Souvenirs from Ushuaia: a full 2026 guide

Over ten years of working as a guide in Ushuaia, I've seen hundreds of suitcases stuffed with plastic "Made in China" penguins, and dozens with truly valuable things. This guide will help you not get it wrong: what to take, where, for how much, and what you absolutely cannot take out.

1. The "Fin del Mundo" passport stamp — the headline souvenir

Price: free.

Where: the tourist office at Av. Maipú 505 (on the waterfront, next to the port). Open daily 8:00–21:00 in high season, 9:00–17:00 in the off-season.

The red-and-blue "Ushuaia — Fin del Mundo" (End of the World) stamp is put for free into a passport or any notebook. Technically it's not an official border stamp — it's a souvenir stamp from the tourist office, so there will be no problem crossing borders later. Bring a notebook if you don't want to use a passport page.

The same office gives stamps for Antarctica (if you were on a cruise — show the ticket, they put a separate one) and for Tierra del Fuego National Park.

2. Calafate berry products

The calafate (Berberis microphylla) is a small dark-blue berry that grows all over Patagonia. Legend says anyone who's tasted calafate will return to Patagonia. Has to be tested.

What to buy:

• Calafate jam (mermelada de calafate) — $6–10 for a 250 g jar. Brands: Laguna Negra, Sarah's, Patagonia Gourmet. Take it in glass; it goes through luggage screening.
• Calafate liqueur (licor de calafate) — $15–25 for a 500 ml bottle, around 18° proof. Sweet, dark, similar to crème de cassis. Goes well on ice or in cocktails.
• Chocolate with calafate — Cabsha (an Argentine premium brand) makes filled bars at $5–8. Laguna Negra — the brand store on Av. San Martín 513 has tastings.
• Bombones — chocolate filled with calafate liqueur, a box at $12–18.

Where: Laguna Negra (Av. San Martín 513) is the best spot, with tastings. La Anonima (supermarket) too — prices there are 20–30% lower, but no gift packaging.

3. Mate and bombillas

Mate isn't just tea, it's Argentina's national ritual. It makes sense to take mate home only if you actually plan to drink it — otherwise the calabaza (gourd vessel) will dry out and crack.

Calabaza (matero):

• A plain gourd, no trim — $8–15
• A gourd with leather wrap and pattern — $20–40
• Wooden or ceramic — $15–30
• With handcrafted silver rim — $60–150

Bombilla (the metal straw with a filter):

• Aluminum — $3–6 (not great as a gift, oxidizes)
• Alpaca (nickel silver) — $10–20 (looks like silver, not expensive)
• Real 925 silver — $40–120. There should be a "925" hallmark on the shaft. No hallmark — not silver, regardless of what the seller says.

Yerba mate (the tea itself): a 500 g pack is $4–7 at the supermarket. Brands: Rosamonte, Taragüi, Cruz de Malta, Playadito. At the airport it's 2–3 times more.

Where: Pasaje de los Andes (a shopping gallery at Av. San Martín 626) — wide selection of calabazas and bombillas. Mercado Artesanal — handwork from local craftspeople.

4. Patagonian wool

Patagonia is the home of merino sheep, and the wool here is excellent. But not everything sold as "alpaca patagónica" is actual alpaca (alpacas don't live in Patagonia; their wool comes from Peru and Bolivia).

What to get:

• Merino hat — $15–30
• Scarf/snood — $20–45
• Gloves — $18–30
• Hand-knit sweater — $80–180. Heavy, warm, will last 10+ years.
• Poncho — $60–150, classic Patagonian cut

How to tell real wool: a 100% wool item has a tag with the composition and usually "Hecho en Argentina" or "Tejido en Patagonia." Synthetic glitters and is light to the touch; wool is matte and dense.

Where: Mercado Artesanal (Av. San Martín 783) — a cooperative of local knitters, fair prices. Lana Suri and similar shops on Av. San Martín — wider selection, slightly more expensive.

5. Penguin souvenirs — be careful

The penguin is the symbol of Ushuaia and every shop is full of them. 90% are plastic mass production from China. If you want a penguin — take the authentic kind:

• Handmade ceramic figurines — $10–25 from local potters at the Mercado Artesanal
• Wood-carved — $15–40
• Prints, postcards, photo posters — $3–15, you can find work by local photographers
• Stuffed animals — check the tag: "Hecho en Argentina" — yes, "Made in China" — skip

Strictly forbidden: actual penguin feathers, any of their parts. That's a violation of the Argentine Wildlife Act (Ley 22.421) and the CITES Convention — confiscation at customs + fine.

