The Andean region of the province Santa Cruz is in the extreme southwest of the argentinian Part of Patagonia. It is best known for the glacier landscapes of the Los Glaciares National Park, which, with its huge ice masses, is one of the natural wonders of the world (including a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
The north of the area, on the other hand, is very sparsely populated and less known, but there are also some attractions such as the Canyon des Río Pinturas with its cave paintings and the Perito Moreno National Park. In general, it is a remote, wild landscape where it is best to travel in convoy and there is hardly any public transport.
places
- El Calafate, the largest city in the area with 15,000 inhabitants and the starting point for trips to the world-famous Perito Moreno glacier.
- Río Turbio, 10,000 inhabitants, Argentina's coal pot, with an attached, small ski area, starting point for trips to the Chilean Torres del Paine National Park.
- Perito Moreno, 3,500 inhabitants, largest city in the northern part, starting point for the national park of the same name, to Lago Buenos Aires and to Cueva de las Manos with their cave paintings
- Los Antiguos, 2,500 inhabitants, small resort on Lake Buenos Aires with a mild microclimate, on the border with Chile
- El Chalten, 1,500 inhabitants, holiday resort from the retort, located directly in the Los Glaciares National Park. Starting point for trips to the northern glaciers and to Monte Fitz Roy, a mountaineering mecca with extremely difficult rock faces.
- Gobernador Gregores in the central part of the area, 2,500 inhabitants
Other goals
- Los Glaciares National Park. The main attraction of the area, with huge glaciers still growing today despite climate change.
- Perito Moreno National Park, in the north of the province. Almost only to be reached with your own car, with lonely lakes and valleys, starting points are Gobernador Gregores and Perito Moreno.
background
language
getting there
Most places have an air runway leading from LOAD, the state-owned Argentine airline, are served by small planes once or twice a week. El Calafate on the other hand is daily from Río Gallegos and Buenos Aires served from. There are bus connections to all larger towns, but only to Calafate, Perito Moreno and Los Antiguos more frequently. There are no direct connections to central Argentina, you have to go to Río Gallegos or Comodoro Rivadavia or. Caleta Olivia change.
mobility
The Ruta Nacional 40, the only north-south axis of importance, is a gravel road in the region that is reasonably well developed (no dangerous passages) but, because of its remoteness, is best managed in a convoy or at least with a semi-cross-country vehicle .
Tourist Attractions
- Perito Moreno Glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park.
- Monte Fitz Roy. Granite rock mountain with extremely steep walls. Popular as a challenge with climbers.
- Cueva de las Manos. Cave paintings in the valley of the Río Pinturas.
activities
Adventure seekers can hike, mountain bike and ride anywhere where the terrain is not fenced. There is only a few places with tourist infrastructure, which is why you have to rely on self-sufficiency in the Perito Moreno National Park, for example. Most of the lakes are too cold for swimming, with the exception of small lakes that are not fed by glaciers, such as Lago Roca near Calafate.
kitchen
There are good restaurants in the tourist centers, but you have to expect high prices because of transport costs to the remote region and the "tourist surcharge".
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climate
The climate is not that different from the rest of the Andean Patagonia region. The summers are moderately warm (20 ° C-25 ° C during the day, around 10 ° C at night) and the winters are cold (0 ° C) but not as snowy as further north, as the climate is generally drier.
