Trelew

Egidio Feruglio Museum - Trelew - Photo: Jorge González

Situated in the lower valley of the Chubut River and in the Northeast of the province, Trelew is the anteroom to the various attractions of the region. The city emerged as a result of the railway layout in 1886, when the Welsh colonists were searching to transfer their agricultural production to the port of the Nuevo Gulf, today called Puerto Madryn. Its name means "Lewis’ Town" in Welsh, as a tribute to Lewis Jones, fosterer of the railway works, considered founder of the city.

Nowadays, Trelew still is the center of communications and transportation for regional commerce. The Egidio Feruglio Paleontologic Museum, one of the most important in the country, operates there along with several colleges from the Patagonia National University.

Trelew is the venue for important cultural events, such as Chubut’s Eistedvod, an annual encounter of Celtic origin only held in Wales and in this province. This event congregates musicians and poets whose works and performances compete for the bard’s armchair and the poet’s crown awards. Trelew is also the venue for the International Choir Contest, during which competitions and training of chorus groups from all over the world take place.

As an urban center, it offers quality in the hotel and gastronomy infrastructure, as well as in other services. The proximity of the river gives as a result fertile soil with trees and farms that make contrast with the aridity of the steppe. Furthermore, its location in the valley gives Trelew a temperate dry weather, one of the most beneficiary in the Patagonian area. During the winter months, temperatures range between 0 and 15°C and in the summertime, they reach 38°C.

Trelew lies only 17 kilometers from Rawson, the capital of Chubut. To reach this city by land from Buenos Aires, which is located 1,456 kilometers away, visitors must travel along National Routes 3 and 25. The international airport receives daily flights from various airlines.