Lakes: Escondido + Fagnano
- Duration
- Full day
- Transport
- 4x4
- Group
- up to 3 ppl
- Season
- November–April
Two lakes you can't reach in a regular car. Via Paso Garibaldi and the dirt road — to Escondido and Fagnano. Full day, lunch on the shore. If you're lucky, you'll see beaver dams along the way [an invasive species that reshaped the whole hydrology of the island — a story in its own right].
Program
-
Pickup from hotel. We head east on Ruta 3 — the only land route off the island
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Paso Garibaldi — the only trans-Andean pass on Tierra del Fuego. 500 m above sea level. From the viewpoint — the first postcard of Lago Escondido [below] and Lago Fagnano [in the distance]
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Descent to Lago Escondido. Hostería Petrel on the shore — they serve trout and asado
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1 hour off-road through lenga forest — where a regular car can't pass. Streams, mud, roots. This is the "4x4" part
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Lago Fagnano — the largest lake in Tierra del Fuego (105 km long), one of the 10 largest in Argentina. The border runs along the lake — the far shore is already Chile. Picnic with asado on the shore
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Return through the island's interior. You might see condors, guanacos, caiquenes
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Return to Ushuaia
Included
- ✓Russian-speaking guide
- ✓4x4 vehicle
- ✓Lakeside picnic
Extra cost
- +Extra meal at a café
Photos
per group
Questions and answers
What does "4x4 expedition" mean? Real off-road? +
Yes. Part of the route is paved, but 1.5 hours is real off-road through the interior of the island: streams, mud, roots. Vehicle — Toyota Hilux or similar pickup with a winch. Safe, local driver, all under control.
What unusual things will we see? +
Beaver dams [invasive species], Yamana shell middens in the forest, guanacos, condors. Lago Fagnano is crossed by the Chile border — the far shore is already Chile. Largest lake in Tierra del Fuego — 105 km long.
If it rains — do we still go? +
We go. Rain is normal in Tierra del Fuego. Without it nothing would grow. I bring jackets and boots; the picnic moves to a tent. We only cancel for a storm, and that's rare.
Can I go with small kids? +
Kids 5+ — fine if they can handle 7 hours in a car with stops. Younger ones — it's tiring. I have child seats available.
What's for lunch on the picnic? +
Argentine asado: lamb or beef on the grill, chorizo, fresh bread, chimichurri, vegetables, fruit. Wine optional. I bring everything in the cooler, we cook on site.
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