Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is Argentina's southernmost mainland province, stretching across Patagonia from the windswept Atlantic coast to the icefields of the Andes. Its vast, sparsely populated steppe, turquoise glacial lakes and wildlife-rich coastline give the region a remote, elemental character that sets it apart from other parts of Argentina.

The province's history is written in Indigenous Tehuelche heritage, 16th-century European exploration and the sheep-farming estancias that shaped rural Patagonia. Landmarks such as the Perito Moreno Glacier, the prehistoric rock art of Cueva de las Manos and the old coastal ports of Puerto San Julián and Puerto Deseado tell the story of a land long shaped by ocean, ice and open country.

El Calafate is the main gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and the constantly calving Perito Moreno Glacier, while El Chaltén is Argentina's trekking capital beneath the granite spires of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. The provincial capital Río Gallegos anchors the southern coast, and the Atlantic route links fishing towns and nature reserves where Magellanic penguins, sea lions and Commerson's dolphins are easy to see in season.

The economy mixes oil and gas, fishing, mining, wool production and fast-growing tourism. Visitors eat Patagonian lamb, trout and southern king crab, taste calafate berry preserves and liqueurs, and stay in everything from estancias to mountain lodges. Events, glacier excursions and adventure sports run year-round, with the busiest season from November to March.

For leisure travellers, Santa Cruz offers some of Argentina's most dramatic landscapes; for business and event travel, Río Gallegos and the energy-focused northern towns provide practical bases. Both types of visitor are served by the international airports at El Calafate and Río Gallegos and by the long Patagonian highways that connect the province.