Ushuaia’s striking mountain peaks and pristine valleys offer the perfect setting for every winter sport.
Cross-country skiing—the most ancient of all skiing disciplines, born in the Nordic lands—is the quintessential winter pursuit of this region, proudly designated as the National Capital of Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon.
Notably, this activity is an ideal family endeavor, unfolding across gently rolling, virtually flat valleys that keep physical risks to an absolute minimum.
The sweeping landscapes encircling the city of Ushuaia, defined by vast valleys cloaked in ancient forests of lenga, coihue, and canelo trees, elevate the practice of this sport into a truly mesmerizing wilderness experience.
Ushuaia’s winter sports sanctuaries are broadly divided into two distinct lineages, dictated by the rhythm and style of skiing they offer.
Nordic or Cross-Country Ski Centers:
- Francisco Jerman: Located a mere 3.1 miles from the city center. It features an F.I.S.-homologated trail system crafted for international competitions, seamlessly divided into five circuits of varying technical difficulty. The panoramic vistas here are breathtaking, sweeping across the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia Bay, and the Bridges Islets. During the deep mid-year winter months of June and July, dry powder snow accumulation averages nearly 24 inches, while temperatures remain surprisingly mild thanks to the warming breath of the nearby sea.
- Altos del Valle: Situated 10.5 miles from Ushuaia along the legendary Route 3 and easily accessible via regular shuttles. It offers cozy cabin lodgings and proudly hosts the very first children’s school for dog sledding (mushing).
- Solar del Bosque: Located at mile 11.2 on Route 3. The grounds feature a welcoming refuge and a dining hall. Its main draws are thrilling snowmobile excursions and immersive backcountry treks on cross-country skis or snowshoes.
- Las Cotorras: Found 15.5 miles from the city on Route 3, standing gracefully opposite the Cerro Castor complex. It curates guided cross-country ski tours through intricate beaver dams, along with sled rentals for the little ones, a ski school, dedicated sliding slopes, and an inviting restaurant to warm up after a day in the powder.
Alpine Ski Centers
- Club Andino Ushuaia (Wallner Run): Nestled just 1.2 miles from the urban pulse, perched on the Martial mountain range. It boasts a 2,788-foot run and a T-bar lift. Keeping its ear to the ground of mountain culture, the complex recently added a brand-new freestyle terrain park (snowpark) to its facilities.
- Martial Glacier Mountain Center: Looming 4.3 miles from Ushuaia and reachable by regular transport. It reigns with a sweeping 4,265-foot main run. Its infrastructure has seen a triumphant modernization: the historic double chairlift has been permanently retired, making way for a state-of-the-art quad chairlift featuring 126 chairs. It records a staggering snowpack (both powder and hardpack) that reaches up to 6.5 feet deep during a season that gloriously stretches from May through October.
- Cerro Castor: Located 16.1 miles from Ushuaia, today it proudly stands as the most important winter sports hub in the region, showcasing facilities, equipment, and world-class infrastructure that easily rival the finest alpine resorts on the globe.
