BUENOS AIRES, PUERTO MADRYN, GAIMAN, TREVELIN & EL BOLSÓN – 13 DAYS 12 NIGHTS

On arrival, you will be welcomed and received in a traditional building with empanadas (a kind of pasty), soft drinks and wine. You will then be escorted around the estancia and visit the main residence, the museum, the bakery, the stables and other building. You will be given an opportunity to be driven by horse and carriage, or ride your own horse. Following the equestrian activities will be a gaucho show and an asado (a feast of roast meats, vegetables, bread and wine). While you enjoy your asado, professional folklore dancers and singers entertain you with traditional Argentine dances and songs. In the afternoon, gauchos on horseback entertain you with their skills as they carry out their activities and games. This can be followed by a stroll around the lands of the estancia while enjoying the rural landscapes of the pampas.
There are shops on the property where regional crafts are available.
Overnight in Buenos Aires, standard room. (B)

You will be transferred to Porth Madryn on the shores of the Bahía Nueva, a 1 hour drive, and taken to the hotel. In the afternoon you will be taken to Amgueddfa’r Glaniad (Disembarkation Museum) on the shores of the bay in front of where the first Welsh settlers disembarked from the clipper ”Mimosa”. This historical centre interprets the early days of the Welsh colonists and has many interesting items to see, including the original caves that were used for temporary shelter. At about 2100hrs you will be taken to dine with a few members of Porth Madryn’s Welsh Society.
Overnight in Puerto Madryn, standard room. (B)

The peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is famous for its biodiversity and for its Southern Wright Whales, the principal attraction. In the morning you will embark on a whale watching boat trip from Puerto Pirámides that should provide you with close encounters with the whales. In the afternoon you will be guided to other parts of the peninsula, including Caleta Valdés to see another spectacular animal, the Southern Elephant Seal. Other creatures that you may come across during this day are sea lions, guanacos, armadillos, rheas, foxes, vultures, maras (a Patagonian hare) and many birds of all colours. You will travel about 320Km on this day.
Overnight in Puerto Madryn, standard room. (B)

At 10 am approx, you will be taken to Punta Tombo -188km from Puerto Madryn, a Magellan Penguin Rookery. Punta Tombo is the largest Magellan penguin in the world. The excursion presents a unique opportunity to become part of a community of over 1 million Magellan penguins. Walk amongst these small likeable birds, observe their activities, their funny walks and the way they tend to their nests and care for their chicks amidst the shrub. From Punta Tombo you will be transferred to Gaiman and taken to the hotel. -144km from Punta Tombo.
At about 2100hrs you will be taken to dine with a few of Gaiman’s Welsh descendents.
Overnight in Gaiman, standard room. (B)

Today you discover the first house built by Dafydd Robert (1873), and other places of interest. Gaiman was founded by the Welsh in 1874 and its municipal government was formed in 1885 with authority over the whole valley, the first in the territory of Chubut. For a number of years formal documents were produced in both Welsh and Spanish. The principal attraction of the town today is its Welshness and the characters that live there and there will be plenty of opportunities to have a chat with descendants of the original Welsh colonisers – Welsh or Spanish of course! In the afternoon we will visit Moriah chapel located on the outskirts of Trelew next to the river Chubut. The chapel, the third in the colony, was built in 1880 and the Reverend Abraham Matthews was its first minister. Unique amongst the Welsh chapels in Chubut, Moriah is the only chapel that has an adjacent graveyard. The chapel has been registered as a Provincial Historical Monument by the government of Chubut. During the journey to Moriah through the river valley, travelling though the areas of Bryn Gwyn, Drofa Dulog and Pont Hendre, you will see how the farmers prepare and irrigate their land to ensure a secure and measured flow of water depending on the use that is made of the land. We will return to Gaiman to visit the historical museum. After perusing the historical items at the museum you will then be taken to one of Gaiman’s famous tea houses for a late afternoon traditional tea.
Overnight in Gaiman, standard room. (B)

