What to do in Ushuaia without breaking the bank?
In Ushuaia, there are many activities: mountain hikes, boat trips or visits to glaciers. And you can get by at the “end of the world” without breaking the bank too much.
The city looks funny. No real identity. In Ushuaia, colorful churches mingle with hotels, themselves wedged amid coastal homes and warehouses on the harbor. However, this “end of the world” is well worth a half-day stroll there, to soak up the atmosphere.
Martial Glacier and Cerro del Medio
As you walk through the city, you will come across the tourist office, at the water's edge. And you will discover that many hikes are accessible on foot from Ushuaia. The Martial glacier, of course, very popular with tourists (5-hour round trip hike with a nice drop), but also the Cerro del medio. After an hour and a half of climbing, you will dominate the city with a superb panorama.
From the port, it is also possible to go on a boat trip to explore the surrounding islands (with birds, penguins, the lighthouse). It will then be necessary to pay a few hundred euros for the day. We skipped that option.
Viewpoint from Laguna Turcasa
On the menu, Cerro del medio, Martial glacier, lagunas esmeralda and turcsa. The only expense for all these hikes: 300 Argentine pesos for a collective taxi.
Recap'
On the way to Laguna esmeralda
Laguna esmeralda and Laguna turca
From Ushuaia, you can also take a shared taxi to the Laguna esmeralda trailhead. The hike is superb, you will come across beaver dams, and the apotheosis takes place at the edge of this lagoon, with its magnificent turquoise blue. The walk takes 2 to 3 hours round trip depending on your pace.
After marveling at this hike, take to the skies. Returning to the road, descend towards Ushuaia for 1 kilometer then take the path on the left at the level of the sign “Laguna turcsa”. You then begin 1 kilometer of walking for 400m of elevation! The effort is well worth the show upstairs. Once up there, you have a view of all the surrounding mountains and even make out the Laguna esmeralda which will then seem much smaller to you.
Other economic activities
In one day it is possible to combine the two lagoons. We didn't have time but you can also devote a day to the Laguna belgica or the Vinciguerra glacier. The only cost here will also be transportation. Another activity also, the Tierra del fuego park, but we opted not to do it for its price and because no one really recommended it to us.
