Natural Protected Areas in Tierra del Fuego Island

Tierra del Fuego is home to a network of protected areas that safeguard its unique ecosystems and cultural heritage. The most iconic is Tierra del Fuego National Park, a vast reserve combining forests, mountains, lakes, and marine coasts. Martial Glacier Reserve protects the alpine environment near Ushuaia, offering trails and panoramic views. Corazón de la Isla Reserve, in the center of the province, preserves lenga forests, peat bogs, and pristine lakes. On the Atlantic coast, Cabo San Pablo and Península Mitre shelter marine wildlife, seabird colonies, and remote landscapes. Isla de los Estados, declared a Provincial Reserve, is a jewel of biodiversity and history, with limited access to protect its fragile environment. Several natural monuments safeguard species like the guanaco and lenga beech forests. These areas also honor the legacy of Indigenous peoples who once inhabited the island. They provide opportunities for sustainable tourism, scientific research, and environmental education. Together, they represent Tierra del Fuego’s commitment to conservation at the “End of the World.”

Mitre Peninsula Reserve

At the eastern end of Tierra del Fuego lies the Mitre Peninsula, an area of fascinating landscapes with great natural and archaeological value.

How to get there
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The Mitre Peninsula is located at the eastern tip of Tierra del Fuego Island. Due to its significant natural and cultural value, it has been designated as a protected area under Provincial Law No. 1461. The reserve also includes the adjacent marine area, the waters surrounding Isla de los Estados, Isla de Año Nuevo, and nearby islets, as well as all water bodies, lagoons, islands, and islets within its boundaries.

This area serves as a refuge for native endangered species such as the Fuegian red fox, the Magellanic otter, the river otter (huillín), the red-headed goose, and species considered vulnerable (Austral caracara, white-bellied plover, and Antarctic skua). The peninsula is also home to a diverse and abundant marine fauna, including the imperial cormorant, the black-necked cormorant, South American sea lions (both single- and two-haired), and the rockhopper penguin, which feeds in this area. The latter species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The reserve features extensive peatlands with unique ecological characteristics, accounting for 84% of the peatlands found in the country. Its watercourses and lakes have not been stocked with salmonids, preserving the native ichthyofauna. Forests are typical of coastal locations with high humidity. Its varied benthic marine vegetation includes exclusive and endemic species, as well as large areas of brown algae forests, which serve as shelter and feeding grounds for various invertebrates, fish, birds, and marine mammals.

The geological and paleontological importance of the Mitre Peninsula can be observed in outcrops preserving evidence of past environmental conditions and paleofloral content, including fossilized trunks, leaves, and fruits dating back 40 million years. In terms of cultural value, Mitre hosts archaeological remains from the Haush aboriginal group, the history of South Atlantic navigation, and the settlement of Tierra del Fuego. Numerous shipwrecks in the waters of Mitre Peninsula have been declared Provincial Historical Heritage.

Important information
Access to this reserve requires approval from the Provincial Secretariat of Environment.

Ramsar Site: Vinciguerra Glacier and Associated Peatlands

Learn about the Ramsar site located in the Andorra Valley, just a few kilometers from the city of Ushuaia.

Trekking trails:

• Wetlands Trail

• Enchanted Lagoon Trail

• Andorra Valley Viewpoint Trail

• Vinciguerra Glacier Trail

A Ramsar site is a wetland ecosystem of international importance. In Ushuaia, the Vinciguerra Glacier and Associated Peatlands Ramsar site covers 2,760 hectares in the Andorra Valley. It contains 11 types of wetlands, including the Vinciguerra Glacier, which encompasses lagoons, permafrost environments, and high-altitude wetlands, and the Andorra Valley peatlands, which include Sphagnum moss and flooded forest on peat. The valley slopes are dominated by Nothofagus forests containing other types of wetlands.

In addition to its international importance, the site has great local environmental value, as the peatlands protect Ushuaia’s most important drinking water source, the Arroyo Grande. They also help regulate flooding. The Ramsar area includes many marked trails to visit places like Vinciguerra Glacier, Iceberg Lagoon, Enchanted Lagoon, and Piedras Panorámicas Viewpoint. Open fires are strictly prohibited.

