- Buenos Aires : Explore over the weekend
- Gaucho Day Trip from Buenos Aires
- Visit Ushuaia : Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Visit Ushuaia : Laguna Esmeralda Hike
- Visit Ushuaia : Cruise on the Beagle Channel
- Explore Heart of Patagonia : El Calafate
- Explore El Chalten : Hike Laguna Capri and Chorillo del Saltado
- Explore Torres Del Paine from El Calafate
- Half Day trip from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier
- An evening train to Tigre Delta
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one pageSaint Augustine
Post our tour of Tierra Del Fuego National Park we took a cab from the port towards Laguna Esmeralda. While we had the option of taking a bus which would be cheaper – with the time constraint and with a kid – we preferred taking a cab – which wasn’t expensive either. We asked our cab driver to wait back, which on hindsight was a good option as we finished late in the evening and there weren’t many taxis around. On the meter it took us 10k pesos to reach the parking for Laguna Esmeralda, another 10k for the return and 10k for the waiting – so 30k pesos for a return cab with waiting time for 4 hours i.e. approx. 25£ – which we felt was well worth it.
Got Addy in the baby carrier and off we went. Addy is growing so fast and very soon we might not be able to get into the carrier and, it’s hard on our backs as she grows and gets heavy. Hope she takes a liking for hikes and walks along with us soon. The trek starts with lush green Lenga Forest taking you through a well-marked Trail. We did lose our way at the start, but we soon were back and heading towards the laguna.Watch out for roots everywhere on the trail – there are stones just few meters underneath, hence the roots are prevalent on the ground.
The trail through the forest is mostly flat though it can get very muddy if it rains. It rains a lot in this part of the world even in the Summer. Once you cross the forest you will find yourself in peat moss area, this has proper wooden walkways built – so no problem of getting stuck in the mud. Addy had already gotten down of the baby carrier now and to our surprise was marching forward hiking the trail.
The first big uphill starts after the peat moss which is quite a sharp incline. You will also cross the Beavers dam – These animals which aren’t native to Tierra Del Fuego have wrecked quite some damage to the environment here. You will see green Emerald water streaming past as you head further up Criss-crossing the rocks and mud. One Final push and u climb a steep little hill and at the top you are dumbfounded by this awesome Green Emerald Lake at the foothill of a Glacier – Laguna Esmeralda
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Absolutely stunning place, so calm and serene – there were quite few hikers winding down after the hike. We let our guard down and just stand on the shore taking in the view of what lies in front of us. We were blessed to have a sunny day with very less winds – so couldn’t have asked for anything more. Had our meal on the shores of the lake with few Crested Caracaras keeping a close eye on us.
We finally started our descent back. Addy having walked all the way up for 3-4 km was eager to go walking back – which was surprising. However, we wanted to get back on time for the cab – so we convinced Addy to sit in the carrier and we literally ran the last part. My back had gone for a toss carrying an approx. 20kg toddler on my back – but well worth the hike.It would have been a big regret had we missed the hike, and we were simply amazed of how beautiful this part of the untapped world is.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.