Density: between 0 and 0,2 inhab/km2
Population increase in the last ten years: 38%.
Environments that include: basin of the Buenos Aires, Ghio, Pueyrredón, Nansen, San Martín y Cardiel lakes. Upper basin of the Deseado, Mayer and Chico rivers. Except the Deseado river, all of them are grouped together in the chapter “ land of the great lakes”.
Perito Moreno (3598 inhabitants) is the most important city of the northwest of Santa Cruz. It has an airport that works intermittently, banks, car services, a lot of places to get provisions and good hotels. Perito Moreno is not a tourist center by itself, but a passing station for the people that travel along the cordillera of the Andes through Nº 40 National Route. The indigenous called the place were the city was build: Pari Aique (reed place). In1944 it was named Buenos Aires lake, and in 1952 it got its present name in honour of distinguished Francisco Pascasio Moreno.
Sixty kilometres from there to the west of Perito, near from the border with Chile, lays Los Antiguos town (2047 inhabitants). Founded in 1938 its name comes from the tehuelche voice I Keu-Kon, that means “old persons place”, because the oldest indigenous chose this sacred lands to die. Its pleasant microclimate, (contained into big plateaus) and its grounds enriched by volcanic ashes allowed the development of a lot farms dedicated to the fine fruits and horticultural production.
Perito Moreno and Los Antiguos are perfect to the exploration of the gigantic Buenos Aires Lake. In this respect, Los Antiguos results more practical to try in the Jeinemeni and Los Antiguos rivers, or test a cross on ferry to Puerto Ibañez (Chile).
To the south of this villages, follow the mountains line to El Chalten, we can only find small hamlets that live from tourism and the nearby people. The same case of Bajo Caracoles where there is only a service station, a store and an old hotel; or Tres Lagos, a shy village with hardly 150 inhabitants.
With the exception of Hipolito Yrigoyen (400 inhabitants), known as Lago Posadas. Despite of its smallness, it became an obligatory point of reference in a big zone, that covers the basins of Ghio, Salitroso and Pueyrredón lakes. There the fisherman has two options: to stay overnight at Hipolito Yrigoyen (with a good lodging, food and supplying) or stay in the Lagos del Furioso or Suyai´s guesthouses. The last one has a very comfortable camping, a kind of oasis in the rouged immensity.
The tourism that arrives at Hipolito Yrigoyen is limited. A lot of them are trekkers or mountaineer attracted by the terrific San Lorenzo (11,230 feet), a Mecca of the mountaineering similar a Fitz Roy.
Weather and landscape
Except for a thin wood line on the mountains, the northwest of Santa Cruz is a really extreme part of the Patagonia’s desert. Its aridity, limited vegetable presence, a considerable thermal wideness and the great winds prevent the possibility to camp. It can only be possible in organized areas, or protected by stonewalls or little hills.
In the summer the weather can by harsh, but it offers good conditions for the open air. On the contrary, in April and September (the best months for the big trout of Pueyrredón and Buenos Aires lakes), the temperature is – 10 ºC. With these conditions is advisable to sleep in a warm room, at any village.
Transport
As the public transport is limited and expensive, it is indispensable to drive your own vehicle. With the exception of asphalted route that links Perito Moreno with Los Antiguos, al the roads are of rubble with awful stretches. So is very important to have a very strong vehicle. In this respect, these are some advices
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To try only with a trustworthy vehicle.
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To drive with radial tires and with two assistances.
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To keep always full the tank. To take fuel in a drum (the great distances between pumps force it). Travel always with food and beverage.
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To protect the tank from the stones with a sheet or a thick gum. To take putty to repair it.
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To drive very carefully and never turn the wheel with clumsiness or tread on the brake (rubble’s road is very treacherous). Without experience and over the 70 km/hour there are a lot of possibilities of accidents (to overturn the car).
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Not to travel during the night. In this case be careful with sheep and the wild animals (there are no wire covers).
These premises are more important in winter, when the ice and the snow force to use tire chains. So is advisable to travel always with matches and heaters (alone in a frozen night a little light can save our lives).
Fishing synthesis
Even though the area proposes a lot of possibilities of flyfishing, the most interesting are about the big trout (browns and rainbows of 4 to 15 lbs), S.T. lines and streamers. In Pacific’s basins is possible to catch some cohos and chinooks. There are a lot of native fishes like percas, pejerreyes and puyenes in the most of these waters.
Except a honourables cases there aren’t flyfishing guides. The fly shops don’t exist. Take all the equipment.
