The Andes mountain range shows its
beauty in the Patagonian provinces. Millennial silent forests with native
vegetable species are extended along the shores of glistening waters. On top
of the mountains, nature overflows with granite peaks and ice fields
spreading their glacier tongues into lakes of unsurpassable beauty.
Imposing mammals and sea birds,
half-way between real life and fantasy, spend certain seasons on the rough
coasts of Patagonia where they complete part of their life cycle. Seals
colonies play on the islets and sandbanks. The world’s most important
southern elephant seal continental colony is located in Peninsula Valdés.
Every year, southern right whales come to Nuevo and San José gulfs to breed.
Patagonian hares, “ñandúes” (South American ostrich) and “guanacos” run
about the steppes, and the largest colony of Magellanic penguins in the
world is located in Punta Tombo. This life cycle repeated since time
immemorial, unfolds itself in front of the astonished visitors’ eyes.
In the south, Tierra del Fuego and
the World’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, are the gateway towards the vast and
mysterious Antarctica.
Santa Cruz
Something
you cannot miss during your visit in Argentina is the Perito
Moreno glacier, which, together with other twelve glaciers,
makes up the biggest sliding masses of ice and snow of Los
Glaciares National Park. This 5-Km-wide glacier, which is 60
meters above Lake Argentino, continues in advance. Throughout
the year, ice towers detach from the glacier and plunge into
the water as small icebergs. Perito Moreno glacier can be
reached from El Calafate. Sailing across Lake Argentino, among
white and blue icebergs, you can see 50-Km-long Upsala glacier.
Onelli and Agassiz glaciers can be admired after walking 1,5
Km from Onelli bay. |
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Things
to do
ADVENTURE
TOURISM. Trekking, Andes mountaineering, climbing ice fields and
mounts Torre and Fitz Roy, rafting, canoeing, horseback riding,
archaeological trips, overland and photographic safaris.
SPORT FISHING.
Sea fishing: salmon and trout fishing in lakes and rivers.
SKIING.
Valdelén Winter Sports Center is just 4 Km away from Río Turbio.
Places to visit
LOS GLACIARES
NATIONAL PARK AND PERITO MORENO GLACIER. Something you cannot miss
during your visit in Argentina is the Perito Moreno glacier, which, together
with other twelve glaciers, makes up the biggest sliding masses of ice and
snow of Los Glaciares National Park. This 5-Km.-wide glacier, which is 60
meters above Lake Argentino, continues in advance. Throughout the year, ice
towers detach from the glacier and plunge into the water as small icebergs.
Perito Moreno glacier can be reached from El Calafate. Sailing across Lake
Argentino, among white and blue icebergs, you can see 50-Km.-long Upsala
glacier. Onelli and Agassiz glaciers can be admired after walking 1,5 Km
from Onelli bay.
PERITO MORENO
NATIONAL PARK. Park of great paleontologic, archaeological and
biologic value. There are eight lakes chained by an interesting fluvial
system and guanacos herds (a member of the camel family lacking a dorsal
lump).
BOSQUES
PETRIFICADOS NATURAL MONUMENT. 130 million years ago, this area was
covered by giant forests. Volcanic eruptions took place simultaneously with
the rising of the Andes mountain range, burying the landscape with ashes. As
time went by, trees were fossilized and, later on, an authentic rock forest
with trees of up to 35 m. long and a diameter of 3 m. was unveiled by the
action of the wind and the rain.
CUEVAS DE LAS
MANOS, AT THE UPPER PINTURAS RIVER. In this amazing canyon we find
one of the most significant displays of cave painting in Patagonia: Cueva de
las Manos (Cave of the Hands) receives its name from the human hand stencils
appearing on the rocks, and 9,300-year-old paintings of guanaco and ñandú (South
American ostrich) hunting.
Other places
of interest: Río Gallegos, administrative and commercial center.
Laguna Azul, located inside the crater of an extinguished volcano. Cabo
Vírgenes and Isla Deseada, inhabited by xerophilous vegetation and a
Magellanic penguin continental colony. Puerto Deseado and Puerto San Julián
are ideal places to watch sea birds and mammals in their natural habitat.
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