Locals, even children catch shells in the cold ocean. Some of them come to the coast by horses. But the road is very bad, especially the shorter one. It is much more comfortable to travel via Rio Gallegos. It is better to change traveler cheques in Chile or in bigger northern towns, like Puerto Plata, Buenos Aires.
Restaurants are mostly with Chinese food, but there are also vegetarian ones and parillas.
I found in Posadas, close to the main park and church. When traveling by bus, take some warm clothes with you. In two months we didn't have problems about finding the room. The cheapest way is camping. Traveling by bus is easy and cheaper than in Argentina.