Visiting Lake Fagnano

The City of Ushuaia looks small but, after setting out on a walk around it, visitors discover it has plenty to offer. Once the tour is over, it is essential to stop looking at the sea in order to behold the mountain range and explore the rest of the nooks on the island.

While in Ushuaia, we took National Route 3 heading northwards and left the Tierra Mayor Valley to access the gorgeous Cerro Castor ski resort. In the last few years, it has become one of the most important ski icons in Argentina.

Barely 60 kilometers away from the City of Ushuaia, we were amazed at the presence of a lake of singular beauty. Named Escondido (which stands for “Hidden” in Spanish), it lies in the middle of the mountain range, at the foot of Garibaldi Pass.

The lake features incredible beauty, just like the surrounding scenery. An astounding view for first comers.

We got to a viewpoint in order to shoot some pictures and watch everything quietly from the heights. We rode on to the other end of the lake, where Bronzovic Sawmill is located: a real institution in the area.

The smoky sawmill shaft gives testimony of the intense forest exploitation carried out in the region, which represents the main economic activity in the center of the island.

The road went slowly downhill and the mountains gave way to the high plateau. Forty kilometers later, we finally reached Lake Fagnano. Its hundred kilometers of length make it the largest in Tierra del Fuego. Besides, it boasts unique sites to enjoy catching large trout.

Bordering the lakeshore, travelers will get to the picturesque City of Tolhuin, which lies at the foot of Mount Michi.

The legendary bakery called La Unión and Kaiken Inn are two classics at this small settlement showing visitors the best postcards of the lake.

Its privileged geography gives Tolhuin a microclimate inside inhospitable Tierra del Fuego. Natural forests and activities such as horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking explain why more and more tourists come along to spend their vacations at this spot.