# Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina: what it is and when to go > Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz is a capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina (Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz). Interests: Nature. The best time to visit is October to April. In December there are 16 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 7 h 36. It has articles in 53 Wikipedias: it is one of the ten best-known places in Argentina out of the 1,780 on this site. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/rio-gallegos-2/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina · Nature - **Where:** Argentina - **Best time:** October to April. - **Nearest airport:** USH Ushuaia, 364 km as the crow flies - **Coordinates:** -51.62695, -69.26898 ## What it is and where Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz is a capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina (Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz). It has articles in 53 Wikipedias: it is one of the ten best-known places in Argentina out of the 1,780 on this site. El estuario del río Gallegos, más conocido como «la ría», se caracteriza por sus planicies intermareales fangosas, marismas y sitios de estancamiento de agua con pendiente contraria a la del mar. Es un estuario macromareal, es decir que la amplitud de mar It is in [Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/rio-gallegos/), where this site lists 6 more places to see, 3.7 km from the centre. Its coordinates are -51.62695, -69.26898; the nearest main airport is Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International Airport (USH, Ushuaia), 364 km as the crow flies. How to get around Argentina (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-51.626951%2C-69.268983) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-51.626951%2C-69.268983) It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/naturaleza/) places in Argentina. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz is **October to April**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 15 h 55 | | February | Best time | 14 h 19 | | March | Best time | 12 h 29 | | April | Best time | 10 h 23 | | May | Possible | 8 h 36 | | June | Possible | 7 h 36 | | July | Possible | 8 h 01 | | August | Possible | 9 h 36 | | September | Possible | 11 h 38 | | October | Best time | 13 h 39 | | November | Best time | 15 h 28 | | December | Best time | 16 h 24 | In December there are 16 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 7 h 36. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Argentina in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Argentina To enter Argentina there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Book Patagonia's refuges and transfers”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Argentina checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Argentine peso (ARS); plugs: Type C and I · 220 V · 50 Hz (you need an adapter for the three flat-pin plug); emergencies: 911 for everything · 101 police · 107 ambulance. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Malvinas Argentinas War Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-de-guerra-malvinas-argentinas/): Museum in Río Gallegos, province of Santa Cruz, Argentina · 3.3 km - [Roberto Galian Railway Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-ferroviario-roberto-galian/): Museum in Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina · 3.4 km - [Museo de Arte Eduardo Minnicelli](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-de-arte-eduardo-minnicelli/): Museum in Argentina · 3.6 km - [Puesto Viejo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/puesto-viejo/): Brewery · 3.8 km - [Buen Tiempo Lighthouse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/faro-buen-tiempo/): Lighthouse in Argentina · 24 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Argentina guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/). ## More in Argentina: Nature - [Aconcagua](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/aconcagua/): highest mountain in both the Southern and the Western Hemispheres (6967 m) - [Iguazu Falls](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/cataratas-del-iguazu/): waterfalls on the Igazú River on the border of Misiones, Argentina and Paraná, Brazil - [Ojos del Salado](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/ojos-del-salado/): highest volcano in the world - [Llullaillaco](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/volcan-llullaillaco/): stratovolcano in Chile and Argentina - [Cueva de las Manos](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/cueva-de-los-manos-pintadas/): cave with cave paintings in Santa Cruz, Argentina - [Beagle Channel](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/canal-beagle/): strait of Chile and Argentina Every Argentina place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/naturaleza/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz? It is a capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina. It has articles in 53 Wikipedias: it is one of the ten best-known places in Argentina out of the 1,780 on this site. ### When is the best time to visit Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz? October to April. In December there are 16 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 7 h 36. ### How do you get to Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz? The nearest main airport is Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International Airport (USH), 364 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-51.626951%2C-69.268983) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Argentina is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Argentina map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Malvinas Argentinas War Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-de-guerra-malvinas-argentinas/), [Roberto Galian Railway Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-ferroviario-roberto-galian/), [Museo de Arte Eduardo Minnicelli](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/museo-de-arte-eduardo-minnicelli/). The rest is in [the Argentina guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/argentina/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/2003824), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44242), CC0. More about Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_Gallegos%2C_Santa_Cruz). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).