“It’s not the end of the world.”

Well, sometimes it really is. Yes, metaphors can be quite apt from time to time. A recent trip to Cape Finisterre (which translates literally as “the end of the world”), in Galicia, Spain, highlighted this point with stunning clarity. Pure geographic fluke and happenstance, as always, proves to be a poweful tourist lure.

Though there’s always another landmass somewhere in the faraway distance, the ultimate or near-ultimate denouement of a particular continent is often cause for celebration, excitement, drama or at the very least, crazy photo ops. Bragging rights too, because after all, it takes a certain sense of adventure to decide on a whim that hey, the end of the world is the place to be. Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego certainly stirs up this kind of emotion.

The southernmost tip of South America is a curious landscape. Across from the perilous Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego is that vast collection of islands where Argentina meets Chile, at the very bottom of the Americas. As such, the region lies within vast Patagonia, a land of mystique, awe and unparalelled natural wonders.

Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego province and with a population of 65,000 people, is the southernmost city on the planet. The geographic claim is somewhat disputed by a town in Chile, though with a much more diminutive population that draws nowhere near the amount of visitor interest. So for the time being, Ushuaia is as south as a city gets on Earth.

That title alone would be insufficient to entice as many tourists as Ushuaia does on an annual basis were it not for the fact that the city and indeed, entire province of Tierra del Fuego, supports such brilliant scenery, topography, fauna and flora. Ushuaia is a prime target for ecotourists intent on experiencing the thrill of close contact with orcas, seals, penguins and a panoply of exotic, migratory birds.

For many, that means a stop in Tierra del Fuego National Park. Spanning more than 600 square kilometres, the park extends from the Beagle Channel, which slices through the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, to Argentina’s border with Chile. The park’s trekking opportunities are first-rate, with spectacular panoramas in store. From crystal-clear glacial lakes to snowy mountain peaks and of course, loads of cool mammals and birds, Tierra del Fuego National Park is a winner. Most people take the 5 km End of the World Train from Ushuaia to the park’s entrance.

Ushuaia itself however, is not without some notable attractions, in the form of landmarks like a former penal colony that shares a notorious, Alcatraz, Tasmania and Devil’s Island-like reputation. Built in the first half of the 20th century with the intent to build up a population in the extreme south of Argentina, the prison was a virtual fortress and near-impossible to break out of.

The former prison railway is now known in Ushuaia as the End of the World Train, though it ferries tourists today and not violent criminals. In fact, for tourist hordes who arrive en masse in the city’s port via cruise ships from Antarctica, the Falkland Islands or other destinations, the once-infamous railway is the first stop in Ushuaia.

Nature however, is why most come to Tierra del Fuego and ultimately Ushuaia. The region and indeed, city, delivers on a promise of absolutely breathtaking scenery and landscapes altogether unheard of anywhere else in South America and indeed, the world.

As a result, this penultimate point on the continental landmass will forever stir up untold curiosity, romance and seductive wanderlust.

Check out superb hotel rates in Ushuaia.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10