Santa Cruz

Land of the Ice Fields

Santa Cruz is to be described in one word: immense. This is the locality of big extensions of land, of the great estancias. This province is a paradise for horse lovers who can canter in the ochre painted steppe off to the horizon. It really gives you the feeling of being inside a painting. While horse riding you can get to know its wildlife and experience the idiosyncrasy of the Patagonian gauchos.

Location

Santa Cruz, “Land of the ice fields”, is located at the very south of Argentina. These lands used to be desolated due to its harsh weather. Its first inhabitants were the Tehuelche Indians. Much later, between 1.855 and 1.920, English settlers arrived in these lands and became wool producers. In those times, wool was called the “white gold” because it had very high prices in the market. Southern Patagonia seemed to be the perfect place to breed sheep: huge extensions of land, cold weather and good access to sea for commerce. To this day, Santa Cruz is known for its giant estancias, semi-arid weather and strong winds.

Each season has its own charm. While in the summer you can enjoy the longest days (daylight goes from 4 am to 12 am), in autumn you can witness an amazing array of colors. The winter has very short days, it is usually very cold and it snows. The upside of this season is that winds become very rare. Finally, springtime still offers some cold temperatures, but it also marks the start of the tourist season, which goes from September till May.

Top destinations

Santa Cruz´s top destination is the city of El Calafate. Named after a regional berry of the same name, the town sits on the shore of the Lago Argentino (the third largest lake of South America). Many estancias can be found here and the opportunities for horse riding couldn’t be any better. Also, it’s just a few kilometers away from Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Glaciers National Park). This is the home of the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. El Calafate has high quality touristic services.

Another popular tourist circuit is El Chalten (world capital of trekking). The town provides incredible views of the impressive peak of Mount Fitz Roy and its equally majestic neighbor, the Torres del Paine peaks in Chile. This town is a great destination to explore on horse or trekking, and the surrounding views are just breathtaking.

Last, but not least, it’s also a great destination for fly fishing, especially for fishing steelhead trout in the Santa Cruz River.