ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 259

4 Estancia
Harberton
Road map B6. 53 miles (85 km) E of
Ushuaia. Te l [phone].
Open mid-Oct-mid-Apr: 10am-7pm
daily. & 8 0 - ®
∑ estanciaharberton.com

The oldest estancia in Tierra
del Fuego, Estancia Harberton
was built in 1886 for Anglican
missionary Thomas Bridges in
return for his pioneering work
among the region's native
people, which included
compiling the first English-
Yámana dictionary. His son
Lucas continued the literary
tradition, writing The Uttermost
Part of the Earth , an account
of a young boy growing up
among the Yámana.
The family estancia is now
run by their descendants and
can be reached by road or boat
excursion along Canal Beagle.
Guided tours take in its
extensive gardens, wool shed,
boathouse, carpenter shops,
and family cemetery. Visitors
can also make the boat trip to
Isla Martillo (or Yecapasela), a
nature preserve with colonies of
Magellanic and gentoo penguins.

A view along the Río Oyando, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego

outstanding vistas of the
channel. Access to the national
park is via road or the Tren del
Fin del Mundo , a narrow-gauge
tourist train that follows the line
of the old “Convict Train,” which
used to ferry prisoners into the
forest for hard labor.

Museo de la Ciudad Virginia
Choquintel has displays on
the city's past.

Environs
Along the coast from Río
Grande is Estancia Viamonte ,
a jewel of a sheep estancia
founded in 1902 by the sons of
Thomas Bridges, and today run
by their descendants. Visitors
are sometimes even allowed to
stay in Lucas Bridges' bedroom.
Named for the founder of the
Misión Salesiana, Lago Fagnano
is the largest lake on Tierra del
Fuego, excellent for trout fishing.
The tiny village of Tolhuin sits on
the lakeshore and is a tranquil
base for exploring the area.

5 Parque Nacional
Tierra del Fuego
Road map B6. @ from Ushuaia.
n Ruta Nacional 3, Km 3047; Ave San
Martín 1395, Ushuaia, [phone].
Open 24hrs daily. &
∑ parquesnacionales.gob.ar
Tren del Fin del Mundo: station off
Ruta Nacional 3, 5 miles (8 km) W of
Ushuaia. Te l [phone].
∑ trendelfindelmundo.com.ar

6 Río Grande
Road map B6. 137 miles (220 km) NE
of Ushuaia. * 80,000. k @ from
Ushuaia or Río Gallegos. n Rosales
350, [phone].
∑ interpatagonia.com/riogrande

The largest settlement on
Tierra del Fuego, Río Grande is
known mainly as a fishing
destination due to its proximity
to the trout-rich waters of Río
Menéndez. Its history dates
back to 1893 when the first
Salesian missionaries, led by a
Monseñor Fagnano, arrived to
evangelize the Selknam. Now
an agricultural college, the
Misión Salesiana can still be
visited, where the excellent
Museo Regional Monseñor
Fagnano traces its history
and that of the people it
aimed to convert. In town,

Stretching north from Canal
Beagle and across Lago
Fagnano, this beautiful park was
founded to protect 266 sq miles
(689 sq km) of lenga , ñire , and
coihue woods. The park
encompasses lakes, mountains,
glaciated valleys, and a pristine
sea coast, which form a
protective haven for more than
100 bird and mammal species.
Numerous trails run through
the park; short treks include
forest and shoreline walks.
Of the more demanding hikes,
the trek to Pampa Alta offers

E Museo Regional
Monseñor Fagnano
Misión Salesiana, Ruta Nacional 3, Km
2800. Te l [phone]. Open mid-
Dec-mid-Mar: 10am-7pm Tue-Sun;
mid-Mar-mid-Dec: 9am-12:30pm,
3-7pm Mon-Fri (8pm Sat & Sun). &
8 on request.
E Museo de la Ciudad Virginia
Choquintel
Alberdi 555. Te l [phone].
Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 3-7pm Sat.
8 on request. 7

The southerly city of Ushuaia, seen from the Canal Beagle