Ushuaia, End of the World

I had a few days in Ushuaia to see the sights. The first cultural visit was to the former prison which is now a museum (exhibit halls include the prison, maritime history, local oil exploration, Antarctic exploration, Darwin and two art galleries). The place was chosen as a penal colony in the late 19th century and it took the inmates sixteen years to build the prison. Its 380 cells at its peak held over 800 prisoners.

One of the five prison wings that radiate out from the central building.

The next day it was a visit to the Convict Railway, also built by the prisoners to carry building materials of rock and timber plus firewood to the prison. It is a narrow gauge track and had the first locomotive built in Argentina. The prisoners also built many of the first buildings in the new town.

The railway used to start at the prison in the centre of town but it now starts 8kms outside as the original track was built over when the railway shut and the town expanded. Now there is only 17kms of track carefully restored to allow steam locomotives to pull trains full of tourists.

A view from the inside of the station towards the platforms.

Some of the rolling stock.

The view of the mountains from the train.

Another steam locomotive and carriages on the track and despite being 110 years ago, the stumps are still visible of the trees that the prisoners cut down.

Just 2kms from the end of the track is the official End of The World. This is the spot where National Route No 3 that runs down the coast of Argentina finishes. There is a Post Office on the pier where letters posted here bear the End of the World postmark.

The next day I went riding with Shannon from stables that were not far from the first railway station, accompanied by our guide, Alfredo, plus four sheep dogs from the stables.

Overlooking the Beagle Channel to the left with Alfredo in front and the promontory in the medium distance where we stopped for lunch.

And on another day, I walked up the valley behind the town to see the Martial Glacier, walking through a ski resort, up what is a piste in winter and past the top most ski lift station.

This is a view of the glacier from above the tree line.

And a view down from the glacier back to Ushuaia.