Patagonia

Served by a spur of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Patagonia was a shipping center for cattle and ore. The town declined after the railroad departed in 1962, and the old depot is now the town hall. Today, with the migration of artists and health-conscious urban refugees here in recent years, art galleries, natural food stores, and yoga/Pilates studios coexist with real Western saloons in this tiny, tree-lined village in the Patagonia Mountains. The surrounding region is a prime birding destination, with more than 275 species of birds found around Sonoita Creek.