It was Day 7 on my NCL Cruise to Antarctica and yes, we’re getting closer. When I was 10 years old in Brooklyn, I remember reading a book called The End of The World and they chronicled a journey to and through Ushuaia which is the capitol of Terra del Fuego, Argentina. I told myself that one day that I would visit and though it took decades to get there–I finally arrived!!!

Ushuaia is located below the 54th parallel south latitude which is why it claims the title of the world’s southernmost city. The word Ushuaia comes from the Yaghan language: ush and waia (“bay” or “cove”) and means “deep bay” or “bay to background”. Ushuaia occasionally experiences snow in the summer (from November to March) and due to its high southern latitude, the city’s climate is very much influenced by Antarctica (which maybeLol it was so cold and raw!).

Having said that, I chose a tour excursion titled End of the World Combo since remember I’d been waiting since I was 10 to get there!!!

Our first experience was on a catamaran where we navigated the Beagle Channel and passed Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and saw views of Martial’s Mountain. The weather was rainy, raw and cold but I choseLol to stay inside the boat!

Then we visited the Terra del Fuego National Park. It was just so beautiful. The air was so crisp and clean as you can see in the photos below.

Then back on the bus we arrived at The Southern Fuegian Railway or as it’s called The Train of the End of the World. It was originally built as a freight line to serve the prison of Ushuaia, specifically to transport timber but now it operates as a heritage railway into the Tierra del Fuego National Park and is considered the southernmost functioning railway in the world

What I want to add here is that the story behind the construction of the railway is really heart breaking. Back in the late 19th century, Ushuaia on Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego developed as a penal colony, with the first prisoners arriving in 1884. The prisoners were treated very badly under brutal weather conditions and the area where they chopped down the trees to build the tracks is called The Cemetery of Trees. In 1947 the governor closed the prison and replaced it with a naval base.

So here are some photos from that train ride and The Train at the End of the World experience.

After our ride on The End of the World Railway we went into town and had a half an hour. Not too much timeLol but here are some photos of Ushuaia near the pier.

Can you “feel” the cold!!