ARGENTINA: Santa Cruz

The province of Santa Cruz shares borders with the province of Chubut to the North, with the Atlantic Ocean to the East and with Chile to both the West and the South. It can be divided in three regions: the Southern, the Coastland and the Northeastern. Its capital, Río Gallegos, is 2.640 Kms far from Buenos Aires.

It is one of the Patagonian provinces preferred by tourists and it receives an important and increasing number of visitors in its Southern region. Lakes, glaciers, forests, mountains and steppe constitute the beauty of this inhospitable but capturing landscape.

Between September and May, El Calafate becomes the most important touristic center receiving tourists from every nationality, motivated to know the imposing and legendary Perito Moreno Glacier, close to the Magallanes Peninsula, barely separated by a narrow deviation of the Lago Argentino. T

his magnificent ice river which is among the few glaciers that are not retreating, is the most visited place in the Los Glaciares National Park and it is one of the two Patrimonies of Mankind of the province. The other one is the Cueva de las Manos, famous for hosting valuable cave paintings.

At the northern area of the park, the main characters on stage are the Fitz Roy, Chalténand Torre mounts. Unanimously considered to be among the most difficult mounts to be climbed, they are above the 3.000 mts altitude and they are a personal challenge for professional climbers.

For those seeking adventure, Santa Cruz also hosts the capital of trekking, El Chaltén, and the start-up of the magical Road N° 40, more than 5,000 Kms long covering the country from south to north.

Petrified forests and a beautiful coastland which shelters the native fauna, are some of the many attractions of this province of unequalled beauty.