Choose your stop

Laguna Esmeralda Ushuaia trail map, section by section

Brief answer

The Laguna Esmeralda trail leaves Route 3 at a large car park, crosses lenga forest and a peat bog, then climbs to the lagoon and returns the same way.

Trail facts

  • 9 km there and back, 220 m of climb1
  • 4 to 5 hours on foot3
  • No entry after 3:00 PM in summer, noon in winter9

Find out about 14 stops

Laguna Esmeralda, the valley and the island

First pick a route, then tap any pin or stop for details and Google Maps.

Map of the Tierra Mayor valley with the Laguna Esmeralda trailhead on Route 3, the lagoon, the Ojo del Albino glacier, Cerro Bonete and Laguna Turquesa

  1. The walk starts here, on the left of Route 3 as you drive north, 18 km out by the city's count; look for the big car park.

    Google Maps

  2. The meltwater lagoon at the head of the valley; its greenish tint comes from glacier sediment.

    Google Maps

  3. A 60-hectare glacier at 1,000 m; going past the lagoon to it is a climbers' route with an authorised guide.

    Google Maps

  4. Bonete hill and the Toribio range frame the view where the valley ends.

    Google Maps

  5. Its own trail starts 1 km before the Esmeralda one: 4 km, 3 hours, 330 m of climb.

    Google Maps

  6. Winter centre 21 km from town, open daily 09:30 to 17:00, with snowshoes for rent in winter.

    Google Maps

Map source: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Use this Laguna Esmeralda Ushuaia trail map to read the walk before you lace up: where it leaves Route 3, how the forest gives way to bog, and what waits at the lagoon.

Editorial team, lagunaesmeraldatrek.quest · Updated November 9, 2026 · 8 min reading time

Key facts

  • Length9 km there and back by the city's count, 8.6 km by the province's.1,2
  • Time4 to 5 hours on foot, or 5 hours in the provincial listing.3,4
  • ClimbA height difference of 220 m from car park to lagoon.5
  • StartRoute 3, 18 km from Ushuaia, beside a large car park.6,7
  • Last entry3:00 PM in spring and summer, noon in autumn and winter.8,9

The walk in one look

This Laguna Esmeralda Ushuaia trail map follows one path out and the same path back. Ushuaia's tourism secretariat measures it at 9 km for the round trip, with a height difference of 220 m and 4 to 5 hours of walking.1,5,3 It rates the ground medium to easy and the physical demand medium, which is a fair way to say the gradient is gentle and the footing is not.10,11 Plan the day around that footing rather than around the distance.

The provincial tourism board, InFueTur, gives slightly different numbers: 8.6 km and 5 hours, on a signposted route that returns the way it came.2,4,12,13 The two bodies simply publish different figures. Searching laguna esmeralda trekking distancia in Spanish brings up both, so do not be surprised when a guide quotes one and a sign suggests the other. Either way the walk fits comfortably into a morning and an early afternoon.

Phone coverage on the trail is partial, so download this page or an offline map before you leave town.14 This page's map panels mark the trailhead on Route 3, the lagoon at the top of the valley and the glacier that feeds it, plus the Laguna Turquesa start just down the road. Each pin opens in Google Maps. Read the sections below in order and you will know what the ground does next at every stage of the walk.

Official figures

The trail by the numbers, source by source

MeasureUshuaia tourism officeInFueTurVisit Argentina
Length9 km return8.6 km returnNot given
Walking time4 to 5 hours5 hoursNot given
Height gain220 mNot givenNot given
HeightNot given600 m average, upper part450 m
Start from Ushuaia18 km18 km20 km
RatingMedium to easy groundMediumNot given

Each body's own published figures; where they differ, both are shown.1,3,5,10,2,4,18,30,31,20

Finding the start on Route 3

The path leaves National Route 3 on the left-hand side as you drive north out of Ushuaia, 18 km from the city by the tourism secretariat's reckoning.6 A large car park beside the road marks the entrance, which makes it hard to miss.7 Visit Argentina, the national tourism body, puts the start 20 km out and ties it to the Altos del Valle winter sports centre, so any of those landmarks will get you there.20,21

Its Spanish name is the Sendero Laguna Esmeralda; Ushuaia's tourism office counts it among the most recommended treks around the city for anyone with only a few days to spare.22 That popularity matters at the trailhead: InFueTur notes a steady flow of hikers all year, so arrive early if you want the forest quiet and a parking space close to the path.23 Starting soon after breakfast also leaves a margin for slow going in the bog, a long lunch at the shore and the walk back, all well before the afternoon cut-off.

