The Atlantic coast and the Meseta take the east of the argentinian province Santa Cruz in Patagonia a. It is a dry, windy steppe landscape that becomes more and more humid towards the south.
The landscape is deserted and rough, in a few cities almost the entire population is concentrated. There are spectacular beaches on the Atlantic, but the water is only warm enough for swimming in the north and in sheltered bays. But you can marvel at penguins and sea lions.
places
- Río Gallegos, 100,000 inhabitants, the capital of the province of Santa Cruz. A clean, architecturally modern city, especially interesting for travelers as a transport hub.
- Caleta Olivia, 50,000 inhabitants, in the oil production area in the north of the province. Worth a stop only because of some beautiful beaches (here you can still swim well in summer with 17 ° C water), the city itself has no special attractions.
- Puerto Deseado, 15,000 inhabitants, the most scenic city on the coast, located in an attractive canyon, the Ría Deseado, with numerous caves and islets.
- Puerto San Julian, 8,000 inhabitants, port near the lowest point in South America (200 m above sea level) a little inland. Southernmost place on the Atlantic with bathing beaches, as it is protected.
- Puerto Santa Cruz, the former capital of the province, today a rather insignificant small fishing village with 5,000 inhabitants. The spectacular coastline of Monte Leónwhere a curious table mountain is attached to the Sphinx of Giza remind.
- Pico Truncado, Inland oil city. Touristically uninteresting, but with a well-known folklore festival, 20,000 inhabitants.
- Las Heras in the west of the oil region in the north. Interesting museum, otherwise more of a stop, 15,000 residents.
- Comandante Luis Piedra Buena, City on the Río Santa Cruz, with a green island that stands out in color from the surroundings, 6,000 inhabitants.
Other goals
- Monte León National Park, Nature reserve with abundant wildlife (penguins, sea lions) and a spectacular coastal landscape
- National Monument Bosques Petrificados, the largest petrified forest in Argentina, starting point is Caleta Olivia.
background
language
getting there
Río Gallegos is one of the hubs of the meager range of air travel in Patagonia. The places on Ruta Nacional 3 are also well connected to the bus network. However, Río Gallegos acts as a mandatory transfer point for travel to fire land.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- Laguna Azul, at Río Gallegos.
activities
Hiking and mountain biking in the petrified forests and in the canyon of Puerto Deseado.
kitchen
As in the rest of Patagonia, sheep meat is far more popular than beef. Otherwise, the cuisine is no different from the rest of Argentina. In the port cities, of course, you have a good chance of getting fresh fish.
nightlife
Río Gallegos and Caleta Olivia have a decent selection, while the other cities usually only have one disco pub for all age groups and styles of music.
security
climate
The north is significantly warmer than the south. Caleta Olivia has warm summers (26 ° C during the day) and very mild winters (11 ° C), while Río Gallegos only reaches 20 ° C in January and only 4 ° C in July.
