Río Grande was founded on the 11th july 1921 by the president Hipólito Yrigoyen, as an agriculture and pasture colony. By the end of the XIX century the sheep cattle pioneers chose the northern area of Tierra del Fuego to settle their country houses made of large estates due to the amount of pasture and rivers of the place. This activity pushed the development of the growing population to which the Salesian Mission added their work, with the aim of educating and christening the natives Selk´nam who inhabited the territory. Later, by the end of the 1940s, the so called “white gold” gave origin to the first hydrocarbon produced a demographic growth without preceedings in Rio Grande. 

Currently, the city is considered as “the trout national capital” and has gained fame among fishermen all around the world because of the quality and size of the fish of the area. The authorized fishing spots are located along the Rio Grande, and offer visitors excellent accommodation, expert guides and local food with the best products of the destination, everything framed by a wonderful steppe.

Since the times of the pioneers, there are still country houses which are working and are made of tin and wood which is a distinctive aspect of the northern island, and forms part of its historical identity. One of the shearing warehouse which is the biggest of the world, is located few kilometers from the city.

Apart from fishing and cattling, Rio Grande has a variety of National Historical Monuments and museums where one can learn the local history and its main characters. Birdwatching, trekking along the wide coast and capes surrounding the city are good reasons to visit this Tierra del Fuego city, which already is a century old.