Puerto San Julian

Tourists are only just discovering this sleepy port town with its wealth of maritime history and thriving marine ecosystem. This is the shore where sailors in Magellan's fleet encountered the large footprints that led to the exclamation "Patagon!" and the name Patagonia. It's also the place where the English explorer Francis Drake beheaded a rebellious crew member and the young naturalist Charles Darwin hiked over barren hills, searching for freshwater and formulating theories about the geological history of South America. Puerto San Julian is one of the Argentine towns closest to the Malvinas (Falkland Islands) and was severely impacted by the war—don't miss the statue of a fighter jet taking off into the sunset along the waterfront. A boat tour of the bay is an eminently worthwhile excursion, especially for families.

The Centro de Informes (Av. San Martín. 2962/454-396. www.sanjulian.gov.ar) has helpful bilingual attendants.