Towards the Great Lakes with Heliushuaia

Ushuaia features dazzling natural environments that appear to be even more bewitching when seen from a helicopter. The traits of the city, the bay, the hills and the lakes are unveiled from a different perspective.

Eager to enjoy this experience, we made all the necessary arrangements at the office of Heliushuaia in the downtown for a half-day outing. We were taken to their operation base –the old airport- by van.

We got on board the aircraft when everything was ready to take off. We observed how the pilots carried out the maneuvers to leave the ground. The ascent was fast and vertical and we soon saw the city, the bay and the port in front of us. We gained more height and entered the Olivia River Valley. The guides marked Mounts Olivia and Cinco Hermanos for us. It was a fantastic beginning!

We moved along Carbajal Valley and its peat bogs. Then we headed for a water body that let us guess its name from the moment we saw its color: Lake Esmeralda. A very unique site, it is usually visited by hiking and camping enthusiasts. Before turning around, the helicopter pointed its nose towards the lake shores. Then it went up again up to the next attraction.

Following National Route 3, we flew over the ski resorts that concentrate all the attention every winter. We particularly spotted Mount Castor, seat of the Interski 2015 event as a result of its technical features and service infrastructure. It is one reason for denizens of Ushuaia to take pride.

The colors of the vegetation changed as we flew over the area. We heard that this phenomenon happens every season bringing new and more appealing shades every time. As we crossed the Island of Tierra del Fuego, we could make out Lakes Escondido, Santa Laura, San Ricardo and Margarita. What impressed us most was Lake Fagnano. Extensive and ample, it hosts a population on its eastern end: Tolhuin.

The pilots told us about everything we could see and how high we were flying. The view featured by the large windows helped us grasp every detail of that environment.

We landed at Puerto Almanza, a very small spot on the sea shore. We would taste a delicious lunch based on sea products picked up by hand by the locals. La Mesita is a family restaurant serving good dishes made with mussels, cholgas, clams, spider crab and trout. The specialties had been cooked to its right point. We enjoyed our meal as we contemplated the imposing Beagle Channel through the glass.

We heard the roaring engine of the aircraft once again and took off. We bordered the shore and flew over some of the estancias on Tierra del Fuego and caught a glimpse of the Lighthouse at the World’s End. The flight was short this time but let us on top of Mount Le Cloche. We were speechless because of the strong wind and the thrill of seeing such an incredible postcard in front of us made up by the Andes Mountain Range, the City of Ushuaia and the sea.

Finally, we landed at the airfield and thanked the people of Heliushuaia for their cozy assistance. We returned to our hotel with the satisfaction of having gone on a memorable outing.