Only the jaded wouldn’t be on deck to sail the Beagle Channel into Ushuaia. Hang on to your hat because the wind whistles. You’ll pass some low,scraped-bare islands on which you’ll see lots of lazy sealions. Ushuaia,scattered along the shoreline and partly up the hillsides into dark green forest,looks splendid from a distance. The main church,bright yellow with a red roof,is easy to spot. Behind are mountains that might be dusted with summer snow.
Berth rites
Ships tie up at a long concrete pier and,if you’re at the end of it,you’ll have a long walk past forklift trucks and delivery vans,which gives you a good impression of the organisation necessary to provision ships for the Antarctic. The cruise terminal is a tin shed with salmon-pink corrugated-iron walls and a pale blue roof. The inside has no glamour and one creaking security-screening machine. Beyond that,you’re out onto a wharf with souvenir shops and tour-booking services. For useful things like shops,cafes and ATMs,the centre of town is only a couple of blocks uphill.
Before and after
Many cruise lines offer pre- or post-cruise accommodation as part of a package. The best hotels are inconveniently a little out of town and include Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort and Arakur Ushuaia Resort&Spa up the hillside,plus Los Cauquenes Resort along the bay. Hotels are expensive,so two nights should do.