In general the cruise ships dock close to town.
Puerto Deseado, originally called Port Desire, is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants and a fishing port in Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province of Argentina, on the estuary of the Deseado River.
Deseado sits at the mouth of the Deseado River on the coast of the Santa Cruz Province in south western Argentina. Santa Cruz is a region of constant winds and dust storms which sweep over its dry tablelands and its arid, precipitous coast.
Most of the tourism industry is based on touring the estuary to see the diverse fauna, such as the Commerson's dolphin or the Magellanic Penguin.
A self-guided walking tour is a good start to explore Deseado. Pick up a Guía Historica map (in Spanish) from either tourist office.
From Puerto Deseado you can visit Ria Deseado Natural Reservation, which has the most diverse fauna on the Patagonian coast. Here you can see dolphins, sea lions, cormorants, terns and grebes. At Isla de los Pájaros, you can see penguins, oyster catchers and Kelp gulls. You can also explore Ria Deseado to its end, sailing across the Deseado River Gaps, where you can see Red-Backed Hawks, Crested Caracaras, Guanacos and Chilean Flamingos or visit the Petrified Forest Natural Monument and see the biggest fossil trees in the world that are 150 million years old. Further afield travel to the Natural Reservation Cabo Blanco to see Guanacos, Choiques, Maras and then climb to the lighthouse to appreciate the excellent view sea views.