The City at the End of the World – Awakening the Spirit of Adventure, Part 1

May.25th

“Tierra del Fuego” translates into English as “Land of Fire”. It is an archipelago located at the southernmost end of the South American continent. When the adventurer Magellan once visited this area, he saw the indigenous people making many bonfires, which was the origin of this name. Ushuaia, known as the world’s southernmost city, is located on Fuego, the largest island in the archipelago. You can find signs saying “the world’s southernmost point” and “end of the world” throughout the city. Upon seeing these words, you can’t help but sense the spirit of adventure. Activities in this port include enjoying a train ride on the world’s southernmost railway and cruises to the end of the world.

 

The closest town to Antartica.

The distance between Ushuaia and the capital Buenos Aires is about 3,000 km. In comparison to this, it is only 1,000 km to Antarctica – the unexplored continent. From this fact, Ushuaia is also known as the nearest city to Antarctica and as the starting point for Antarctic cruises. Many travelers from all around the world flock to the city in the summer to join a cruise to Antarctica. Peace Boat voyages also always visit in summer. However, due to its high latitude, the temperature barely reaches 15 degrees Celsius even in the summer. The cool, refreshing air in this cool climate also helps create the atmosphere if the end of the world.

The Martial Mountains, with their perpetual snowfall at the peak, tower behind the port city of Ushuaia, watching over the traffic of ships.

Built on this pier is the world’s southernmost post office. If you post a letter from here to Japan, it will arrive in around a month.

The letter is stamped with “FIN DEL MUNDO”, which means the end of the world. We recommend sending one to yourself as a souvenir of your trip!

 

The End of the World, the world’s southernmost railway

Many places in the city, including the post office, museum and more bears the crown of “the world’s southernmost…” The most famous of these is the Southern Fuegian Railway, the world’s southernmost railway. The “End of the World” station is located in the southwest of the city. If you get on the retro-looking “Train of the End of the World” from there, you can see beautiful waterfalls and lakes. You can also visit the end of the Pan-American Highway, a highway that stretches 17,848 kilometers, all the way to Alaska. You will certainly get a sense of the vastness of the world on this romantic road.

Facing the sea, Tierra del Fuego National Park covers an area of 63,000 hectares. Here, you can also see a rare beaver dam up close.

Ushuaia was once a penal colony to which prisoners were sent. The railroad that cut and transported the wood needed for construction is now the Fuegian Railway.

The small, cozy station building has a warm and welcoming design. Although it is small yuo can find colorful souvenirs and much more.

The end of the Pan-American Highway has just a modest wooden sign, indicating that it is the end of Route 3.