ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 227

0 Bosque
Petrificado José
Ormachea
Road map B5. 103 miles (165 km)
W of Comodoro Rivadavia.
Open Oct-Mar: 8am-8pm daily;
Apr-Sep: 9am-6:30pm daily.
@ to Sarmiento, then taxi. &
n Ave San Martín, Sarmiento,
[phone].

An otherworldly spectacle,
this petrified forest has its
origins in the Cretaceous period,
65 million years ago. Although
far smaller and more recently
formed than the Monumento
Natural Bosques Petrificados, it
is more easily accessible. Many
tour operators in Comodoro
Rivadavia run daily excursions
to the forest.

Fossilized remains at the Monumento Natural Bosques Petriicados

w Monumento
Natural Bosques
Petrificados
Road map B5. 159 miles (256 km) W
of Puerto Deseado. @ to Puerto
Deseado, then taxi. Open 8am-6pm
daily. 8 from Puerto Deseado.

preserve, boats pass the spot
where the British warship HMS
Swift was shipwrecked in 1770.
The wreck was only discovered
in 1982. Rescued items,
including bells and Wedgwood
china, are displayed at Museo
Municipal Mario Brozoski .
The town, Patagonia's busiest
fishing port today, once
depended on the shipping of
wool and meat transported via
rail from the interior. The former
railroad station now houses
Museo de la Estación Ferro-
carril . At the center of the town
stands a passenger wagon built
in 1898, which was used to
transport federal police during
the Santa Cruz rebellion in 1921.

Covering an area of 58 sq miles
(150 sq km), the haunting
Monumento Natural Bosques
Petrificados is Patagonia's
largest petrified forest. The park
has its origins in the Jurassic
period, 150 million years ago,
when the Andes did not exist
and humid winds blew in
nonstop from the Pacific
Ocean, causing incessant rain
and encouraging the growth
of tropical forests. When the
Andes formed, volcanic
activity buried these forests
under volcanic ash. Fossilized
trees are scattered across the
landscape, rooted to the spot
where they were petrified.
Colossal in size, the biggest
measure up to 115 ft (35 m)
in height and 10 ft (3 m) in
diameter. Tour operators
run excursions from
Puerto Deseado.

Southern elephant seals on Isla Pingüino
near Puerto Deseado

q Puerto Deseado
Road map B5. 177 miles (286 km) S of
Comodoro Rivadavia. * 15,000. ~
@ n San Martín 1525, (0297) 487-
0220. _ Fiesta del Marinero (Jan).
∑ puertodeseado.tur.ar

Environs
Around 16 miles (25 km) south
of town, Isla Pingüino protects a
small breeding colony of
southern elephant seals and
Patagonia's only nesting colony
of the rockhopper penguin.

Located on the sheltered estuary
of Río Deseado, the little port
town of Puerto Deseado is one
of Patagonia's best-kept secrets.
It owes its name to English
privateer Thomas Cavendish,
who sailed into the estuary in
1586, naming its natural harbor
after his flagship, the Desire .
Reserva Natural Ría del
Deseado protects the estuary's
marine fauna. Boat excursions
head into the preserve, which is
a breeding ground for the
graceful Commerson's dolphin
and haven to many marine bird
species. Trips include visits to
the cliffside nesting sites of red-
legged and rock cormorants,
and to Isla de los Pájaros , home
to a colony of Magellanic
penguins. On the way to the

E Museo Municipal
Mario Brozoski
Belgrano & Colón. Te l [phone].
Open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 3-7pm Sat
& Sun.

The ishing leet on the Río Deseado in Puerto Deseado