Ushuaia

Taxis are metered and generally honest; radio-taxi companies post a board of fixed prices to the park entrance, the airport, and the ski area at the terminal building. A taxi from the pier to the national park is roughly USD 35–45 one way; into central town from the pier is a 5-minute walk and not worth a cab. Tipping is not expected but rounding up is appreciated. Uber and Cabify do not operate reliably here — use the radio-taxi stand.

Argentina's peso is volatile and exchange rates change frequently. USD cash (clean 20s and 10s, no torn or marked bills) is accepted almost everywhere tourists go in Ushuaia and is often the preferred currency for tour operators. If you pay by credit card the transaction posts in pesos at the bank rate, which is usually worse than the rate a shop will give you in cash. ATMs exist but have low per-transaction limits and can run dry on cruise-heavy days — don't rely on them.

The two-anchor day works in either order. Half-day park tours (3–4 hours) cover Lapataia Bay, the end of the Pan-American Highway sign, and a short walk on the Costera trail. Half-day Beagle catamarans (2.5–3 hours) sail east from the pier to the sea-lion islands and Les Eclaireurs lighthouse. Combining both is achievable with an 8–6 port call; allow 45 minutes' buffer back to the ship because last shuttles from the park run on a fixed schedule and weather can delay catamarans.

Ships dock at Muelle Comercial at the base of San Martín, the main commercial street. No tender required in normal weather. The terminal building has tourist information, an ATM, and a small craft market; the rest of town starts as soon as you cross the road. In high season (Dec–Feb and the Antarctic shoulder months) up to four ships can be in at once and the pier gets crowded — expect a short queue at security on return.

There is a small technical dive community working the Beagle Channel kelp forests and a few wartime wrecks, but the water is cold, visibility is variable, and operators do not run drop-in trips for cruise passengers. If you are an experienced cold-water diver and want to arrange something, contact a local club ahead of time — do not expect walk-up availability.

Ushuaia sits at 54° south on a glacial channel; the water is around 4–8 °C year-round and there are no beach clubs in any normal sense. If you want a waterfront drink the bars along Maipú facing the channel are the closest equivalent. For genuine outdoor time, look at the Martial Glacier chairlift behind town, the park, or a hike along the Beagle waterfront.