Do not confuse it with the Laguna Turquesa trail, which starts 1 km earlier on the right-hand side of the road as you head north.24 The lagoons face each other across the Tierra Mayor valley, and from the Turquesa side you can pick out Laguna Esmeralda in the distance.25,26 If a driver drops you off, name the Esmeralda car park, not just the valley, so you start on the correct side of the road and do not end up climbing the steeper slope opposite by mistake.

Compare the climbs

Height gain on trails near Ushuaia

  • Laguna Esmeralda220
  • Martial viewpoint220
  • Laguna Turquesa330
  • Témpanos lagoon350

Height differences as Ushuaia's tourism secretariat lists them for each trail.5,27,28,29

Lenga forest: the first stretch

The walk opens under lenga, the native southern beech that dominates the first part of the trail.15 In Argentina's national biodiversity system the lenga is described as a deciduous tree that can reach 30 m, growing short and shrubby where wind and altitude press on it.39 Here, low in the valley, the trunks are tall and the canopy closes overhead, which keeps the path shaded and often damp even on dry days.

Visit Argentina sums up the sequence well: through a forest, across a peat bog and over a brook on a log bridge before the lagoon comes into view.16 In the forest the risks are roots and slick soil rather than steep ground. Take shorter steps, keep your weight over your feet and use the poles you brought or the ones a tour hands out. The provincial board lists walking sticks among the year-round essentials for exactly this reason.40

Look up as well as down. The forest is a good place to hear a woodpecker drumming on a quiet morning, and the national parks' species file says the male Magellanic woodpecker drums loudly on hollow trunks.41 It is a large black bird, 45 cm long, and the male carries a red head and crest.42,43 Stop when you hear it, because the sound carries far and the bird is usually closer to the path than you think.

Choose your way

How should you walk the Esmeralda trail?

Match the trail to your experience and the season.

  • If It is my first hike in Tierra del Fuego

    Go with a guide

    Both the city and the province recommend an agency or guide for safety.32,33

  • If I hike often and know boggy ground

    Walk it yourself, early

    Start before the cut-off and never alone, as the provincial leaflet asks.8,34

  • If I want the glacier too

    Book a separate guided day

    InFueTur says the glacier ascent needs climbing experience and an authorised guide.35,36

  • If I am going in autumn or winter

    Start before noon

    The province asks walkers not to enter after 12:00 noon in those seasons.9

  • If I want a shorter walk nearby

    Try Laguna Turquesa

    Its trail is 4 km there and back with 330 m of climb.37,28

Walk it with a guide

Guided ways onto this trail

Small group

Emerald Lagoon trek

Our site tour, lunch at the shore

  • Length6 hours
  • PickupHotel in Ushuaia
  • GearPoles, crampons if needed
Check dates

Guided

Lagoon and valleys trek

Guided walk with pickup

  • Length6 hours
  • At the lagoon4.5 hours guided
  • GuideSpanish, English, Portuguese
Check dates

Transport only

Return transfer

Ride to the trail, walk alone

  • Length6 hours
  • PickupIncluded
  • GuideNone named
Check dates

Peat bog and beaver country

Beyond the trees the valley floor opens up. InFueTur describes the middle of the walk as stretches where foliage and peat bog alternate, and the Tierra Mayor valley as a whole is largely occupied by Sphagnum bogs.18,17 Underfoot that means a spongy, saturated surface that can swallow a boot to the ankle. Ushuaia's own description of the route names this bog as the trail's second stage, after the forest.66

Keep to the trodden line here. Detours around a muddy patch widen the scar on the bog and often lead into deeper water. InFueTur warns that much of the trail runs over wet and slippery ground and lists boots, waterproofs, walking poles and warm clothing as year-round needs.40 Gaiters help, and so does accepting that you will get muddy and walking straight through rather than balancing on tussocks.

This is also beaver country. Beavers were brought to the Argentine side of Tierra del Fuego in 1945-1946 for fur, and their dams can reach 5 m in height.67,68 Along the valley you pass ponds and drowned trees that are the work of these engineers. The animals are mostly nocturnal, so you are more likely to see a lodge or a gnawed stump than a beaver itself.69 The page on the lagoon's colour and wildlife tells their full story.

