Outings and excursions · Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego National Park: Lapataia, Lago Roca and the Coastal Trail
Photos: Sebastian Werner · CC BY 2.0 / Bob Ramsak · CC BY-SA 4.0 / Butterfly voyages (Serge Ouachée) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Just 12 km from Ushuaia, the park where Route 3 ends: Lapataia Bay, Lago Roca, the Coastal Trail along the Beagle Channel and a short walk to Laguna Negra.
About 12 kilometers west of Ushuaia, Route 3 leaves the city behind and enters Tierra del Fuego National Park, established in 1960. You can drive, join a tour or take a shuttle, and the gravel road strings together lakes, bays and forest until it simply runs out: Lapataia marks kilometer 3079, the end of the highway that starts in Buenos Aires.
Lapataia Bay is a fjord about 6 kilometers long on the Beagle Channel, carved by glaciers and later flooded by the sea. The name comes from the Yaghan language, and for centuries its shores were hunting and gathering grounds for the Yámana people. From the boardwalks, La Baliza trail (1,200 meters, half an hour) runs through coastal forest, grassland and beaver ponds, and nearby the Mirador Lapataia trail (980 meters) gives you the view of the bay from above.
Before the bay, a side road leads to Lago Roca, also known as Acigami: about 11 kilometers long, with roughly two thirds of it in Chile, draining into the Lapataia River. From its parking area, the Hito XXIV trail follows the shore to the Chilean border: 3.5 kilometers one way and about three hours round trip, open November to April.
The Coastal Trail (Senda Costera) is for those who want a proper walk without climbing: 8 kilometers and around four hours, almost always by the sea, from Ensenada Zaratiegui to the junction of Route 3 and the Lago Roca road, with only 70 meters of elevation change. It winds through lenga, ñire and guindo forest, and with some luck you'll spot a Fuegian red fox or upland geese along the shore.
For something short, try Laguna Negra: 500 meters through the woods, about 15 minutes, with signs explaining how peat bogs form, the spongy ground that covers much of the park. Beavers, an introduced species, have left their mark too: dams and felled trees are visible from several trails.
- Tour type: Sightseeing and hiking
- Difficulty level: Easy (Laguna Negra, Lapataia and viewpoints); moderate (Coastal Trail and Hito XXIV)
- Tip: The Coastal Trail and the Hito XXIV trail are only open from November to April; check trail conditions with the park before setting out, and bring warm, waterproof layers, since the weather changes fast.
