Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 124

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- makes it an essential stop. Puerto
Madryn is easy to explore on foot,
and has some fine restaurants and bars,
as well as good-value places to stay. In
addition to tours to the peninsula, it also
makes a convenient base from which to
explore the nearby Welsh towns of Trelew
and Gaiman.

3-8pm; AR$55; T 0280 445 7470,
W ecocentro.org.ar), which promotes
research into and conservation of
marine life and is a fantastic place to
learn a little more about the animals
and geography of the area. The
three-level building, with stunning
views from the reading room at the top,
has permanent interactive exhibitions
on Patagonian ecosystems and southern
right whales, as well as a changing art
exhibition. Just outside the entrance is
the skeleton of a whale that was beached
nearby in 2001. Bus #2 runs here from
the town centre.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
he Parque Histórico Punta Cuevas
( W puntacuevas.org.ar), 4km south of
the town centre along the coast road,
marks the first Welsh settlement in
Patagonia: there's a small museum
(March-Nov Wed-Mon 3-7pm,
Dec-Feb 5-9pm; AR$8), a set of
foundation stones from the pioneers'
houses, and the Monumento al Indio
Tehuelche, a statue erected both to
mark the centenary of the arrival of
the Welsh and pay homage to the
indigenous Tehuelche people who
helped them.
Just beyond here, at Julio Verne 3784,
is the excellent Ecocentro (Jan-Feb daily
10am-1pm, March Wed-Mon 3-7pm,
April-June Wed-Sun 3-7pm, July-Sept
Wed-Mon 3-7pm, Oct-Dec Wed-Mon

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Puerto Madryn's airport (Aeropuerto El
Tehuelche; T 0280 445 1909) is around 10km from the
town centre; a taxi costs about AR$50. There are regular
flights to Buenos Aires and a few other destinations, but
nearby Trelew Airport (see p.131) serves a far greater
range of destinations.
By bus The bus terminal is at Avila and Independencia,
a short walk from the centre.
Destinations Bariloche (1-3 daily; 14hr); Buenos Aires
(10-11 daily; 18hr); El Calafate (1 daily; 20-23hr); Puerto
Pirámides (1-3 daily; 1hr 15min); Río Gallegos (4-5 daily;
16-19hr); Trelew (every 30min-1hr; 1hr).

0 200

Muelle Cmte Luis
Piedra Buena

metres

Argentina Vision

Tito
Bottazzi

M ITR E

PLAZA
SAN
MARTÍN

MARCOS A. ZAR

Servicios de
Lavandería Morenas

Bus Terminal

V E AR

EATING, DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Ambigú
Los Colonos
La Frontera
Margarita
Mr Jones
Quemehuencho Churreria
Vesta Patagonia

ACCOMMODATION
ACA Complejo Turístico
Punta Cuevas
Casa Patagónica
Chepatagonia Hostel
El Gualicho
El Muelle Viejo
Posada del Catalejo
El Retorno
La Tosca

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L APR

BO L Í VAR

PUERTO MADRYN

Trelew (65km)