Stage by stage

What the trail does from car park to shore

  1. Car park

    Leave Route 3

    Start on the left of the road heading north, by the large car park.6,7

  2. Forest

    Lenga woodland

    Shaded beech forest, roots and damp soil.15

  3. Brook

    Log bridge

    A stream crossed on a log on the way to the bog.16

  4. Valley floor

    Peat bog

    Spongy Sphagnum bog across the valley floor.17

  5. Upper valley

    The climb

    The path rises into high mountain terrain.18

  6. Shore

    Laguna Esmeralda

    Green water from glacier sediment; rest, eat and turn back.19

The last climb and the lagoon

After the bog the trail starts to gain height in earnest. Ushuaia's tourism office describes the route as climbing to the meltwater lagoon once the forest and bog are behind you.66 InFueTur calls this upper part a high mountain environment, with an average height of 600 m above sea level, while Visit Argentina lists an altitude of 450 m.18,31 The two bodies publish different figures; what you feel is a steady pull with looser rock underfoot.

Then the valley ends and the water appears. InFueTur credits the colour to rock sediment that the Ojo del Albino Glacier above sends down into the water.19 Visit Argentina describes snow peaks reflected in the surface on a calm day and a wide view of the Toribio range and Bonete hill at the head of the valley.70,46 Find a dry rock, put on a layer before you cool down and give yourself time to watch the colour shift as clouds pass.

This is the natural lunch stop. On our site tour the itinerary allows 1 hour at the lagoon for lunch, tea and photos before the walk back. If you are on your own, carry the same: food, a hot drink and a spare warm top. The wind often funnels down from the glacier, and a sunny lakeshore can feel wintry within minutes. Pack out everything you bring, including fruit peel, because the reserve exists to keep this place as it is.

Video

What to know before hiking Laguna Esmeralda

Sumit Everywhere on YouTube · Nothing is fetched until you hit play.

Hikers are requested not to destroy or steal the signs and signals, as they are essential to avoid getting lost and accidents
Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur)38

Before the trailhead

Trail checklist

Plan the walk4

  • Start before 3:00 PM in summer, noon in winter8,9
  • Walk with company, never alone34
  • Save an offline map: the signal is partial14
  • Note the emergency number 10364

On the trail4

  • Boots, waterproofs and poles for wet ground40
  • Leave every sign and marker in place38
  • No fires; a stove only65
  • No pets and no music in the reserve23

Beyond the lagoon: the glacier route

From the lagoon a fainter route continues toward the Ojo del Albino Glacier. InFueTur notes that hikers heading for the glacier share the Laguna Esmeralda trail as far as the water.71 Visit Argentina describes that continuation as a frozen path of more than 20 km in total, climbing through rock formations to a glacier of 60 hectares at 1,000 m.72,44,45 It is a different undertaking from the lagoon walk.

The province is blunt about it. People without climbing experience and technical equipment should not attempt the ascent, which InFueTur classes as high risk and high difficulty, to be done only under an authorised mountain guide.35,36 Ice and rock fall make the area hard to reach, which can slow a rescue team if something goes wrong.73 If the glacier tempts you, book it as its own guided day.

One more warning applies across the province: entering ice caves under glaciers is strictly forbidden, because ice and rock fall from them throughout the year, according to InFueTur's hiking leaflet.74 Photographs from inside such caves circulate online, but they are not an invitation. For the lagoon walk itself, the sensible turnaround is the shoreline, which is where the map's main trail ends.

Rules of the reserve and timing

The trail sits inside the Valle Tierra Mayor Natural and Landscape Reserve, a provincial protected area along Route 3.30 Rules are few and clear. Do not take pets or play music, because the flow of hikers is heavy all year.23 Do not damage or remove signs, which exist to stop people getting lost.38 Fire is forbidden on Ushuaia's trails, and only a stove is allowed.65 The provincial leaflet also keeps quad bikes and motorbikes off the paths.75 None of this is unusual, but the reserve is busy, and small habits multiplied by many walkers decide how the bog and the shore look next season.

