Tierra del Fuego National Park

 

November 2022

 

by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram


The Tierra del Fuego (literally, the Land of Fire), National Park, ‘Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego’ is the southernmost national park in Argentina. It is a short distance from Ushuaia and can be easily reached by private vehicle or bus. Pretty much every travel agency and hotel in town will be able to arrange half day and full day trips to the park. The park is very beautiful, and is rich in flora and fauna. There are also several hiking trails, but if you go as part of a tour group, you most probably will not be able to go hiking. Lago Roca (lake Roca) is partly in Chile and Argentina, and a part of this lake is in the park and is known as lake Acigami, which means ‘basket or elongated bag’ in the now-extinct Yámana (Yagán) language that was spoken by the indigenous people of the region. Inside the park is also the end point of Ruta no. 3 (Argentinian Route no. 3) that starts in Buenos Aires, runs through several provinces of the country and ends at the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego.

Purchasing tickets for us at the entrance to the Park is the lovely tour guide (wearing the black shirt) on our bus. She told me I was not supposed to get out of the bus at this point, but that was after I was already outside, and clicked a few photographs!


The information booth at the entrance to the Tierra del Fuego national Park.


A view inside the Park.


Another view inside the park. It was a rainy day, and the low-hanging clouds can be seen over the hills at the back.


A gentle stream meandering through the park..


A sign in the park says: “To err is human, but nature is the one that is harmed. In 1946, 25 pairs of beavers were introduced to Tierra del Fuego for fur purposes, a production attempt that was never achieved. Without predators or natural competitors and in an environment similar to its own, the species successfully colonized the Fuegian ecosystem. Today it occupies almost all the basins of the Fuegian archipelago in Argentina and Chile.”

The sign referred to above.

The story today is that the beavers have pretty much occupied the park and have changed the ecology of the region. The guide told us that attempts are being made to exterminate the beavers but it is no easy task, especially since they come out only at night.

A dam built by beavers. The grey-coloured stubs were trees earlier, but have died due to the waters in the dam.

A bird in the park. If you can identify it, please let me know!


Yours truly at Bahia Lapataia (the Lapataia Bay) seen at the back! This is also the end point of Ruta no. 3. Want to drive to Alaska? It is only 18,000 km from here, give or take a few. But I did meet a couple of rugged guys on motorcycles who actually had gone all the way!


Lake Acigami, which is almost like an inland sea with its waves.


The 'End of the World' train runs through the park, which is the topic of the next post on this blog. See you there, amigos y amigas!

Location: Tierra del Fuego National Park, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

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