Laguna Esmeralda Ushuaia summer, and when else to go

A Laguna Esmeralda Ushuaia summer starts on December 21, when the austral summer begins and the island gets up to 18 hours of daylight.¹ InFueTur gives sunrise at 3:30 or 4:00 AM and sunset after 10:00 PM in this season.⁸ Ushuaia's tourism office describes the same thing as almost 18 hours of broad daylight.⁹ For a walk of 4 to 5 hours, that light is the main advantage summer offers.¹⁰

Summer is also the gentlest season for temperature, though gentle is relative at this latitude. The provincial board puts the summer average between 10 and 15 °C, while the city's own figure is an average of 9.6 °C.^5,11 Days rarely climb past 25 °C.¹² At the lagoon, with wind coming down from the glacier, it can feel colder than in town, so bring a warm layer even in January. Gloves and a hat weigh little and are often the difference between enjoying lunch at the shore and hurrying back down after a few minutes.

The city calls summer the time to discover these mountains on foot, with their lagoons, peat bogs, meltwater streams and glaciers.¹³ That is also why the trail is busy: the province notes a heavy flow of hikers through the year.¹⁴ The last entry to the trail in spring and summer is 3:00 PM.⁶ Start early to share the forest with fewer people and to leave room for a long stop at the water.

Winter starts on June 21, and the town marks the date with music and events for its longest night.¹⁶ The average winter temperature on the island is between 1 and 6 °C, and winds from Antarctica can push polar fronts below zero.²⁷ Ushuaia's tourism office notes that the lowest temperatures come at the end of July and the start of August, at an average of 1 °C.²⁴ Those numbers describe the town by the sea; the trail climbs into the mountains behind it, where snow lies longer and the wind bites harder.

The heaviest snowfalls usually arrive in July and August, and there are only 7 hours of daylight in winter.^3,26 The city's snow season, when the winter centres in the valleys open, lasts from June to October.³¹ In that world the Esmeralda walk changes character: snow and ice replace the summer mud, the bog freezes in parts and the lagoon can look entirely different from the green water in summer photographs.

None of that makes winter a bad time, only a different one. From autumn on, the province wants walkers ready for less light, frost and a path that may be icy or snowbound.²³ Going with a guide, as both tourism offices recommend, is the sensible way to go.^33,34 Our separate page on Laguna Esmeralda in winter covers the snow trek, the frozen lagoon question and the kit in detail, so this guide keeps to the comparison.

Whatever the month, plan for change. Ushuaia's tourism office describes the local weather as almost unpredictable, even within a single day.³⁹ InFueTur says much the same: a few hours of sunshine can turn to wind, rain or cloud with a sudden drop in temperature.³² The island has a subpolar climate, softened by the surrounding ocean, with an average temperature of 6 °C.^40,25 A clear morning tells you little about the afternoon, so pack for the roughest part of the afternoon rather than for the sunny start.

Visit Argentina labels the lagoon's climate cold and dry and recommends warm clothes for very low temperatures.^41,42 Treat that as a baseline for all seasons. The provincial advice on clothing is to dress in layers, with waterproof clothing and footwear as essentials against rain and snow.^35,36 UV is strong here too: InFueTur recommends sunscreen above factor 30 in summer and winter.³⁷ Sunglasses earn their place too, above all when snow lies around the lagoon and reflects the light.

Look at the forecast the night before, then once more over breakfast. A Spanish-language search for laguna esmeralda ushuaia clima will bring up local forecasts and recent hiker reports, which often say more about the state of the bog than a city forecast does. Guided tours run in most weather: our site tour runs rain or shine, which is worth knowing when you book a single available day.