Las Loicas: Estancia in Tierra del Fuego

After landing in Ushuaia, we crossed the island for three nights far from any phone towers, light pollution, or traffic (except for the guanacos, of course).

Estancia Las Loicas is a family run farm on Cabo San Pablo, on the northern shore of Tierra del Fuego – Argentina’s remote southernmost province.

This is an area most tourists visit as a jam-packed day trip from Ushuaia, driving three hours each way in a single day.

So I was excited to dive deeper into this region and see it properly, slowly.

So, I challenge you to also slowly explore Tierra del Fuego’s wilderness with its historic estancias, wind swept beaches, and dramatic steppe and ocean landscapes.

This is an honest review of our experience at Las Loicas and our time at the end of the world.

Disclosure: I was invited to stay at Los Chulengos, as always all opinions are 100% my own.

Estancia Las Loicas: The Start of an Adventure

After a day of rest in Ushuaia (recovering from a too early flight), we woke up and drove north along Ruta 3.

Las Loicas is three hours from Ushuaia on the northern shore of Tierra del Fuego so we had a drive ahead of us, but not without some pit stops along the way.

Taking full advantage of our drive, we stopped for a morning horseback ride with Cabalgatas Lago Escondido.

They took us on a beautiful ride along the lake followed by a traditional asado. It was a perfect start to the trip.

With a chunk of the drive already under our belts, we took off after lunch to reach our final destination – Las Loicas.

Turning onto Complimentary Road A, we passed one historic estancia after another, guanaco spotting as we went.

When we saw the iconic lighthouse and the Desdemona shipwreck came into view, we knew we had arrived at Las Loicas.

3 nights at Las Loicas: Exploring Cabo San Pablo

Leentje and Hernan handled our entire trip, tailoring everything to our interests and tastes.

Leentje filled our days perfectly. My husband commented throughout the trip – “we never stop but I’m so relaxed.”

Culinary Adventure with Chef Jorge Monopoli

For our first day they organized a day with Jorge Monopoli, one of Ushuaia’s most talented chefs.

His restaurant, Kalma, is one of Ushuaia’s top restaurants but he also collaborates with Las Loicas for a unique culinary experience.

We spent the morning on the beach, learning how locals fish here and about ingredients I would otherwise overlook among the algae.

My son had the time of his life foraging with the other kids (and he definitely learned more than I did).

Then we drove back up the beach to check out the famous Desdemona shipwreck and the kids splashed about in the puddles before going back to the main house for lunch.

The afternoon was technically free for us, while the chefs were at work in the kitchen. But like any good dinner party, we all piled into the kitchen for the bulk of the day.

If you have the chance to listen to a talented chef at work, take it. I enjoyed watching the guys work while I sipped on some wine.

My husband was a bit more proactive, picking up some cooking tips as Jorge made the stew and even helped close the empanadas.

The whole day felt much more like a family asado, but isn’t that just how things are in Argentina?

The way meals are shared is definitely one of my favorite aspects of living here.

For lunch we enjoyed robalo empanadas (made of sea bass pulled right out of Cabo San Pablo) and a lamb stew.

Dessert was foraged black currant with a calafate berry merengue and whipped cream.

Leentje and Hernan have a 7 year old and Jorge had brought along his daughter as well. So my two kids were in heaven and we barely saw them while we ate.

After lunch, we needed to move our bodies just a bit to digest (an understatement) and the kids were somehow still overflowing with energy so we headed to the iconic Cabo San Pablo lighthouse.

This is a popular trail for visitors to the cape and a lot of day trips like this one include it in their itinerary. But we had the trail to ourselves as the kids got distracted by one sandpit after another.

While they played and jumped, we could see the lighthouse just above us and the ocean below us. It was so idyllic that we scrapped the hike to let the kids play.

My husband and I scurried up for a quick look but the real star was the sand, let’s be honest.

Later, dinner was in the living room. We were all a bit full from a late and hearty lunch. The kids played while the adults chatted over wine, and somehow the night went on until almost midnight.

Camping Miguel & Sylvia

For our second day, we had a lazy start after a late night. And we had another epic, albeit in a different way, lunch planned for the day.

Camping Miguel y Silvia, just down the road, is a campground and seafood restaurant that I’d been dying to visit since my first trip to Ushuaia in 2021.

I even looked into coming all the way out here just to see the ship and meet them (I’d heard such great things), but had written off the long drive. It was just too much to do in one day with a toddler.

Who knew fate would have it that 5 years later I’d be staying just across the road.

We loved chatting with Miguel and Silvia both (and greatly appreciate Silvia playing outside with my kids while we finished our meal in peace, what a luxury).

They’re famous for their empanadas and flan so come prepared and hungry for a three course meal. We each had an empanada to kick off the meal before sharing a generous portion of robalo (sea bass) in a creamy green onion sauce.

Unfortunately, we had to skip the flan after two days of so much decadent eating. It’s good to save something for next time.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring the forest at Las Loicas.

Part of the property is on a cliff above the rest of the farm, so we drove up, weaving through the trees (startling a guanaco or two along the way) to reach epic view points above the farm.

We could see the Desdemona and Peninsula Mitre to the left and the rest of the province extending out to the right.

For our final dinner at Las Loicas, Hernan got to work on a traditional asado.

It rained and we cozied up inside for steak and wine, once again chatting away until far too late in the night.

Reserve your stay at Las Loicas

If you want to reserve a stay at Las Loicas, visit their website and send them an email to start planning your trip to Tierra del Fuego.

We believe in comfort that’s real, delicious food and good wine enjoyed without fuss of formality. Hospitality that feels personal rather than polished.

Las Loicas Adventures

I recommend staying at least 3 nights so you can enjoy two full days in the area, but there is always more to do and to discover if you have more time.

More activities include fishing, blokarting, hiking, and mountain biking. Guests can also join in daily life on the farm – helping with the animals, in the garden, or relaxing by the fire.

With two cabins, they only host a few guests at a time and each stay is unique.

For our stay we spent almost all of our time with the family and all left as good friends (our kids, in particular). Alternatively, you could opt for some more time alone to completely disconnect in nature here.

The team at Las Loicas can plan a trip beyond only at Las Loicas, allowing you to fully discover both Chile and Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego.