Santa Cruz

A large province in southern Argentine Patagonia, where glaciers, Mount Fitz Roy and prehistoric hand-painted cave art come together.

Santa Cruz lies in southern Argentine Patagonia, bordering the Andes and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, with vast, open steppe across much of the interior. Los Glaciares National Park in the west is the biggest draw: from El Calafate you can visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, and from El Chaltén you can hike to Mount Fitz Roy. The Cueva de las Manos in the north is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best time to travel is the Southern Hemisphere summer (Nov to Mar), as some routes close in winter. The main gateway is El Calafate Airport.

Destinations

• Cueva de las Manos (Perito Moreno)
• El Calafate
• El Chaltén

Itineraries

• Ruta 40: Bariloche to El Calafate – Drive south along Route 40 for about 1,600 km, crossing from the Lake District through the steppe to the Cave of the Ha…
• Classic Argentina: Waterfalls, Glaciers & the End of the World – Connect Buenos Aires, Iguazu, the glaciers, Fitz Roy, and Ushuaia using domestic flights.
• Southern Patagonia Glaciers & Torres del Paine – Cross Argentina and Chile to experience Perito Moreno Glacier, Fitz Roy trekking, and the Torres del Paine towers.
• Tierra del Fuego, Glaciers & Torres del Paine Cross-Border Route – From Ushuaia through El Calafate to Torres del Paine, linking the three most classic sections of Southern Patagonia.