The Beagle Channel Odyssey of Discovery: The Gable Expedition

  • Arrival at Harberton Ranch, nestled on the banks of the cool waters of the Beagle Channel

Get ready for a day of exploration and trekking at the Ends of the Earth! You will step back in time and venture into the origins of Ushuaia to relive the discovery experience of its founders in these rugged lands, while taking on one of the most remote locations in the area.

We’ll visit the first estancia (ranch) established in Ushuaia, home to the first non-native settlers, as well as check out the southernmost museum in the world. Next, it’ll be time to hop into our motorboat, and navigate the same waters explored by the first founders of Ushuaia, as well as many famous adventurers; including naturalist Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle in 1833. We’ll make a quick island stop where we’ll have the chance to penguin-watch from our boat. Then, we’ll reach our last destination, taking us off the beaten path and on to the remote, uninhabited Gable Island, the largest island in the Beagle Channel.

Our tour kicks off in the morning hours, with a scenic ride of about 1 hour and 30 minutes to the starting point of our canoeing expedition. During this ride we’ll get a firsthand look at the "árboles bandera" (flag trees), which are contorted and twisted into incredible shapes due to the strong Patagonian winds.

We arrive at the Harberton Ranch (the oldest ranch in Ushuaia), founded in 1866 by missionary and linguist Thomas Bridges, who established the first Anglican mission in Ushuaia. He’s also known for drafting the first dictionary of the Yaghan language, which he learned in the course of working with the Yamana tribe in his religious mission.

You will gain special insight into the history of the region, as you explore the gardens and grounds, which include replicas of Yamana huts from the original inhabitants of the area. We’ll also visit Museo Acatushun (Museum of Birds and Mammals), which also happens to be the southernmost museum in the world! Travelers who would prefer a more adventurous outing, and do not wish to spend the morning at Harberton Ranch can choose to do a canoeing trip down the waters of the Beagle Channel.

Following this, we’ll step aboard a motorboat and navigate the Beagle Channel, making our way to Martillo Island, where we will make a short stop of about 15 minutes. We’ll remain on the boat next to the shore, while we observe a colony of thousands of Magellanic penguins, and prepare our cameras to snap some memory-making images!

After our penguin-watching, we’ll navigate to the uninhabited Gable Island, the largest island in the Beagle Channel. After disembarking on this rugged land, we’ll be treated to a tasty lunch with ruby-red Patagonian wines, before heading out on our trekking exploration of the island.

As we kick off our trek and after a hearty lunch, we’ll find ourselves traversing lush, green pastures and vast woods; as we head towards the Southern shore, where we’ll reach the cliffs. The trek takes between 2 and 2.5 hours, depending on the pace of the group. As we explore the island, we’ll come across remnants of both the Yamana civilization, the first civilization on the island, and the remnants of the first non-native settlers to Ushuaia, which once inhabited the Gable Island.

This exciting day of exploration following Ushuaia’s founders’ route comes to an end as we navigate back to Harberton Ranch, for a comfortable transfer back to our hotel.

Important: the tour’s exact itinerary and duration may change subject to weather conditions and decisions of the tour guide to optimize your tour experience.

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Difficulty: Moderate.
Trek distance: 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers). Elevation gain: 165 feet (50 meters) with a cumulative elevation gain (refers to the sum of every gain in elevation throughout the entire trek) of 295 feet (90 meters).
For the trekking portion, there is a shorter and a longer route, your tour guide will let you choose which one you prefer and the group will split into 2 if needed. This shorter and easier trek has a distance of 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) and an elevation gain of 100 feet (30 meters) .
The minimum age required for this tour is 5 years old. This tour usually operates from October to end of March.

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Duration: full day (approximately 9 hours from the time you leave your hotel until you return).

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Guide: group guide. The maximum group size for this tour is approximately 20 travelers.

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Vehicle: group vehicle.

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Includes: lunch with non-alcoholic beverages & wine. Entrance ticket to Harberton Ranch.