Lying in the shadow of the Andes, rising 1,200 metres above sea level, this city at the end of the world is home to 70,000 people. For some reason I thought Ushuaia ( Pronounced you- sway- ah) would be a lazy little town. Far from it. The downtown core of the city had a hustling, thriving tourist district like you would find in any major tourist district, yet it still had the small town feeling with friendly and lively people.

There’s still a genuine charm about the local shopkeepers and restauranteurs who don’t pressure you to buy and are curious to know where you come from. Give them a pin from the country that you’re from and you’ve made a friend for life. Even the artisan who sold hand-made jewelry on the streets didn't hound people passing by. Shopping is extraordinary here, with specialities such as Antarctica art, and La Vicuna( a type of Lama) scarfs and sweaters. If you have a chance try one of their excellent local ales, like Beagle or a glass of superb Argentinian wine do so without hesitation.

One spot I stumbled upon was the local information centre where I was issued a certificate that gave me bragging rights testifying I had visited the southernmost city in the world. It was dated and duly stamped by the Argentina government. The certificate also noted Ushuaia was part of Patagonia. This is the region in southern South America between the Andes and South Atlantic.

When I expressed surprise about how busy the city was Gina Maribel, one of the information clerks said with a smile, “ it wasn’t always like this. It started to change when the cruise ships began leaving from our harbour to the Antarctica. Now there are about 50 cruises a year. That’s a lot of tourists, and they spend money”. Since the early 1990's Ushuaia has become an important tourist and trading port considered as the gate of entry to the Antarctica.

Take time to stroll the historic district of the city. You’ll appreciate the architectural characteristics of the metal and wood houses that line the shoreline and outskirts of the city.

Tierra del Fuego National Park

When you’ve had your fill of souvenir shopping take a bus tour over zig-zagging, washboard roads to the End of the World Train in Tierra del Fuego National Park. Our English speaking guide, Susana Ghiringhelli really knew her stuff. She explained, ”this park was established in 1960 to protect 63,000 hectares of land first occupied by various tribal groups 10,000 years ago.” As we traveled to our destination I realized it just doesn’t get any better that this. It was a magical place unlike any other vacation spot that I have visited.

The End of the World Train Tour
Located withing the park, this train also known as the Convict Train uses narrow gauge trains built in Britain in 1995 and follows the same route that convicts took between 1902 and 1947 to serve sentences in a prison at the end of the tracks and at the end of the world. The prison has been long gone and now tourists use the same track to experience shorter more pleasurable journeys.

Along the way we traveled through inaccessible parts of the park, which forms part of the southern Andes, and watched as wild horses roamed free in barren fields cleared around the prison by convicts many years ago. Tall deciduous and evergreen trees hugged the mountainsides and sea-birds like Sheld-geese and Kelp lazily took advantage of the warm air currents. This was a moment in time. It was the ultimate train ride.

Take to the Air

Another great way to see Ushuaia is to take a tour in a Cessna plane from Aeroclub Ushuaia. The half hour flight above the city and the nearby Beagle Channel and Southern Ocean was also unlike any of my previous flights. When I looked down every thing I saw was a Kodak moment. We even got so low as to see Gentoo penguins hanging out with southern elephant seals as various seabirds hovered above the coastline.

Take to the Road on a Double Deck Tour

Since 1999 Luis Votto and his wife Monica have been guiding tourists on one hour tours of Ushuaia on their rebuilt English Double-Deck Road Master bus (the upper level provides better more panoramic viewing). One of the many highlights of the trip was when we visited the Old Military Prison of Ushuaia found on the outskirts of the city. The prison was built by the prisoners themselves between 1902 and 1911 and at one time housed about 600 inmates. It was closed in 1947. Another stop offered us a magnificent view of the city below.

Ushuaia is 3500 kilometres, about a three and a half hour flight from Buenos Aires.