6 of the 7 Continents For The Budget Traveler: At The End Of The World

The End Of The World, Ushuaia, Argentina. En route to Antarctica for New Years in December of 2022 I had high expectations for this small town from reading and people I spoke to, and it did not disappoint. When people talk about the end of the world now I politely tell them I am not afraid of it, I have been there, great people, amazing food, great wine, and absolutely beautiful. Although I only got to spend 2.5 days there, here's my tips on visiting Ushuaia, and my tips I'd say are slightly catered to an Antarctica traveler as I was.

While there are top notch hotels there I highly recommend Airbnb instead, the Airbnb's at the time of writing offer far better views of the pier than any hotel I had researched. It was extra special for me as I looked directly at the MV Hondius pulling into port the night before my journey to Antarctica.

View from my Airbnb
Should you not book a port view Airbnb as long as you are staying near the port of Ushuaia you really can't go wrong, everything is VERY walkable. You will only need a car for trips outside the city and taxis to and from the airport were very easy and cheap for me.
The pier itself is great for an hour or two walk, I was there in late December so it was still cold for the summer season but still enjoyable. Countless shops to stop in for a coffee or food/drink, etc.

My Antarctica Ship docked!
Patagonia! There are countless options here to explore the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego National Park, Laguna Esmerelda, and countless other spots in nature. I however opted for an easy tour because...
If you are here to go to Antarctica, time may be limited, or also in my case I didn't wanna get injured on a hike before the main event. My Antarctica trip included a 6 hour mountaineering outing, and maybe I was a a scardy cat, but I didn't wanna risk injury before the big trip. That being said some of the hikes in Ushuaia can also be very muddy, I only had one pair of day/trekking shoes for ship board life and didn't wanna trek mud all over the MS Hondius. I went with a nice guided easy, old man/old lady friendly hike/tour to Tierra Del Fuego with the End Of The World Train ride.
Speaking of the End of The World Train ride, of all my research of things to do, I would say it had the most negative reviews, "Tourist trap", "Overrated", etc. I COMPLETELY DISAGREE. Ok maybe half agree, it's a tourist trap, but it's a super fun way to see the park at a nice slow, pace with a few scenic stops. On top of that if you are coming to Antarctica, there's a 50-75% chance this is your opportunity to meet some of your future ship mates.
The End of The World post office was very cool too, I didn't send a card because I have no patience for even short lines, but it still makes for epic photos...
FOOD!!!!!

And of course wine! I love Malbec and made a whole other side trip just for Malbec in Argentina, of course drink your favorite Argentina wines while here, but I decided to indulge almost in only Malbec's and don't regret that decision in the least.

Enjoying the rest of the bottle before embarking to Antarctica
The classic Tourist Signs! Both are easy to find on the pier :)
Nightlife: I will say this is definitely not a party destination unless I missed something, but plenty of good bars to chill in with friends or a date. All extremely reasonably priced.
The museum! I opted to do this when I was done with Antarctica as my flight wasn't until the afternoon. I opted for the Museo Maritimo & del Presidio de Ushuaia, which is like 4 museums in one, with art, prison, history, and of course Antarctica history too! A perfect way to recap my voyage to continent number 7.

Needless to say, this country made an impression on me. And Ushuaia left a special place in my heart. If you read my previous 2 Argentina articles you know I plan on coming back here, maybe for vacation, maybe for something longer... But either way, Ushuaia was great for the 4 or so days I was there, I did a lot in a little time, and of course I would love to go back. I may go back to do more of Patagonia, or I may go back to do the same exact trip, with or without Antarctica, hopefully both! But Ushuaia itself is an amazing place to visit. It's the end of the world, and it's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.