Chilean Tierra del Fuego

After flying into and enjoying a few days in Buenos Aires, we flew south to Ushuaia. It's considered the southernmost city in the world, situated on the north shore of the Beagle Channel at latitude 54°48"S. Across the channel is Chile and the southernmost reaches of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. At Ushuaia we boarded the Ventus Australis, a nearly new expedition ship, and departed at dusk for four days sailing among the fjords and channels.

Ushuaia, Argentina, evening

Early the next morning we donned our rain gear and boarded Zodiacs for a choppy ride to a landing on Cape Horn. We stayed mostly dry until landing, but before stepping ashore a breaker came over the transom and immersed our feet in icy seawater. But with the excitement of hiking up the hills and the wonderful views, we soon forgot our wet feet.

Cape Horn

Later we sailed to Wulaia Bay and climbed through Magellanic forest for an extraordinary view of the bay and our ship at anchor.

Wulaia Bay

Sailing west through the Beagle Channel, we entered the Pia fjord and landed on a cobble beach for a walk to the Pia glacier, one of many that flow from the Darwin mountain range. A hike uphill led to a lovely vantage point.

Pia Glacier and Fjord

Pia Glacier and Darwin Mountains