Ushuaia: The City That Does Not Hibernate
The city that doesn’t hibernate
Next to the Beagle Channel, at the far reaches of Tierra del Fuego, winter covers the world’s southernmost city in snow, ice, and sub-zero degree temperatures. Here, winter sports are accompanied by incredible landscapes and views into a past as captivating as the present.
Ihad visited Ushuaia many times, but always in the summer. Frankly, I was not thrilled about the idea of enduring the cold, and I have never enjoyed ski resorts, since I am not a great skier. But Patagonia has a way of always knowing how to surprise you, and this time was no exception.
First, the myth of the cold must be broken; it is not so formidable, because the humidity is very low, and that makes for greater thermal comfort. In fact, the comment “I thought there was going to be more ice” is repeated constantly among my travel companions, colleagues from all over South America, where the majority have never even seen snow. That said, there are many temperature changes to deal with here: at stores, restaurants and hotels the heat is turned up, so it is advisable that you dress in layers and try not to tire of putting on and off your jacket as often as necessary.
The second myth to be broken is that winter is low season in Patagonia. On the contrary! That once was true, but at least a decade ago. Today, Ushuaia is a popular winter destination, attracting thousands of tourists who come for its excellent snow, comparatively lesser-visited landscapes, and perhaps best of all for non-skiers like myself, a wide variety of off-piste activities.
“Ushuaia in winter has excellent snow, comparatively less visited landscapes, and a wide variety of off-piste activities.”
The city
Ushuaia looks completely different in winter, making it difficult to recognize: the colorful facades that stand out in a city blanketed in white, the sidewalks which can hardly be distinguished from the ice and snow, and the many streets closed for children to go sledding. For the more ( or less) grown- up visitors, the cold temperatures offer an easy excuse to follow the inviting aromas into the cafes and chocolate shops. There are all kinds of choices: from the national classics like Chocolates del Turista, to the smaller shops like Ovejitas de la Patagonia, or local producers like Laguna Negra and Edelweiss, which specialize in artisanal chocolate production.
But Ushuaia is much more: there are the classicial Argentine gastronomical offerings such as pasta, pizza, steak and Malbec wines. There are also a variety of delicacies, like black hake, sea bass, spider crab, lamb and berries, among other local products. Kalma Restó (www.kalmaresto.com. ar) is one of the best places to try local dishes, their menu includes an eight-plate sampling with always-fresh ingredients, not to mention an intimate setting and excellent service.
For great views of the city, and to get a better idea of what it means to be at the “end of the world,” head to the port and hop on a boat – several operate year-round – that sails around the Beagle Channel. Our group took the afternoon tour (at 3 pm), and we saw an unforgettable sunset, with a sky tinged in red and the imposing silhouettes of the surrounding mountains looking almost like sentinels keeping watch over the city.
The history
I t was my destiny to be born at Ushuaia. Even as a child, I was obsessed by a passionate longing to explore those ranges of mountains that hemmed us in and join the wild tribe of which I had heard such fantastic tales from our Yagan playmates,” writes Lucas Bridges in his autobiography The Uttermost Part of the Earth. His father, Thomas Bridges, was a missionary who built the first homes in Ushuaia. Although almost a century and a half have passed since that account was written, that sensation of being in a wild land overwhelms me in this place. Maybe it is the great distance
here from other i nhabited places, the rugged mountain landscape, or the stories told here which make the imagination take flight with images of fierce native peoples, explorers and pioneers.
The name Ushuaia appeared for the first time in 1869 in documents from the South American Missionary Society. The arrival of these missionaries came about in England because of expeditions like that of Captain Robert Fitzroy in 1826, who captured four indigenous people from Tierra del Fuego in order to “educate them” back in England, or by the stories recounted in the book A Naturalist’s Voyage Around the World by the scientist Charles Darwin, who described the native peoples on the island as “abject and miserable creatures.”
But who really were these peoples that Darwin described in such a pejorative way? In Tierra del Fuego, there existed four nomadic ethnic groups: the Yaganes, Kawéskar, Selknam and Haush. The Yaganes (also called Yámanas) and the Kawéskar (or Alacalufes) are known as canoeing peoples, since they spent a great deal of time in their boats, and they were adapted to life in an environment as hostile as that of the southern seas. They lived seminaked, and sustained themselves on meat from sea lions, seals, otters and shellfish that the women collected by diving into the frigid waters. The Yaganes were also the southernmost native population on the planet, roaming throughout the Beagle Channel. In fact, the name Ushuaia comes from their language: ush (“deep”) and waia (“bay” or “cove”). The Selknam (or Onas) and the Haush lived inland in Tierra del Fuego, and devoted themselves to hunting birds, guanacos, foxes and rodents.
The work of “civilizing” these i ndigenous peoples was met with more failure than success, beyond establishing settlements like Ushuaia. The Fuegino cultures were de
stroyed and lost forever over the course of the 20th century because of epidemics from diseases brought over by Europeans and outright mass killings organized by the new colonists. A good way to learn more about the fascinating history of the natives peoples while in Ushuaia is by visiting the Galería Temática Pequeña Historia Fueguina (www.historiafueguina.com), which has intelligent, vivid exhibits.
To learn still more about the history of Ushuaia, one must go to the old prison, now a museum. In 1884, Ushuaia officially became part of Argentina, but it was not until 1902 that the city started to grow, precisely as a result of the construction of this prison. Today, it is an excellent museum that houses the maritime history of the zone, as well as sections dedicated to Antarctica and the history of the city. Consider complementing that with a tour on the Tren del Fin del Mundo (Train at the End of the World) (www.trendelfindelmundo. com. ar), it retraces the final 7 km (4 miles) of the original route that moved men
from the prison to the hillside of Mount Susana in order to obtain various construction materials.
What is most appealing though is that the train runs through part of Tierra del Fuego National Park, one of the great natural landmarks of the region covered with spectacular snow- covered landscapes. In winter, the hiking trails are covered in snow, but the train tour gives you a nice glimpse of the park.
The snow
There is something special about snow, it always draws out the “spirit of the
child” in travelers of all ages. My travel companions were no exception: making snow angels everywhere, getting in snowball fights and trying out all the activities available in this place.
Cerro Castor (www.cerrocastor. com) is the southernmost ski resort in the world, and it is said to have the best snow in South America. The reason? The snow powder, which is dry and identifiable by the fact that you can not make a snowball out of it, as it disappears through your fingers when you squeeze it. This is the type of snow that is most sought after by skiers. In addition, the hillsides at this 20- year- old ski resort face south, so they never receive sunlight. Add to that a long season that usually runs from June to October, and good infrastructure with 650 skiable hectares, 34 ski runs, an ice-skating rink and a spa.
Later, we got a taste of the winter resorts that specialize in off- trail activities, like snow-shoeing, evening bonfires, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, ice climbing and even helicopter fly-overs.
For those who like animals, adventure, and moutains, the dog sleds are the ideal combination. As well, it is an excellent way to enjoying the snow-covered landscapes without interruption beyond a few barks and howls because if there is one thing you learn the moment you get on the sled, it is that Siberian huskies love to run and stopping is synonymous with complaining dogs. It is best to keep moving like everything else in Ushuaia: a city where entertainment does not stop in winter or summer.
“The snow powder, which is dry and identifiable by the fact that you can not make a snowball out of it, as it disappears through your fingers when you squeeze it. This is the type of snow that is most sought after by skiers.”