Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PATAGONIA
A vast wilderness of glistening lakes, vertiginous peaks, sweeping
glaciers, empty, barren plains, and rugged coastline, Patagonia
was first roamed by dinosaurs, and later was long the preserve of
indigenous groups. The region is perhaps best known, though,
for its pioneer era, when visionaries and adventurers came ashore
in search of a better life at the bottom of the world.
Two main indigenous groups originally
inhabited Patagonia - the Mapuche and
Tehuelche. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan was the first European to
discover the region, in 1520. Adventurers,
merchants, and pirates followed in his
wake, although no permanent colony was
established until the late 18th century.
After gaining its independence,
Argentina made concerted efforts to settle
Patagonia. In 1865, Welsh pioneers landed
at Puerto Madryn. In the same decade,
the Argentinian government launched
military campaigns against the Mapuche
and Tehuelche, putting an end to all indi-
genous resistance in the region. Towns
such as Junín de los Andes and Bariloche
were founded in the Mapuche heartland
and populated by European immigrants.
Railroads, ports, and new settlements
were built to serve the burgeoning
wool industry. Today, oil, gas, and fishing
have usurped wool as Patagonia's major
source of income and a blossoming
tourist industry has brought further
prosperity to the region.
Visitors can enjoy a wide range of
outdoor activities, including horse riding,
trekking, fly-fishing, boating and rafting,
and wildlife watching, all the while
admiring Patagonia's spectacular scenery.
Its cities and towns remain busy centers
of culture and entertainment, offering
excellent museums and restaurants. Some,
like Trelew and Gaiman, are still quin-
tessentially Welsh, complete with chapels,
tea shops, and Welsh-style houses. In
essence, the region has changed little since
its pioneer past and remains a beautiful,
remote, and sparsely populated wilderness.
A colony of sea lions basking on a gravel beach in Península Valdés
The Llao Llao mountainside resort hotel in Bariloche
