Just so we get it right – Ushuaia is pronounced OO-SWAY-Ya and is in the Argentinian province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. Just south of Ushuaia at Cape Horn the Pacific meets the Atlantic. Besides Antarctica – there is nothing further south. You can read more about the history and discovery of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego on Wikipedia.  

 Tierra del Fuego: Ferdinand Magellan (1520) named it
"Land of Fires" when he saw the bonfires of the
onas or selk'nam people from his ship.

Ushuaia: Name derived from the words ushu (which means 'at the bottom')
and uaia ('cove, bay or port'), in the Yámana language ,
and means 'bay that penetrates towards the west'.

Not unlike other adventuring places, Ushuaia locals, expedition crews and Antarctica hopefuls walk around in casual but effective outdoor gear. Drab green and blue layers for warmth, short and tall boots, squinting in the rain without umbrellas or hats, maybe a hood up or down. Reminds me of people in Aspen and Jackson Hole steady, mussed casual ready to take a hike, get in their 4x4 or jump on a ship headed south.

Tourists, including me, off the cruise ships (not expeditions) wearing brighter colors, some in running shoes, hats on, hoods up on parkas, hunched over in the rain.

This trip to Ushuaia I had some business I needed to attend to. I had a check list of things I needed to sort out before my Antarctica expedition in March. The list of clothing needed to be addressed. Waterproof pants and gloves are available for rent – saving me the luggage space, keeping my minimalist lifestyle and follow the sun clothing style. Fortunately, I found what I needed and they’ll have it for me when I return. Technically I am still following the sun, just doesn’t have the warmth of the Northern summer.

The city of Ushuaia is a hamlet of buildings crowded together facing the water climbing up from the sea onto the hills and into the looming mountains surrounding the water. The bay is broad and full of wind – weather changes quickly for good or bad. We were unable to dock at Ushuaia last week because of gale force winds from the west. Today was overcast, wet, rainy and chilly. Welcome to summer at the end of the world.

Ushuaia is the most southern place to launch an Antarctica expedition. In port, there are large cruise ships and a number of smaller expedition ships carrying 125-300 passengers plus crew to Antarctica (and back). There was a ship full of people going south to SCUBA dive! During the winter Ushuaia is known for its skiing. There are some ski shops closed now until Winter 2024. So you can visit year round!

Because I’m a foodie and will be back in Ushuaia twice more before leaving South America – I walked around town looking at and for food. Shops go from plentiful tourist shops to a diverse food scene. There are local Argentinian steak and crab in cafes and fine dining.  Scandinavia and Germany also have influence here and Swiss chocolatiers present beautiful and creamy treats. Everyone is a local in Ushuaia but serving their best “home” food.

Of note were the Ushuaian version of Alfajores, a well-known Argentinian pastry sandwich of two delicate shortbread cookies with creamy dulche de leche in between and rolled in shredded coconut. Here it has taken on a “more is more” philosophy. The pastry is at least three times the size of any I had seen. The larger cookies “to provide MORE room for MORE and thicker dulche de leche” a local baker explained.  Think the size of a saucer and thickness of a sandwich!

Enjoy the Ushuaia foodie photos.

More on Ushuaia beyond the food when I am back March 2-13 for my expedition with GAdventures. If you’d like more information on visiting South America or Antarctica, let me know. I’d be happy to work with you to find a trip that works for you, your curiosity and budget. Travel with BabZ is open for business.