Reasons to visit Trelew
22 julio, 2013 Lifestyle, Patagonia No comments
Though it may not be the most obvious tourist destination in Chubut, this ‘Welsh’ city has its own unique charm and is the perfect place for any traveller looking to relax and take a break from the incessant sightseeing. Tourists looking to witness the whales and other marine fauna in Peninsula Valdes tend to fly to Trelew before making their way directly to Puerto Madryn, for this is where the vast majority of wildlife-watching tours start from. However, should you decide to spend more time in this city, there are a number of things to see and do. Below are our top reasons to visit Trelew.
The “centennial kiosk” in Trelew’s Plaza Independencia / source
Museums in Trelew
Museo Regional Pueblo de Luis: Regional Museum
Once the city’s train station, this small regional museum displaying photographs, clothing and furnishings belonging to its former Welsh inhabitants is a great way to become immersed in Trelew’s fascinating history.
Pueblo Luis: the city’s regional museum / source
Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio: Museum of Paleontology
The Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), which showcases the most significant fossils to have been found in Patagonia, is arguably one of the greatest reasons to visit Trelew. The staggering life-sized local dinosaur exhibits and remains of plant and marine life take you back to a time when Patagonia was filled with dinosaurs, including the 120 foot long Argentinosaurus, the longest and heaviest creature to set foot on our planet.
Life-sized dinosaurs in the Paleontology Museum / source
Museo Artes Visuales: Visual Arts Museum
This small visual arts museum, complete with various different art exhibitions and concerts is also well worth a visit. Featuring the works of local artists alongside relics from Welsh colonisation, it is an example of the city’s cultural blends and is therefore seen as a fundamental part of local heritage
The Visual Arts Museum: an example of Trelew’s cultural blends / source
Trelew location and map of distances
Being Chubut’s commercial centre, Trelew’s strategic location makes it the ideal base for visiting a number of tourist attractions in the province. It is the gateway for Welsh villages Gaiman and Dolavon, both of which are approximately just 25 minutes away by car, and is also within reach of the Central Meseta, the Valley of Chubut River and the coast. Many people come to this part of the world to see wildlife, and the city is also accessible to a number of wildlife-watching spots such as Rawson’s Port, Punta Tombo and Punta Ninfas. Below is a list of these destinations and the distance of each from Trelew.
Distances to and from Trelew:
Trelew – Rawson: 17km
Trelew – Puerto Madryn: 67 km
Trelew – Puerto Pirámide: 170 km
Trelew – Punta Tombo: 115 km
Trelew – Punta Ninfas: 110 km
Trelew – Caleta Valdés: 260 km
Hundreds of penguins can be seen at Punta Tombo / source
Welsh culture in Trelew
Trelew was founded by Welsh settlers and is named after Lewis Jones, a pioneer of Welsh colonization in the region. For this reason, Welsh culture in the city is fairly prominent and can be explored in a number of ways. First and foremost, there is the city’s regional museum, the aforementioned Museo de Pueblo Luis, which is its prime example of Welsh culture. On the outskirts you’ll find the Moriah chapel, the third ever chapel to be built in Patagonia, which the minister, Rev. Abraham Mathews prompted to be constructed in the 1880s. A number of the Welsh settlers were buried in the adjacent cemetery, including Lewis Jones, and this is also where the Abraham Mathews Monument can be found. Moreover, Trelew plays host to Chubut’s main eisteddfod, a festival of Welsh music, literature and performance, which is held annually in the central square and features a highly significant award, the Sillón del Bardo (The Bard’s Chair), which goes to the best Welsh-language poet.
The Moriah chapel was the third chapel to be built in Patagonia / source
Overall, there are many reasons to visit Trelew. It’s a city which combines nature, culture and adventure and is the perfect spot for a bit of downtime, yet there is still plenty to do so you won’t get bored here.
For more information on tours and activites in Patagonia, visit our website.
By: Camilla Day
For: Argentina4u
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