Ensenada Zaratiegui Bay and the End of the World Post Office

No. As of September 2026 it is closed to visitors. Park tour listings describe it as closed to the public or no longer operating, TripAdvisor marks it as reported permanently closed, and a recent Cruise Critic thread says the same. We found no official notice, so the status could change, but do not plan around it. You can still see and photograph the building from outside on most park tours.

It stands at Ensenada Zaratiegui, a cove on the Beagle Channel inside Tierra del Fuego National Park, west of Ushuaia. There is a car park at the cove, one of six along the park road. It is one of the three main stops on a standard park tour, with Lake Acigami and Lapataia Bay, so most visitors see it on a guided half day. See the best tours page for tours that stop there.

Inside the national park, at Ensenada Zaratiegui on the Beagle Channel shore. That means you need the park ticket to reach it: ARS 40,000 per foreign visitor since 1 June 2026, with children aged 0 to 6 free. The ticket is sold online at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar or at the gate, and it is extra on almost every tour. See park tickets for how to buy it.

It currently has none, because it is closed to visitors (status checked September 2026). In past seasons it reportedly opened from September to April, from 9:00 to 16:45, and closed in winter. The park itself is open 8:00 to 21:00 from December to February, 8:00 to 20:00 in March, October and November, and 9:00 to 18:00 from April to September, so you can still visit the cove within those hours.

No. Tours reach it by road and park at the cove, and one tour listing says you can get close to the building and take photos. You can see islands from Ensenada Zaratiegui, and one listing mentions views over Round Island, but the post office is on the shore. You do not need a boat to see it, and the stop is part of the ordinary park road route.

Not at the moment. With the post office closed to visitors, there is nowhere at the cove to buy stamps or post a card, and one tour listing says plainly that the postal service is no longer operating. Earlier travelers did send postcards from here, which is where its fame comes from. If sending a card from the end of the world matters to you, post it from Ushuaia instead.

Not while it is closed. Travelers used to collect a souvenir stamp here, and some reviews of park tours from earlier years mention it, but with the office shut there is no one to stamp your passport at the cove. We could not confirm another place in Ushuaia that currently offers the same stamp, so ask at your hotel or the tourist office in town when you arrive.

Yes. A standard park tour of about five hours covers Ensenada Zaratiegui, where you can see the post office from outside, Lake Acigami and Lapataia Bay, where Route 3 and the Pan-American Highway end. In winter some tours skip Ensenada because the access road may be closed, so check the listing if the post office is on your list. See Lapataia Bay for the end-of-the-road sign.

The simplest way is a park tour with pickup in town; most stop at the cove for about 30 minutes. On your own you can drive, since there is a car park at Ensenada, or take one of the park minibuses that leave from the corner of Av. Maipú and Juana Fadul. Winter access to the cove is uncertain, and in winter snow tyres or chains are required in the park. See how to get there.

Maybe not. Reports conflict: some say the Ensenada road closes from May to September, others that it opens depending on road conditions. Tour listings are cautious, with one saying the cove is closed in the winter season and another that the stop is accessible only from about mid-October to mid-May. The park itself stays open all year. Ask your operator before booking. See the winter page.

Yes, private shore excursions are the closest thing to hiring a driver. On Viator, the End of the World Private Shore Excursion meets you at the cruise ship gate and costs from $660 per group for about four hours, with the park fee extra. Shared shore tours cost less per person. Check that the listing includes Ensenada if the post office matters to you. See the private shore excursion page.

Yes, between November and April. The Senda Costera starts at Ensenada Zaratiegui and follows the coast for 8 km to the junction of Route 3 and Lago Roca, taking about 4 hours at medium difficulty. It runs one way, so plan your return. Outside those months the trail is closed. The weather changes quickly here in every season, so bring warm, waterproof layers. See the hiking tours page.