Today we head back to the harbor and board our Rumbo Sur catamaran for our trip down the Beagle Channel to Estancia Harberton.  The Estancia has existed since 1886 and is a part of the long missionary history of the area.

The flowers in Ushuaia are amazing. UshuaiaPoppy long the street in Ushuaia, Argentina,

The lupin are set off by the bright blue sky as we wait for our morning ride.  Normally Ushuaia is windy, cold and rainy.  We have hit it on two warm, bright sunny days.  Very lucky.

  UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

As the catamaran leaves the harbor, we see wildlife throughout the bay.  Like these Upland Geese on an island we pass.  UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Nesting Rock Cormorants... Rock Cormorants, UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Part of a very large colony... UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

And then there's the iconic Ushuaia lighthouse. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Down the Beagle, we pass the Chilean Puerto Williams.  Much smaller than Ushuaia, this also is recognized by some as the most southern city in the world.  It is an important base for the Chilean navy, with a tower at the right.  That is the undisputed location of the southern most bar in the world.  The green building on the left is the local church.

Puerto Williams, Tierra del FuegoUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Next we stop at Isla Martillo, a large Megellanic Penguin Colony in the Beagle. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

This is how most visitors see the penguin colonies down here.  We feel very fortunate to have had a very different experience.

UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

The Megellanic penguins still put on a show, even if they do have to dodge big boats on their beach. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

We finally arrive at Estancia Harberton.  It's lovely now, but it is hard to believe a missionary raised a family way out here in the late 1800's.   UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

It caters to tourists now. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Both by water and by land.  You can rent a room, camp or have a meal here. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

And it is the home of Museo Acatushun, a renown research facility for marine life and birds found in the area.  The director, Rae Natalie Prosser Goodall began the collections and studies in 1976 by claiming dead specimens on the beaches.  She would bring them home and boil them to clean the bones.  Her house was known for its horrible smells back then. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

It is now a first class facility, with great exhibits inside and out. Museo Acatushun, Ushuaia5Ushuaia, Argentina, National Park,

We drive back to Ushuaia though the foothills of the Andes. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

We stop by a gentle waterfall, complete with rainbow.

UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

And get another, unobstructed, view of Mt. Olivia from the back side. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Back in Ushuaia, we wander down town for dinner with the church bells ringing. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

Our last find in Ushuaia is a troll garden at our B+B.  Now we know why we have had such a magical trip.  These little guys have been a good omen for us from Iceland to Switzerland--in fact on almost all our trips.  We just have to keep watch for them. UshuaiaUshuaia, Argentina, National Park,

We'll begin our trip home tomorrow.  We have two more legs...a stop in Buenos Aries, then out to a gaucho ranch in Patagonia.