A luxury travel guide to Ushuaia: where to stay, what to do and how to reach the world's southernmost city, Antarctica's gateway on the Beagle Channel.
Ushuaia sits at the very tip of South America, where the Andes finally meet the sea on the shores of the Beagle Channel. It is the world’s southernmost city, and that geographical distinction is not just a novelty. It shapes everything about the place, from the quality of the light to the scale of the landscape to the extraordinary wildlife that gathers here at the edge of the inhabited world.
Getting There
Ushuaia is served by Malvinas Argentinas International Airport (USH), with regular domestic flights from Buenos Aires taking around three and a half hours. Most visitors fly via Buenos Aires, either Aeroparque or Ezeiza, with LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas operating the route. Ushuaia also makes a natural final or first stop on a Patagonia circuit that begins in Buenos Aires and works south via El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Where to Stay
The luxury hotel options in Ushuaia are genuinely strong, and the two standouts are Los Cauquenes Resort and Spa and Arakur Ushuaia Resort and Spa. Los Cauquenes sits directly on the Beagle Channel seven kilometers from downtown, with all rooms facing the water and suite categories adding private decks over the channel. The spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and the Reinamora restaurant make it the most complete luxury property in the city, and the hotel runs a regular shuttle into town.
Arakur occupies a hilltop position within the protected Cerro Alarkén Natural Reserve, offering panoramic views across the city, the channel and the Darwin Range from its heated outdoor pools and terraces. Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort is a third option on the hillside above town, with spa facilities including a hammam and sauna and the Le Martial restaurant serving regional cuisine.
What to Do
The Beagle Channel is the natural focus of any visit. Private cruises through its waters offer close encounters with sea lion colonies, penguin rookeries and the lighthouse at Faro Les Eclaireurs, and the best operators can arrange gourmet catering aboard smaller vessels for a more exclusive experience. Tierra del Fuego National Park, accessible by road or on the famous End of the World Train, covers ancient lenga beech forests, glacial lakes and Bahia Lapataia, where the Pan-American Highway officially ends.
For a perspective that few visitors experience, a helicopter flight over the city and surrounding landscape is one of the more memorable things you can do anywhere in Argentina. HeliUshuaia operates an hour-long circuit that includes a landing on a high Andean lake, with champagne included. In winter, Cerro Castor is the world’s most southerly ski resort, a genuine draw for those combining a South American ski trip with a wider Patagonia itinerary. Year-round, the Laguna Esmeralda hike rewards the effort with a striking glacial lake set against snow-capped peaks.
The city’s restaurant scene punches above its size. King crab caught in the Beagle Channel is the local specialty, and Volver and María Lola are the two restaurants most consistently recommended for seafood. Ramos Generales, an eccentric waterfront institution stuffed with antiques, is the place for a long lunch of lamb, local cheeses and Patagonian wine.
LGBTQ+ in Ushuaia
For LGBTQ+ travelers, the journey to Ushuaia works beautifully as the dramatic finale to a Buenos Aires itinerary. Spend time in Palermo and San Telmo first, where the city’s well-established gay scene, vibrant Pride culture and gay-friendly tango scene give way, gradually, to wilder and emptier landscapes as you head south.
By the time you reach the Beagle Channel, the contrast could not be more complete: from one of the most openly queer cities in South America to one of the most remote corners of the inhabited world. Argentina’s strong LGBTQ+ legal protections extend the full length of the country, and Ushuaia’s small-city atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. It is a journey that covers extraordinary ground in every sense.
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Antarctica Gateway
Around half of all visitors to Ushuaia are passing through on their way to Antarctica, and the city is the primary embarkation point for Antarctic cruises. Most expedition ships depart from the port between November and March, with the Drake Passage crossing taking roughly two days each way. Building in at least two nights in Ushuaia before departure is recommended — both to absorb the city and as a sensible buffer against flight delays from Buenos Aires.
When to Go
The South American summer, from December to February, brings the longest days and the most stable weather, and is the peak season for both tourism and Antarctic departures. Spring, from September to November, and autumn, from March to May, offer quieter conditions and competitive rates at the luxury hotels. Winter brings snow to the mountains and opens the ski season at Cerro Castor, and the combination of deep cold and dramatic light makes it one of the more atmospheric times to visit.
