Paddling near Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz

Río Gallegos sits at the southern end of Santa Cruz Province, where the Río Gallegos empties into the Strait of Magellan across a wide, wind-swept estuary. The surrounding Patagonian steppe is laced with rivers and lagunas, and the marquee paddling destination in the broader region is Río La Leona, a glacier-fed river accessed via Ruta 40 that draws kayakers for its mix of small rapids and calm stretches through open steppe scenery.