Cerro Alarken Private Natural Reserve

Located within the urban area of Ushuaia, this private reserve is accessed via the road leading to Hotel Arakur. Covering 100 hectares, the reserve protects lush forests of lenga, ñire, and guindo trees, as well as native birds and wildlife and peatland areas. A network of easy and moderate trails leads to panoramic views of the city, Beagle Channel, and Cerro Olivia.

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Tierra del Fuego National Park covers 68,909 hectares of Patagonian forests and was created in September 1960. Located 12 km west of Ushuaia, it is the only Argentine national park bordering the sea, as one end includes the southwest coast of the Beagle Channel. Lapataia Bay, where National Route 3 ends, is the only fjord in the Argentine sector of the island.

Access:

1. By vehicle from Ushuaia (through a tour, taxi, remis, or private car) via National Route 3 to the park entrance, where tickets and information are available.

2. Via the “Train to the End of the World” departing 2 km before the park entrance. This service covers 7 km to the park station, from which visitors can continue independently, considering transportation for the return if using private vehicles.

Isla de los Estados Provincial Reserve

This reserve is highly significant for Argentina’s history, Antarctic exploration, navigation, and settlement of the South Atlantic.

How to get there:
Isla de los Estados is 230 km from the main cities of the main island. Access is only by boat via the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia or the Argentine Sea from Río Grande, crossing the Le Maire Strait, one of South America’s most treacherous waters.

The conservation value of the reserve is based on both ecological and historical heritage. It is the only place in Argentina with fjords and, together with the coasts of the main island, contains the only coastal-marine forest formations in the country. Coastal birds are a key feature, including the two largest colonies of rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) in Argentina and the southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), an endangered species. Critically endangered fauna, such as the river otter (Huillín) and marine otter (Chuchungo), are also present.

Among terrestrial mammals, the Guindal mouse (Abrothrix xanthorhinus llanoi) is endemic and the only native mouse recorded on the island. Historical heritage includes remains of penitentiary facilities, a lighthouse, cemeteries (San Juan de Salvamento and Cook), shipwrecks, and small settlements related to seal and penguin exploitation. The reserve has a permanent coast guard station in Puerto Parry and a temporary post at Isla Observatorio during summer. Extractive use of natural resources is prohibited; scientific research and regulated tourism are allowed.

The reserve covers 50,736 hectares, consisting of Isla de los Estados and nearby islands and islets. Isla de los Estados is 63 km long and 500 m wide at its narrowest isthmus connecting Puerto Cook to Puerto Vancouver. The terrain is mountainous, forming the eastern end of the Fuegian mountain range. The coasts are rugged with numerous fjords. The climate is cold oceanic, very humid, with annual rainfall near 2,000 mm and constant winds mainly from the NW and SW. Vegetation includes evergreen guindo (Nothofagus betuloides) and canelo (Drymis winterii) forests with dense fern, lichen, and moss undergrowth. Other plant communities include grassy peatlands and coastal Poa flabellata grasslands. Marine coasts feature extensive brown algae forests providing feeding grounds for birds and marine mammals.

The Yámana canoeing people, the first to navigate the dangerous Le Maire Strait in fragile canoes, called this area Chuanisin, meaning “place of abundance.” Its protection was established in Article 54 of the Provincial Constitution, declaring it an intangible and permanent heritage for all Fuegians.

Valle de Tierra Mayor Natural and Scenic Reserve

This reserve is primarily known for its scenic and landscape beauty, with exclusive use for tourism.

How to get there:

• From Ushuaia: 20 km north via National Route 3

• From Río Grande: 180 km south via National Route 3

Trekking trails:

• Beban Waterfall Trail

• Emerald Lagoon Trail

• Turquoise Lagoon Trail

• Submarine Waterfall and Lagoon Trail

Located 20 km from Ushuaia, this reserve covers the watersheds of the Olivia and Lasifashaj Rivers.