Land of Fire
…….. at the end of the world……..
Our route through Tierra del Fuego on the Ventus Australis
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We found Punta Arenas to be a very comfortable place to spend some time
To avoid driving or flying, we planned to sail over the next four nights on a smaller boat from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. For us, it was a means of transport, without giving it much thought. For others, we discovered, it was the highlight of a South American vacation or even a honeymoon voyage—sailing through the fjords of Southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, the famous “Land of Fire.”
On our last day in Punta Arenas, we paid homage to Magellan by visiting Museo Nao Victoria, an open-air museum showcasing full-scale replicas of Magellan’s and Darwin’s ships along with their biographies and histories.
Gitty climbing the rigging of the Nao Victoria
Magellan was the code name for our world adventure, so climbing aboard a replica his ship, the Nao Victoria, was meaningful, especially considering how small the space was for a crew traveling around the globe. We learned, rather astonishingly, that Magellan did not die of disease or old age but was killed in his 40s while trying to convert Indigenous people to Christianity; what a tragic and wasteful way to lose one’s life.
Of the five ships that set sail from Spain, only the Victoria returned, and without Magellan aboard
We also visited a birding hot spot just outside of town before heading onwards.
Southern Lapwing
Fire-eyed Diucon
Fuegian Steamer Ducks
In the afternoon, we boarded a comfortable ship of about 150 passengers called the Ventus Australis.
The cruise included food and all beverages, and we had pleasant table companions who were purposely seated with others from the same country—in our case, Germany. Over the next four days, we also got to know two additional German couples from our neighboring table—photographers and teachers, also from southern Germany.
Sailing through the fjords of Tiera del Fuego
Days were filled with zodiac excursions, onboard talks by naturalists, and relaxing while watching documentary films about Patagonia’s wild beauty. But the real magic was stepping onto landscapes that few people ever reach.
The weather is famous for its sudden swings; in a single hour you can encounter all four seasons. It could be raining furiously with high winds in the morning, and by the time we weighed anchor for an afternoon activity, we might enjoy mild temperatures and blue skies.
The weather changed on a dime
The first day focused on natural history—plants and animals. The second day was all about glaciers, and the third featured an exciting trip to the southernmost point of the American continent, Cape Horn, with a potential shore landing, wind and weather permitting.
We listened to one of the crew members talk about the five Indigenous tribes that originally lived in southern Patagonia before the Spanish conquerors arrived.
His grandfather had told him, when he was young, about the traditional ways of living and surviving year-round in that harsh, cold environment.
We were graced with beauty throughout our voyage
We also learned about the movements of the tectonic plates—the South American and Pacific plates—as well as a third, the Antarctic Plate pushing northward, which left the bottom tip of South America so fragmented.
We watched a excellent documentary, Patagonia: Earth’s Secret Paradise (2015, BBC), episode “Fire and Ice,” which explores the wildlife and dramatic landscapes of the region, including pumas, condors, and glaciers. It highlights the contrast between the fiery, volcanic landscapes and the icy southern glaciers. So much information about nature—I just loved it!
While walking through the landscape once covered by a glacier at Ainsworth Bay, we saw how nature slowly reclaimed the land, even in such a harsh environment.
Andean Condor with a wingspan of over 10 feet (3 meters). Fourth largest flying bird.
At first, only stones remained after the glacier retreated. Then mosses and lichens arrived, needing little, if any, soil. Over time, these died and slowly built up thin layers of soil that allowed low bushes and hardy shrubs to grow. Later came fruit-bearing plants, their seeds spread by birds. At higher elevations along the mountain edges, trees began to grow, requiring previously deposited deeper soil layers. In areas long free of ice, forests now cover the slopes, with deciduous and evergreen trees adapted to the harsh weather conditions.
In the afternoon, we motored around Tucker Islets, where we found penguins, skuas, blue-eyed cormorants, and other birds along the rocky coastline.
Black-browed Albatross
Imperial Cormorant aka Blue-eyed Shag.
Most exciting of all, Peale’s dolphins followed us back to the ship, darting under and alongside the zodiacs like playful escorts. We were completely enchanted!
Peale’s Dolphin popped out of the water right next to me
On our third excursion, we weighed anchor in the Beagle Channel in front of the massive Pia Glacier, part of the Darwin Range. Randy hiked along striated granite boulders grooved by receding glaciers that gripped his hiking shoes even in the slippery rain.
