Ushuaia, Argentina

This cozy Argentinean community, tucked into an inlet along the Beagle Canal, sits a mere 750 miles from Antarctica. That said, while Ushuaia may be set against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks, that’s where the comparison to the frozen continent ends. Instead, this colorful and naturally beautiful city is very much a tourist’s delight, a cosmopolitan haven at the end of the world where the summer sun runs to 18 hours a day and activities range from hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding to kayaking and sport fishing.

Given Ushuaia’s unique location at the southern end of Tierra del Fuego Island, visitors can choose to play hard in the great outdoors and still have time to take in some of the local flavor at a café, shop, gallery or restaurant—lamb and spider crabs are signature dishes here. The Ushuaia Maritime Museum, set in a former prison, is perhaps the city’s quirkiest cultural venue. It is home to an extensive collection of nautical history on the region exhibited in what was once a severe and desolate penal institution.