Travel South America Skiing Adventures

Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

** Nahuel Huapi National Park ** Iguazu Bird Park ** Los Glaciers National Park **
** Iguazu National Park ** Iguazu Falls **

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Tierra del Fuego is Argentina's most southern park, encompassing a variety of landscapes which range from the Andes mountains on the Chilean border to the north-west and the Beagle Channel with the Lapataia and Ensenada bays with steep shores and quiet beaches to the south-west. Two types of trees dominate this Park, the deciduous lenga and the evergreen guindo. Amongst the trees grow mosses and ferns and in between the afforested areas are peat bogs. The peaty ground means that several of the lakes look black even though the water is clean.

Besides the fabulous flora to be found (including orchids and puffballs in the spring), Tierra del Fuego is a bird-watcher's paradise. On the various lakes and the seashore are found an enormous range of birdlife which are easy to identify and many do not seem to fear people and so it is possible to get close enough to identify markings without the use of binoculars.

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On the shore it is possible to see the huge albatross flying over the sea with the small petrels ducking in and out of the water. On land are the kelp geese, magellanic oystercatchers, crested ducks, great grebe and steamer ducks. Woodpeckers can be found in the forests.

Living alongside these beautiful birds but with all four feet planted firmly on the ground are the guanaco (closely related to the camel, reddish brown in colour) and the large red fox that is endemic to the area, as well as the rare magellanic sea otter. There are several non-indigenous mammals such as rabbits, musk rat and beaver which are all thriving. Unfortunately, fascinating as the beaver is, it is doing a lot of damage to the trees, not only felling them but by creating large dams many of the trees are drowning due to their roots being water-logged all year round. Sad as this is, it is amazing to see what these remarkable creatures can achieve.

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Shell-fish is abundant on the seashore and it is still possible to find piles of discarded mussel shells which have been entangled together by grasses growing amongst them. These piles are indicative of where the original aboriginal people, the Yamana Indians, made their homes. The oldest of these on Salmon Island is thought to date from 250 AD.

For those travelling in the winter-time (June to October) skiing is excellent at the nearby resort of Ushuaia. Other activities include diving in the Beagle Channel, Ice skating on an open air lake, langlauf and husky dog sledding.

During the summer months horse riding, mountain trekking and walking, canoeing and rafting are all options open to the traveller. Please enquire about any of the activities for which you would require further information

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