4x4ing Tierra del Fuego

Craving a pick-me-up, Karen and I walked to a local coffee shop to kickstart our first full day in Ushuaia after two long days of travel. We discovered that an Argentinian hazelnut latte is a delicious concoction with globs of nutella at the bottom. YUM. Fully caffeinated, we were picked up from our hotel by the guide, and we stopped a couple more times to pick up other group members before heading east out of town. We started out on a main paved road until we reached Garibaldi Pass, where a lookout structure provides panoramic views of the valley below.

From the pass, we headed down into the valley on a muddy 4x4 track, reaching the shore of Lago Escondido, where we stopped for a look around and a quick bathroom break. Next, we headed for the much larger Lago Fagnano, bouncing all the way on the rutted road. We took a short walk along the lake shore, and then we were welcomed into an outbuilding with tables set for lunch. We enjoyed some delicious cheese and Argentinian malbec, followed by churripan AND steak. I savored this lunch break and time to wander the lake shore, as I was not particularly looking forward to getting back in the 4x4 vehicle and continuing our bouncy ride. I wouldn’t recommend this tour for anyone with a weak stomach, unless maybe you can get a seat up front.