Bypassed by RN 3—but not by nature or history—Puerto Deseado is one of Patagonia’s underrated pleasures. Visited by Magellan, settled by Spanish whalers, explored by Darwin in 1833, and resettled half a century later, it clings to its pioneer ambience in what Francisco P. Moreno called “the most picturesque place on the eastern Patagonian coast.”

The star, though, is the Ría Deseado, where strong tides rush up the estuary to create a wildlife-rich environment that supports a growing ecotourism sector. In recent years, Deseado has become a homeport for the South Atlantic shrimp fishery, and some businesses keep signs in Spanish, English, and Russian.

On the Ría Deseado’s north shore, Puerto Deseado (pop. 10,252) is 216 kilometers southeast of Caleta Olivia and 295 kilometers from Comodoro Rivadavia via RN 3 and paved RN 281 (but 125 kilometers from the RN 3 junction).

Getting There

The government air service LADE (tel. 0297/4871204) occupies offices at the Terminal de Ómnibus (Sargento Cabral 1302), about 10 blocks northeast of downtown. The only flights are to and from Comodoro Rivadavia, and south to Río Gallegos and intermediates, usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; cabs and remises are the only options to the airport, about six kilometers from town.

To Caleta Olivia (US$9, 3.5 hours) and Comodoro Rivadavia (US$12, 4.5 hours), Transporte La Unión (tel. 0297/15-5928598) has three daily buses; Sportman (tel. 0297/4870013) has two.