At the Bottom of the World in Ushuaia, Argentina

Say, where, again?

This looks like a lonely, stark place, but there’s so much life here! — Photo by Carolyb V. Hamilton

Ushuaia is not just a resort town in Argentina.

Its location on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America and the southernmost city in the world, has given it the nickname, the “End of the World.”

This windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It’s the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies.

What’s it like to live at the bottom of the world in Ushuaia, Argentina?

The cruise ship, Zaandam, dumps tourists in Ushuaia, Argentina. — Photo by Carolyn V. Hamilton

Ushuaia was a port stop on our Holland America cruise around the Horn, and through the Strait of Magellan, from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile.

With only about 150,000 residents, Ushaia is considered a “young” town. An Argentine expedition arrived in 1884 to establish a sub-prefecture for the 300 Anglican missionaries from the South American Missionary Society, who already lived there and built the first houses, with the goal of evangelizing the native populations.