6. Indigenous crafts

The Yámana (Yaghan) and Selk'nam are the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego. Their culture has nearly disappeared, but descendants and artists are reviving the traditional craft.

What you might find:

• Carving in wood and bone (legal kinds, not fossil animals) — $20–80
• Woven baskets from local grasses — $15–50
• Jewelry from shells and stones — $10–40
• Books with drawings of Selk'nam body paint — $15–25

Important: only buy at Mercado Artesanal or certified shops with the "Artesanía Indígena Certificada" mark. Street vendors often resell industrial goods as crafts.

7. Patagonian wine

Argentina is a wine country, and Patagonia (Río Negro, Neuquén provinces) makes excellent Pinot Noir — the cold climate suits this finicky variety.

What to grab:

• Pinot Noir from Río Negro — $12–25 a bottle (Bodega Chacra, Humberto Canale, Familia Schroeder)
• Malbec — Argentina's national grape, $10–20
• Extra Brut sparkling from Patagonia — $15–25

Bringing it home: in luggage, up to 5 liters per person in most countries. Wrap it in clothes, put it in the center of the suitcase. To Russia duty-free is up to 3 liters; in the EU it's up to 4 liters of strong alcohol (wine included).

Where: La Anonima (supermarket), specialized wine shops on Av. San Martín, tastings at the Bodega del Fin del Mundo store.

8. Beagle craft beer

Beagle Brewing is the local brewery, brewing in Ushuaia since 2015. Their cans travel fine in luggage.

Lineup: Beagle Stout (dark, full-bodied), Beagle IPA, Beagle Honey Ale (with local honey). Price at the supermarket — $3–4 for a 473 ml can, at the bar $6–8.

A can with the Les Éclaireurs lighthouse design is a great souvenir in itself, even if the contents get drunk locally.

9. Books and photo albums

For those interested in history and nature:

• "Tierra del Fuego" (Rae Natalie Prosser Goodall) — a classic book on Tierra del Fuego ecology, $25–40
• "Los Selk'nam" (Anne Chapman) — ethnography of the indigenous people, $20–30
• Photo albums of Patagonia and Antarctica — $30–60
• Old-expedition map posters — $5–15

Where: the Boutique del Libro bookstore (Av. San Martín 1120), souvenir shops at the museums (Museo del Fin del Mundo, Museo Marítimo).

10. Antarctic souvenirs

If you came back from an Antarctic cruise — definitely pick up:

• Expedition patch — $5–15, often sold on the ship
• Base or expedition flag — $20–40
• Antarctic Circle crossing certificate — issued on the ship or printed at the tourist office for $3–5
• Pin badge — $5–10

What you absolutely CANNOT buy and take out

Argentine customs and the receiving countries' customs are strict, especially with natural resources:

• Fresh or frozen crab product (centolla, centollón) — export is prohibited without a special phytosanitary license
• Fresh fish and seafood — same
• Feathers, bones, taxidermied penguins, sea lions, any birds — a CITES article, confiscation + fine
• Fossils and remains — every find in Argentina belongs to the state (Law 25.743)
• Plants, seeds, soil — phytosanitary control
• Items made of whale baleen, walrus ivory, any parts of marine mammals — CITES, absolute ban

Where to buy: a map of places

Souvenir budget

Approximate for a family of 2–4 people:

• Minimum (stamp + jam + magnet + postcards): $15–25
• Standard (stamp + jam + liqueur + scarf + plain mate + book): $80–150
• Full kit (stamp + assortment of calafate products + silver bombilla + sweater + wine + books): $250–450

Customs rules for the way back

Russia: up to €10,000 duty-free, alcohol up to 3 liters of strong spirits, up to 2 liters of strong + unlimited wine within reasonable personal-use bounds. Food for personal consumption in factory packaging is allowed.

EU: up to €430 for air passengers, alcohol — 1 liter of strong spirits or 2 liters of wine/sparkling + 4 liters of still wine. Meat and dairy products (including honey) are banned; jam and chocolate are fine.

A declaration is filled out if you exceed the limit.

Closing

Ushuaia gives a rare chance to bring back not a "souvenir for the sake of a souvenir," but an item with meaning: a book about the Selk'nam, a sweater of Patagonian wool, a bottle of Pinot Noir, an "end of the world" stamp in your passport. The main thing — bypass plastic China and buy from locals. And don't try to take a crab home — they'll seize it.