Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Río Mayo
02903 / POP HUMANS 2800, SHEEP 800,000
The national capital of sheep shearing is a surprisingly humdrum place, save for the pet-
roleum workers and waylaid gauchos practicing their wolf whistles on female
turistas
.
This barren pit stop is 200km south of Gobernador Costa and 135km north of Perito
Moreno.
The
Casa de Cultura
( 420400; Ejército Argentino s/n; 9am-noon & 3-6pm)
kiosk
houses a tourist office, with information on local mountain-biking options.
Banco del
Chubut
(cnr Yrigoyen & Argentina)
has an ATM.
January's
Festival Nacional de la Esquila
features merino wool-quality competitions
and guanaco shearing in anticipation for the main event: the long-anticipated crowning of
the national sheep-shearing queen.
The picture of eccentricity,
El Viejo Covadonga
( 420020; San Martín 573; dm/s/d
AR$120/180/360; )
features rooms with good down covers but varying in quality. Its
coveted feature is the orange vinyl bar.
Hotel Akatá
( 420054; San Martín 640; s/d
AR$180/250; )
has meals and internet but little else; its wood-panel rooms are dark
and airless. Otherwise the YPF is a good bet for a quick sandwich and coffee.
There are daily morning services from the
bus terminal
( 420174; cnr Fontana &
Irigoyen)
to Comodoro Rivadavia (AR$105, 4½ hours) and Sarmiento (AR$75, two
hours). Service goes twice weekly to Coyhaique, Chile (AR$120, six hours), currently
Wednesday and Saturday. Schedules change regularly so check at the bus terminal.
Heading south to Perito Moreno, there is currently 43 unpaved kilometers. The only reg-
ularly scheduled services on this rugged stretch of RN40 are summer-only backpacker
shuttles.
WORTH A TRIP
BOSQUE PETRIFICADO SARMIENTO
Fallen giants scatter the pale sandstone landscape at this
petrified forest
(admission
AR$20; dawn-dusk)
, 30km southeast of Sarmiento. The forest, brought here by
strong river currents from the mountainous regions about 65 million years ago, has
logs 100m in length and 1m wide. For travelers, this area is much more accessible
than the Monumento Natural Bosques Petrificados further south.
Go with your own rental car, or ask at the tourist office in Sarmiento for remise
rates for the 1½-hour round-trip. Try to stay through sunset, when the striped
bluffs of Cerro Abigarrado and the multihued hills turn brilliantly vivid.
