Argentina is a big ass country. When you look at the map of South America, together with Brasil it doesn’t really leave much space for anything else! Nonetheless, if you happen to travel on the famous Ruta 3, you’ll see that there’s not really “much” to see. From Rio Gallegos to Buenos Aires, chances are that small towns and guanacos (kind of summer llamas) are going to monopolise the road. Luckily, the town of Trelew is for many a lovely oasis where to take a break on their way to la capital.
We knew well that visiting the east coast meant wildlife but couldn’t get our head around on how to do it on the cheap without spending time in Puerto Madryn. And it was then that the name Trelew popped up (and especially Punta Tombo). On top of having various wildlife activities, the place is perfect to set up camp and visit the surrounding region full of small welsh towns.
During our stay there, we were kindly guested by Silvina and here family (through Couchsurfing) which made our time in Trelew even more unforgettable. All in all, if you want to avoid the touristy P. Madryn and be a little bit more independent on your “exploring”, this is the place for you.
Small memorial in front of the Railway museum
Things to do
Tour the city – Even though the city is not a hub for tourism, spending sometime wandering the historical center can be a nice full day activity. Don’t forget to include the Paleontological museum Egidio Feruglio in your visit, you won’t regret it!
Punta Tombo – Slightly overshadowed by its neighbour, Peninsula Valdes (650ARG), heading to Punta Tombo (400ARG) has been our highlight of Trelew. Nothing but the world’s biggest colony of Magellanic penguins, it’s a must visit for all the wildlife lovers. Options to visit the place are few (no public transport available) and other than tours, you’re only left with renting a car (min. 35$/day) if you prefer DIY adventures. **Be aware that penguin season is from September to April.**
Sip tea in a Welsh town – We knew Patagonia was home to some welsh communities (we happened to live in Wales for 3 years in the past) but never knew where they were until we got to Trelew. The most visited Welsh town is Gaiman, a small lovely village where you get a chance to try out a real traditional welsh breakfast. Cakes, pastry, scones, bara brith and much more! Our breakfast at the Tea House Plas y Coed was absolutely phenomenal!
Playa Union – Looking for a relaxing day-out? Just next to Rawson (not so far from Trelew) you’ll find Playa Union, a vast and very accessible beach usually frequented by locals and tourists alike. Just make sure to check out the wind conditions before getting there as with too much wind it can be hard to enjoy!
Getting close to the penguins in Punta Tombo
Commerson’s dolphins – This unique dolphin is not a common sight usually but Trelew is one of those places where it can be found all year-round. A couple of companies offer tours to sightsee the dolphins (check out this and this) but its usually quite short and expensive (1h30min tour for 1400ARG).
See the world’s biggest dinosaur – Most tourists are not aware that just on the outskirts of Trelew, on the road to North, sits a replica of the biggest dinosaur that ever existed on this planet. The replica is real-sized version of what the dinosaur (or better titanosaur) used to look like back several millions years ago. As you’re driving there, you’ll surely won’t miss a 20m tall dinosaur!
Move around
The easiest way to move around Trelew is take local buses but to do that you’ll have to buy a bus city card, thankfully available at the bus terminal. Fares are usually around 20-30ARG/pp.
To Gaiman/Dolavon
Likewise, if you plan heading to Gaiman for the day you’ll need to buy another electronic card which will allow you to use the inter-provincial buses. Alternatively, just hop on any of the buses going there (28 de Julio or Seforino) and ask nicely if some locals can pay your fare with the card and you pay them back in cash (45ARG/pp). For us it worked like a charm!
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