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Tierra del Fuego National Park was created in 1969 with the aim of protecting the portion of subantarctic forests farthest south together with the Beagle Channel. Its total surface is 63.000 has.
The access is easy from Ushuaia to the south by National Route Nº 3 and travelling only 12 km. Ushuaia in Yamana language means "bay penetrating west". This park, unlike other Andean-Patagonian forests, possesses forests close to the sea coast. It is crossed by paralel mountain ranges in a north west to south east direction dividing the park in valleys of difficult access. |
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The central part of lake Fagnano that drains into the Pacific ocean is specially protected in the park.
In the south of the park is lake Roca, and in front of it mounts Cóndor and Guanaco. Lake Roca drains to the short and turbulent Lapataia river that flows into the sea through Lapataia bay. The name "lapataia" means wooded bay, or wood bay in Yamana language (see history glossary). The park has 6 km. of sea coast over the Beagle Channel that form the beautiful Lapataia bay . In the National Park office in Ushuaia (tel. 421315) you can get information about the different activities you can do on the bay, like camping, hiking, etc. |
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You have different options both by sea or land to visit such places as Cape Horn, Staten Island, Beagle Channel, Paso Chico, Islas Bridge, Los Lobos, Los Pájaros, and Les Eclaireurs lighthouse.
In some cases you can practise diving and submarine photography. The coast offers a variety of environments, such as coves and peninsulas defining beaches and cliffs, an ideal shelter for sea fauna. |
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Unlike the northern forests, these ones possess a unique environment: peat bogs, formed by a dense layer of moss and vegetal material.
The flora is formed by big trees with predominant species like Ñire, Lenga and Guindo, a tall evergreen tree. A great variety of birds is associated to these forests, like the Giant Woodpwcker and the Cotorra Austral, as well as sea birds like Albatrosses, Kelp Geese, and Steamer Ducks, and also mammals like Red and Grey Foxes, Guanacos, and Sea Otters, a threatened species. |
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The park has numerous traces of Yamana inhabitants prior to the arrival of white men to America. There are several parts in the park where you can find hummocks of piles of mussel-shells and bones accumulated together with utensiles.
It is frequent to find lichens hanging from trees branches in winter, and also mosses of an attractive red color, and thoughout the year one can admire many colorful flowers like Fire-bush, with deep red flowers, the mutillas and the yellow violets. |
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Among the rocks of the Beagle Channel there are abundant marine invertebrates like big and small mussels, limpets, snails and crustaceans like the precious spider crabs. Puyen, Peladilla and Róbalo are native fish you can find in this area.
This park treasures the richest testimonies of the first human groups on the island of Tierra del Fuego before the arrival of white men: the Selk'nam or Onas, the Haush or Manek'enk, the Alakaluf and the Yamana or Yahgans. |
| You can take the route from Ushuaia to access to the hillsides of Monte Susana and then travel along the valley of Pipo river, and when you arive at the park, you can access to the Beagle Channel by the short road of Bahía Ensenada, 2 km. away to arrive to the coast from where you can appreciate Isla Redonda, an excellent spot to enjoy the tranquility of this environment, and there is another access in Lapataia bay where National route Nº 3 ends. The access fee to the National Park varies according to the season. |
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See also: Hotels in Ushuaia and other accommodation venues |
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