere’s spring to get a taste of this feeling for myself and to witness the arrival of the migrating penguins. I was expecting to see a bare and industrial town at the end of the world, and… I did. But what lay beyond the windswept array of steel houses renewed my love for nature and put me back in touch with the great outdoors.

I was curious about what life was like for locals and was willing to sacrifice hotel amenities to find out, so I chose something different for our accommodations; an experience that immersed us into the daily life of fellow Ushuaians. Through personal contacts, I found the perfect home on the main strip of town, ideally located next to the best coffee shop and recalling Scandinavian minimalism.

The Beagle Channel & Hammer Island

Getting on a boat to cruise along the Beagle Channel is essential to getting to know Ushuaia. Nowhere else do you experience the immensity of Tierra del Fuego so intensely as you glide along the dark tides. This very body of water carried the likes of Charles Darwin on expeditions into the unknown — journeys which painted for the rest of us a mystical portrait of Patagonia’s last frontier. We passed by the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, often confused with the further San Juan de Salvamento lighthouse, and edged along the Argentina-Chilean border for miles, which is marked by an imaginary line in the water. You know you’ve reached Hammer Island when you see Magellanic and Gentoo penguins popping out from the water in whirlwinds and stumbling along the shore with their adorable flippers shaking with excitement on their sides.

Lago Esmeralda & VALLEY OF THE WOLVES

We packed an assortment of local Patagonian delights and began the muddy, 3-mile hike to Esmeralda Lagoon. Scenes from The Revenant flashed before my eyes as I gawked at the pristine beauty of the valley ahead, carpeted with the season’s last coat of snow. The hike is easy, bewildering and goes well with a rewarding meal at the edge of the lagoon.

Running into a pack of huskies in a Narnia-like setting was enough for me, but if you want to go the extra mile, literally, take a day to visit the Valley of Wolves. Just outside of Ushuaia lies a lodge for Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. You can take a dog-sled ride through snowy valleys and to historic sights in the surrounding area.