King Penguins of Tierra del Fuego

09.05hs – Our experienced guide will meet and greet you at Rio Grande Airport and will transfer  to your selected hotel to leave luggage for later check-in and accommodation.  

Once luggage is left at the hotel, transfer and birding to San Sebastian Bay (Argentina border).  Upon arrival at San Sebastian you will cross the border into Chile.  On the way, you will have the chance to observe some of these many birds:  Black-face Ibis, Coscoroba Swan, Black-necked Swan, Kelp-Goose, Ashy-headed Goose, Ruddy-headed Goose, Upland Goose, Flightless Steamers-Duck, Crested Duck, Yellow-billed Pintail, Speckled Teal, Chiloe Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Red Shoveler, Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Cinereous Harrier, Southern Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-winged Coot, Red-gartered Coot, Southern Lapwing, Two-banded Plover, American Golden Plover, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Rufous–chested Dotterel, Blackish Oystercatcher, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Bird’s Sandpiper, South American Snipe, Wilson’s Phalarope, Least Seedsnipe, Chilean Skua, Dolphin Gull, South American Tern, Austral Parakeet, Common Miner, Short–billed Miner,  Austral Canastero, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant, Austral Negrito, Correndera Pipit, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Austral Blackbird, Long-tailed Meadowlark, etc.

You will go through customs formalities and once on the Chilean side you will arrive at the King Penguin Natural Reserve after a 55 kilometres drive.  You won´t believe your eyes!  You will have time to take photographs, observe and enjoy the cute king penguins.  Depending on the season,   at  “Parque Pinguino Rey” (that the official name of the rockery)  live 10 to 36 King penguins and they have  3-6 calves per year who unfortunately do not always survive.  Lunch is included.

In the afternoon you will return to the city of Rio Grande.  Total distance covered today:  300kms

Evening is at your leisure to relax.

Enjoy breakfast and get ready for a scenic journey across the Island of Tierra del Fuego (Fireland).

Today you will leave Rio Grande,  known as the  International Capital of the Trout.  The trouts and salmons removed from the Grande,  Menendez and Irigoyen rivers  seduce fishermen   from around the world for its generous dimensions and weights of up to amazing 14 kilograms.

Coming from Río Grande along national route Nº 3, half way between Río Grande and Ushuaia, in the point where the plateau turns into mountain, appears Tolhuin,  on the head of Lake Fagnano.

The natural enchantment of Tolhuín is given by the different geographical factors. Due to its location in the limit between the mountain chain and the plain of Tierra del Fuego, it creates its own climate different from the other cities in the province. It is surrounded by forest and the vast lake Fagnano, where many rivers bring their crystalline waters along fantastic courses, in an attractive place to discover and rest.

If you appreciate harmony, cordiality, and the perfect combination between man-made things and nature, you will find your place in Tolhuín.  Free time for lunch and relaxation.  Lunch is included at Hosteria Kaiken or Family Ramirez Lodge.

Road Nr.3 continues towards the south and now up into the Fueguian Andes Range onto Lake Escondido, located at the foot of Garibaldi Path, the highest point of the island (450 meters above sea level).   After enjoying the magnificent views you will continue your way to Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world.  Upon arrival, check-in and accommodation at your selected hotel.

Your afternoon will be spent at your leisure to walk around as you will. A couple of good hints would be to make your way to the End of the World Museum, and/or the Old Penitentiary Museum. Make sure to enjoy the typical dish at these latitudes: the ridiculously delicious king crab.

Breakfast at your hotel. 

This morning you'll visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park, the only one in the country with a maritime coast. Within its 63,000 hectares, you will find fire-bushes, beech trees, ñires, box-leafed barberries and endless profusions of flowers such as orchids, violets and other species. Bordering the mountains, you'll follow a road where you'll come across both peat bogs and beaver dams. After crossing the Lapataia River, a magnificent view of Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) and the upland geese and ibis that come here every summer will present themselves to your astonished eyes. A walk along the path up to Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon) or the Beavers' Path will be suggested at that point - your camera will be amply rewarded if you take either of these up. At Lapataia Bay, you'll witness the testimony of the original inhabitants of the Island (the Yamanas) at a fascinating archaeological site: the "concheros". On the way back to Ushuaia, you will make a brief stop at Lake Roca, whose colour varies according to the weather.

You may be a little fatigued from all this wonder, so you'll have the afternoon free to do as you please. If your sense of wonder is still not completely sated, an amazing Optional Tour to sail along the Beagle Channel and visit Seal and Bird Islands, the Magellan penguin rockery and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse will certainly fit the bill a fair sight more than nicely.

Breakfast at your hotel. 

After a sumptuous breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport to board flight to your next destination.