Glaciers are all unique and fascinating … and huge and dangerous so zodiac drivers need to keep a healthy distance away
This was our third glacier in South America, and yet they are just as beautiful and fascinating as the first glacier we encountered.
Randy enjoying a glass of Prosecco and the beautiful glaciers
Surprisingly, my favorite moment was experienced from the boat: slowly sailing through Glacier Alley. The weather had been nasty all morning, but suddenly cleared and warmed. In the sunshine, with temperatures around 50°F (10°C), we stood on the top deck looking right and left down the narrow fjord channel, watching these massive glaciers, each one unique, flowing toward the Beagle Channel, while majestic condors soared high above us. It was truly fantastic!
That night’s talk unsurprisingly focused on glaciers and was illuminating. At the end of a final short film, I was the only person left in the room because of a very early excursion the next morning.
Each of the glaciers…
… of Glacier Alley had …
… their own uniqueness
There have been many glacial and interglacial periods over the past millions of years. The last Patagonian ice sheet, about 20,000 years ago, was up to 1,500 meters thick.
Today, the glacier fronts rise only about 80 meters above sea level. Quite a difference!
Leaving Glacier Alley was as visually stunning as passing through it
At night, we saw birds and bats flying around the boat, while gulls and other seabirds floated on the water, sleeping. Later, at 4 a.m., we briefly entered the Drake Passage, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, and we encountered rougher waters. Our suitcases on wheels began rolling around the room as the boat rocked back and forth. Lying in bed, we found it rather exciting.
Randy standing in front of the Albatross Monument
Cape Horn, a rocky island famous both for its maritime history and as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allows landings only when winds drop below 30 knots; otherwise the coastline would be too dangerous to approach by zodiac.
Luck was on our side, however, as the winds died down significantly. By 6:50 a.m., bundled against the chill, we climbed into the zodiacs and bounced across gray swells to the island.
From the shore, 175 steps led up to a plateau swept flat by strong winds. We followed a walkway ending at the famous Albatross Monument, a soaring tribute to the sailors who lost their lives in these treacherous waters. Standing there, with the ocean stretching endlessly to the horizon, we felt the humbling sense of being at the world’s edge.
View from above Wulaia Bay - just stunning!
Ushuaia is a beautiful city at the “end of the world,” as they like to advertise. In a sense, it seems that way.
Ushuaia
The best places always had lines, but we were rewarded for our patience with excellent seafood including Black Hake, a specialty of the area
Many locals from Buenos Aires fly down to vacation here because of its raw beauty. They usually spend a week in the area, and we coincidentally are doing the same, giving us a greater appreciation of Tierra del Fuego as well as time to catch up on some practical tasks of life.
We visited Tierra del Fuego National Park by car, exploring the hiking trails and beautiful lakes.
We also drove two hours south along the Beagle Channel to an authentic fishing village, Puerto Almanza. We had heard about a family restaurant, Alma Yagan, a few kilometers further down a rocky dirt road offering two tables only for lunch. We were lucky to reserve one of those tables.
A sign pointed the way to our intimate restaurant, so we parked at a pullout along the road. From there we hiked downhill along a path marked occasionally with small plates inscribed with witty sayings that reassured us we were on the right track. The barking of dogs announced our arrival at the house with the green roof on the shore of the Beagle Channel.
Alma Yagan along the shores of the Beagle Channel served up romantic ambience along with tasty food
A small, intimate restaurant with only two tables a lovely two hour drive from Ushuaia
We were welcomed by Chef Linda, who had started the small venture several years earlier. The food was delicious, but the ambiance and intimacy made the trip extra special. Drinking coffee on their deck overlooking the channel that separates Argentina from Chile, we watched a curious sea lion poking his head above water, eliciting loud barks from the dogs on the shore.
What was most exciting, however, was the drive itself. We encountered flat plains carved by retreating glaciers and bordered by massive jagged mountains—a sign that the glaciers did not rise higher than the mountain summits.
A glacier-carved landscape with a flat glacial trough
Glaciers are essentially rivers of condensed ice, and their movement along with trapped rocks and stones acts like a giant sandpaper scraping away the roughness from the mountain peaks. Rounded mountaintops indicate that glaciers completely covered them.
Our time traveling in South America was drawing to a close, but we knew we would have to return someday. It is an amazing continent, and we enjoyed every minute exploring it.