Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fight it out defending their harem - a dramatic sight from the trails that wind down the
hill. You may even see guanacos strolling the beach.
cent restaurant which offers a set lamb barbecue lunch (AR$195) cooked Patagonian-
style as well as lighter fare. It is part of
Estancia La Elvira
, which is currently not open
to the public as lodgings, though this status may change in the future. A few kilometers
north of El Parador, there's a sizable colony of burrowing Magellanic penguins.
PUNTA NORTE
At the far end of the peninsula, solitary Punta Norte boasts an enormous mixed colony of
sea lions and elephant seals. Its distance means it is rarely visited by tour groups. But the
real thrill here is the orcas: from mid-February through mid-April these killer whales
come to feast on the unsuspecting colonies of sea lions. The chances are you won't see a
high-tide attack, but watching their dorsal fins carving through the water is enough to
raise goose bumps.
There's a small but good
museum
that focuses on marine mammals, and has details
on the Tehuelche and the area's sealing history. There's also a
cafe
with basic snacks,
open only if it's busy enough to warrant it.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Trelew
0290 / POP 98,000
Though steeped in Welsh heritage, Trelew isn't a postcard city. In fact, this uneventful
midsized hub may be convenient to many attractions, but it's home to few. The region's
commercial center, it's a convenient base for visiting the Welsh villages of Gaiman and
Dolavon. Also worthwhile is the top-notch dinosaur museum.
Founded in 1886 as a railway junction, Trelew (tre-
ley
-ooh) owes its easily mispro-
nounced name to the Welsh contraction of
tre
(town) and
lew
(after Lewis Jones, who
promoted railway expansion). During the following 30 years, the railway reached Gai-
man, the Welsh built their Salón San David (a replica of St David's Cathedral, Pem-
brokeshire), and Spanish and Italian immigrants settled in the area. In 1956 the federal
government promoted Patagonian industrial development and Trelew's population
skyrocketed.
Trelew is situated 65km south of Puerto Madryn via RN3.