Timing is the rule people break most. InFueTur asks hikers not to enter the trail after 3:00 PM in spring and summer, or after noon in autumn and winter.8,9 Those cut-offs leave enough light to get back to the road at a normal pace. The provincial hiking leaflet adds that an early start gives you more safety, and that you should never walk alone.76,34 In practice, if you reach the car park after lunch in midsummer, consider the Turquesa trail or a valley stroll instead, and keep the lagoon for an early start the next morning.

If something goes wrong, the emergency number on the trail is 103.64 Ushuaia's tourism office also lists Civil Defence on 103 or 911, with VHF radio 148.615 for those who carry one.77 Although the trail is rated medium, both the city and the province recommend going with a specialised agency or guide for safety.32,33 Tell someone in town your plan and your expected time back before you set off; that simple step is what turns a twisted ankle into a short wait rather than a long night.

FAQ

Brief questions, brief answers.

How long is the Laguna Esmeralda trail?
About 9 km there and back.

Ushuaia's tourism office gives 9 km; the provincial board lists 8.6 km on the same route.1,2

How long does the walk take?
4 to 5 hours.

That is the city's estimate for the return walk; InFueTur gives 5 hours.3,4

Is the path signposted?
Yes.

InFueTur lists it as a signposted trail, and asks walkers to leave every sign in place.12,38

Where exactly does it start?
On Route 3, by a big car park.

The entrance is on the left side heading north, 18 km from Ushuaia.6,7

Can I go on to the Ojo del Albino glacier?
Only with climbing skills and a guide.

InFueTur rates the glacier ascent high risk and says it needs an authorised mountain guide.36

What is the latest I can start?
3:00 PM in summer, noon in winter.

Those are the provincial cut-offs for spring and summer and for autumn and winter.8,9

Is there phone signal on the trail?
Only in places.

InFueTur describes the network as partial, so carry an offline map.14

Sources

  1. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  2. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  3. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  4. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  5. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  6. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  7. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  8. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  9. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  10. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  11. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  12. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  13. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  14. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  15. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  16. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  17. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Tierra Mayor Valley Nature Reserve ↩
  18. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  19. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  20. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  21. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  22. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  23. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  24. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa ↩
  25. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa ↩
  26. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa ↩
  27. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Senda glaciar Martial ↩
  28. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa ↩
  29. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Vinciguerra y Laguna de los Tempanos ↩
  30. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  31. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  32. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  33. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  34. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Hiking recommendations leaflet (PDF, 2023) ↩
  35. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  36. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  37. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa ↩
  38. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  39. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Nothofagus pumilio ↩
  40. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  41. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Campephilus magellanicus ↩
  42. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Campephilus magellanicus ↩
  43. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Campephilus magellanicus ↩
  44. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Ojo del Albino Glacier ↩
  45. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Ojo del Albino Glacier ↩
  46. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  47. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Turquesa
  48. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tierra Mayor
  49. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tierra Mayor
  50. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tierra Mayor
  51. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Llanos del Castor
  52. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Llanos del Castor
  53. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · City of Ushuaia
  54. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  55. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  56. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Martial
  57. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Martial
  58. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Vinciguerra y Laguna de los Tempanos
  59. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Vinciguerra y Laguna de los Tempanos
  60. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Glaciar Vinciguerra y Laguna de los Tempanos
  61. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · How to get to Tierra del Fuego
  62. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Tierra Mayor Valley Nature Reserve
  63. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · How to get to Tierra del Fuego
  64. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  65. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Trekking Ushuaia ↩
  66. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Laguna Esmeralda ↩
  67. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Castor canadensis ↩
  68. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Castor canadensis ↩
  69. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales · Castor canadensis ↩
  70. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Esmeralda Lagoon ↩
  71. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  72. Visit Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística) · Ojo del Albino Glacier ↩
  73. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Laguna Esmeralda trail ↩
  74. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Hiking recommendations leaflet (PDF, 2023) ↩
  75. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Hiking recommendations leaflet (PDF, 2023) ↩
  76. Instituto Fueguino de Turismo (InFueTur) · Hiking recommendations leaflet (PDF, 2023) ↩
  77. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Trekking Ushuaia ↩

Read on

More for the trail to the lagoon

GuideLaguna Esmeralda tour pricesGuideGuided trek or on your ownGuideGetting to the Laguna Esmeralda trailheadGuideHow long and how hard is the hike

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