This Trip Plan combines activities meant for visiting Tierra del Fuego National Park in an unconventional way. It includes a trekking tour through the coastal path-ideal for watching wildlife, and a floating tour down the Lapataia River up to the Lapataia Bay, the endpoint of the National Route Nº 3. Country-style lunch.

Trip Plan

The trip begins with pick-up and transportation to Ensenada Zaratiegui, within Tierra del Fuego National Park, wherefrom the Coastal Path begins, covering approximately 4 miles and crossing one of the most interesting sites of the Beagle Channel. During the journey you will probably see aquatic birds and sometimes, even sea mammals. Once the medium-difficulty trekking tour starts, we walk through archaeological sites, the famous shellfish fossils piles-souvenirs from the old inhabitants of the region: the Yamanas. These were sea nomads who are almost entirely gone today. In this area, the coastal deep forest shows rare species such as the Cinnamon tree and the Notro, with its beautifully clustered flowers. After 3-4 hours trekking we reach Lake Roca, where we stop for lunch and then, we start the canoe/ duckies trip down the Lapataia River. After giving rafting basic instructions, we embark at the river source and wander through it until it blends into the Beagle Channel. The water trip is about 1 ½ hrs., during which the 3 miles long stream is calmly paddled through. During the first part of the trip, on continental waters, we will be able to watch a varied wildlife comprised mainly of aquatic birds such as black-neck swans or macaes, along with their unmistakable floating nests. The cauquenes (big South American geese) will surprise us many times, accompanied by their cute squabs. Already in sea waters, we finally get to the Cormorant Archipelago, where the Beagle Channel is sprinkled with very small colorful islets, hosts of rich wildlife, including penguins and sea lions that may be seen occasionally. The trip ends at Lapataia Bay, last stop of the National Route Nº 3 and the Pan-American Route that crosses all the Americas, from Alaska down to this point. These spot is also well known for its open-air archaeological sites

Approx. duration

8 hours. (4 hrs- trekking + 1 ½ canoeing, approx.

Season

October to April.
May to September: the route is modified.
Tour may be changed due to weather conditions.
Regular departures – Wednesdays and Fridays

Requirements

This trip plan is of medium-low difficulty, designed for healthy people with minimum fitness level. No steep slopes in the route. Canoeing subject to weather conditions.

Highlights

• Many wildlife watching points, including nesting sites.
• Canoe trips; unconventional way of visiting sites of interest
• Beautiful surrounding landscape..
• Sightseeing open-air archaeological sites.
• Visit to one of the End of the World icons: Lapataia Bay.

Trip Fees include

• Transportation Ushuaia/National Park/Ushuaia.
• Bilingual Rafting and Trekking guides (English/Spanish).
• Boats, paddles, life vests, rubber boots and waterproof pants. (*)
• Permanent ground-support.
• Safety and radio communications equipment.
• Personal injuries insurance.
• Lunch: appetizer (cold cuts and cheese) drinks, dessert and coffee included.
• Snack on-the-go.

(*) Duckies for 6-8 passengers. Individual life vests and paddles approved by Prefectura Naval Argentina.

Minimum

4 passengers

Not included

• Entry ticket to Tierra del Fuego National Park.
• Charges for damaged material due to negligence or verifiable wrongdoing.
• Personal equipment loss/malfunction insurance (cameras, recorders, etc.).

After due accreditation of each passenger’s personal details: a) Birth date, b) Full name and c) Passport Number,
each passenger must complete a medical data sheet (with affidavit status).

Passenger’s food restrictions should be reported prior to the trip