Excursion (3 hours): In the afternoon you will be taken to Bod Iwan, a Welsh farm in Bryn Gwyn near Gaiman. Bod Iwan has a traditional and original colonial clay brick farmhouse with mud-plastered walls. The farmhouse was built in 1910 for the family of Llwyd ap Iwan following the tragedy of his death. Llwyd ap Iwan, Michael D Jones’ son, was killed by two North American bandits in Nant y Pysgod, the Andes, in 1909. In Bod Iwan, you will be guided by members of the present residents, the Williams family, and will learn about the family history and the importance of irrigation and the canal system towards the success of the colony. The farmhouse has been preserved in its original form and furnished with items of the period. A typical Welsh tea will be served in the farmhouse.
Overnight in Gaiman, standard room. (B)

Travelling over the steppe is normally a highpoint and an opportunity to marvel in amazement at the astonishing and striking scenery, set in an ambience of silence and tranquillity, while gazing at infinite horizons. The steppe abounds in history – in the history and place names of the old Welsh colonisers that ventured into and pioneered the steppe. Feel the thrill of finding ruts and grooves worn down by the old wagons, or a piece of chunky coloured glass, shards of old pottery, a horseshoe or a rusty piece of metal once belonging to an old bridle. En route you will visit sites of special Welsh interest including Rhyd y Beddau in Dyffryn y Merthyron, Rocky Trip in Dyffryn yr Allorau, and Nant y Pysgod in Dyffryn Teca. On arrival in Trevelin you will be taken to the hotel. At about 2100hrs you will be taken to dine at restaurant Nikanor
Overnight in Trevelin, standard room. (B)

One of the characteristics of the railway that the Trochita train runs along is the narrowness of its gauge of only 75 centimetres (29.5 inches). This railway has changed little since 1922 and a there are a number of unique steam engines. The train will run to and from Nahuel Pan, some 200 metres (650 feet) higher up through a ravine where you will see magnificent views of the steppe, baked from the activity of ancient volcanoes, and of Nahuel Pan mountain (Mynydd Llwyd). The author Paul Theroux in his book ’The Old Patagonian Express’ describes his journey from Boston, USA, to Esquel and his arrival on the Trochita. The journey takes about 4 hours.
Overnight in Trevelin, standard room. (B)

An opportunity to wander about Trevelin and enjoy the views of Gorsedd y Cwmwl Mountain and the Andean range. Excursion (pm): Historical tour of Cwm Hyfryd. Welsh pioneers first arrived in Cwm Hyfryd in 1885 during an expedition to explore the whole of newly funded Territory of Chubut. By 1888, the first colonisers arrived to settle on the banks of the Río Percy which flows through Trevelin. By 1918, a company headed by J. D. Evans built a flourmill and the village of Trevelin flourished around it. You will visit the historical museum, which is located in the old mill. Another historical museum that you will visit is at the old Escuela 18 at Pentre Sydyn in the Aber Gyrraints valley, which records the events of the 1902 plebiscite that helped to solve the territorial claims of Argentina and Chile over the region. Another museum, Cartref Taid, records the life of J. D. Evans and his faithful horse Malacara. At about 2000hrs you will be taken to a nearby Welsh farm where you will enjoy an Asado with a few of the local descendents.
Overnight in Trevelin, standard room. (B)

The Park is one of the largest in Argentina and has a land area of 263,000 hectares (650,000 acres – about the same size as the county of Gwynedd in North Wales). The park’s characteristic feature is the Alerces forests. There are very few traces of human activity and the park is bursting with magnificent landscapes, lakes, rivers and numerous waterfalls, all surrounded by the Andes mountains swathed in thick forests. The Alerce tree is a Patagonian cypress and some examples in the park approach 3,000 years of age and 70 metres (230 feet) in height. You will embark on a lake cruise, where you will be able to take pleasure in the spectacle of the Torrecillas glacier as you navigate the numerous inlets of these beautiful lakes. On the distant shore of Lago Futalaufquen is a footpath that you will be guided along to see examples of the Alerce tree.
Overnight in Trevelin, standard room. (B)

This is a 4-5 hour drive northwards through the Andes region and its spectacular scenery. En route it may be possible to visit the Indigenous Museum at Leleque and also stop at El Bolsón, a beautiful village set in incredible surroundings. Your flight (approximately 2 hours) will take you to Buenos Aires where you will be met by one of our representatives and taken to your hotel.
Overnight in Buenos Aires, standard room. (B)

Take a stroll along the pedestrianised areas or through the riverside parks. Ask our representative for information. At the appropriate time you will be transferred to Ezeiza International Airport and our representative will accompany until you until you arrive at passport control. (D)