A few words
Puerto Madryn has a tourist value and an indisputable strategic location being the main commercial center on the Patagonian coastline, and the entrance to Peninsula Valdés, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999.
Description
Located on the coast of Golfo Nuevo gulf, Puerto Madryn is surrounded by charming natural landscapes and characterized by exquisite quarters of great architectonic beauty. It reveals its tourist essence through the quality and quantity of the hotel, culinary and general services offered. Impossible to resist to delicious shellfish dishes, the opportunity of diving through crystal waters – is the most important scuba diving center in the country – or dominating the wind in a windsurf sailboard. The varied activities that are offered in this area constitute the spirit of Puerto Madryn. Mountain bike, trekking, sandboard, horse riding and water tours are also practised in other places, but only a few times you will be able to practise them in such a beautiful and attractive scenery as the one offered by the steppe and the Golf joined by the color contrast and steep cliffs interrupted by vast beaches. Museums, historic spots, nightlife and the proximity to the main attractions and localities in the region, complement an exceptional choice that will marvel the visitor.

We would like to thank the "Secretaría de Turismo" of the Province of Chubut for the information and pictures provided.
Visit: www.chubutur.gov.ar



Highlights
Gaiman
Located 17 km (10.5 miles) away from the city of Trelew, known by its Welsh tradition as shown in the Welsh Tea Shops, the stone and brickwork constructions, and the old Chapels will approach you to the source of the original settlers. Gaiman offers the possibility of staying in the urban area at hotels, inns, and in rural areas like in a lodging house situated on the bank of Chubut River. Traditional Welsh Tea can be tasted in a Tea House and also international food can be tasted. An excellent choice to enjoy shared with friends would be a stroll through the riverbank and the mild streets before a delicious classical Welsh tea.

A tour around Puerto Madryn City
The starting point is Punta Cuevas, where you will be able to appreciate the ruins of the first Welsh settlement in the area. These caves, dating back to 1865, were the first dwellings of Puerto Madryn and are among the oldest in the entire Patagonia. They are considered a historical site. There you will find the Punta Cuevas exhibition center where there are objects of early settlers and you will learn about the history of two cultures: Aboriginal and Welsh.

From there you continue to the Tehuelche Indian monument, from where you will have a panoramic view of the city, beaches, industrial estate and fish processing factories. Going down Boulevard Brown you will see the residential area of the city. Along 28 de Julio Street and reaching Mitre Street, we encounter the Plaza Gral. San Martin, the Town Hall, the church and old constructions.

When you arrive to the last turning point, leaving on the right the Luis Piedrabuena Pier and the Prefectura building (Police Station) take Yrigoyen up to Mosconi streets and then turn right to arrive to Chalet Pujol now converted into the Oceanographic and Natural Sciences Museum. Opposite it, the old house of the Railway manager can be seen. Keep on driving along Domecq García to get to Muelle Storni (Storni Pier) and the Aluar aluminum factory to complete the tour of the history and development of the city.

Paseo de los Artesanos
It is located on José de San Martín Central Square, the winter schedule is Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 16:00 to 21:00 hours, and the summer schedule is every day from 18:00 to 24:00 hs.

A tour through southern beaches
Cliffs, sand and pebbles are the characteristic features of more than 30 km (18.6 miles) of beaches located in Madryn and bordering coasts of Golfo Nuevo. The gulf waters bathe the coasts characterized by the serenity of empty spaces and, for those who prefer the city comfort and services, 3 km. (1.8 miles) of beaches with 7 seaside resorts bordering the city.

Walking by, restaurants where to taste fish and shellfish dishes and the traditional roasted lamb are found. Kayaks, windsurf sails, bicycles and the snorkeling practicing equipment are for rental. It is possible to practice sailing, water tour in catamarans, cruises and motorboats.

The transparent depths of the Gulf hosts seven underwater parks that are visited for tourist and divers that return every season, all over the year. In order to have an underwater baptism you do not need to be able to swim, just a few minutes of training are enough to discover the Patagonian sea bottom. Tours to visit the dusky dolphins are organized daily. This approaching experience allows discovering feeding characteristic, play capacity, movement and behavior features.

Summer days are longer, increasing 7 hours approximately comparing to winter, so it is ideal to enjoy the vast beaches. If you are in the city during a full moon period, check on the newspaper the time it rises and get ready to live an amazing sunset, with a landscape that stretches to each horizon. Do not forget to include on your luggage sunglasses, sun block and a thin jacket, even in summer.

Valle del Río Encantado, Agricultural tourism circuit
This circuit of Valle del Río Encantado includes 10 establishments, from Trelew to Dolavon, where the typical products are manufactured, such as wine, fine fruits, dairy products, flowers and aromatic herbs. Traditional ambiances, farm activities, tasting typical regional products, practicing adventure sports in rural or coastal cliffs landscapes and eventually to spend the night in typical Patagonian ranches can be enjoyed. A destination to visit, to enjoy the beaches, to see toninas overas (Commerson’s dolphin) and to visit the Pier.

Its purpose is to show and explain the productive activities of a rural establishment, in order get to know the agriculture and farmer world. In a place where agricultural tourism is offered, the visitor will be able to know about the different breeding, harvesting and marketing techniques and also to taste products. The establishments can be visited in private or in small groups, paying a ticket in most of them, which allows visiting the facilities and a guided tour made by the owner or person in charge.

After the visit you will enjoy a product tasting and their services. You can buy liquors, jams, handmade confectionery, flowers, fruits and vegetables and aromatic herbs. Services of rural canteens, didactic farms, small museums and recreational activities are also included.

Florentino Ameghino Dike
This imposing engineering work located 120 km (74.5 miles) away from Trelew, to the west, concentrates its population in a quiet villa surrounded by a spectacular frame of huge red stone walls and the impressive big wall of the dike that contains the artificial reservoir of over 25 km (15.5 miles) long. The villa has a campsite equipped with stoves, toilets and a grocer’s shop, activities such as rowing, climbing and trekking can be practised. If you are a fishing lover, you will be able to fish salmon, perch and sea silverside in the Florentino Ameghino Reservoir.

Playa Unión (Unión Beach)
Bordering the port, Playa Unión invites you to enjoy all the services offered which include campsites, different tourist lodgings, commerce, sports centers, bars and dancing pubs that provide a special nightlife during the summer months.

It is an ideal place to practice Windsurfing and surfing. Other possibilities are the coastal fishing, watching toninas overas (Commerson’s dolphins) from the port, during the entire year (except the months of January and February, which is the reproduction season) on board a boat, constituting a wild and attractive spectacle where to enjoy vast solitary beaches of soft slope and where long walks or the simple and marvelous contemplation are allowed.

Fun and recreation constitute an attraction pole for tourists but it had not modified the characteristics of a bathing resort villa nor its tranquility, the 24 hs. security and the hospitality of its people. The Playa Magagna is located in Playa Magagna, a group of beaches of different characteristics. These coasts are rich in bivalves and octopus, giving a different alternative to visitors.