The Corbeta Uruguay is the oldest ship still afloat in the Argentine Navy, a steam-and-sail corvette built in England in 1874 and now preserved as a museum in Puerto Madero, a short walk from the Puente de la Mujer. She spent decades on survey, supply, and training duties, but is remembered above all for a single dramatic mission.
In 1903 she sailed deep into the Antarctic to rescue the stranded Swedish Antarctic Expedition led by Otto Nordenskjöld, whose ship had been crushed by ice — a feat that made her a national symbol of Argentine reach into the far south. On board you can see the cramped quarters, engine, and displays on her polar voyages. Small, atmospheric, and cheap, she pairs naturally with the nearby Fragata Sarmiento for anyone interested in maritime history.