Making the most of Puerto Deseado
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise ships usually dock close to the town.
Originally known as Port Desire, Puerto Deseado is a fishing port and city of about 15,000 inhabitants in Patagonia's Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, on the Deseado River estuary.
Deseado stands at the mouth of the Deseado River on the Santa Cruz Province coast in south western Argentina. Santa Cruz has constant winds and dust storms sweeping across dry tablelands and an arid, precipitous coast.
Much of the tourism industry centres on estuary tours to see diverse fauna, including Commerson's dolphin and the Magellanic Penguin.
Getting around
Start exploring Deseado with a self-guided walking tour, using a Guía Historica map (in Spanish) collected from either tourist office.
Nearby places
Visit Ria Deseado Natural Reservation from Puerto Deseado for the Patagonian coast's most diverse fauna, including dolphins, sea lions, cormorants, terns and grebes. Isla de los Pájaros has penguins, oyster catchers and Kelp gulls. You can sail Ria Deseado to its end across the Deseado River Gaps to see Red-Backed Hawks, Crested Caracaras, Guanacos and Chilean Flamingos, or visit the Petrified Forest Natural Monument for the world's biggest fossil trees, which are 150 million years old. Further afield, travel to the Natural Reservation Cabo Blanco to see Guanacos…
Money
The Argentina Peso is subject to volatility.
Agentina exchange tips.
Staying connected
Language: Spanish.