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The Route along the Andes
Can anyone imagine what represents a journey down this backbone of the Americas? Can the life of a person continue to be the same after traveling these thousands of kilometers by the same roads used by the ancient inhabitants of this land? If a journey, a true journey, always transforms something in the traveler, how will our vision of the world be impacted by experiencing so many different cultures, tastes and lifestyles on one trip?

The last Pioneer
A link between the old explorers and the modern travelers, Father de Agostini is an example of tradition and modernity united in a single person. He practiced, like other people of the modern age, photography, aviation and mountaineering. But let’s not forget his vocation: he was a priest, a missionary with the goal of transporting his faith to the most isolated regions of southern Patagonia.

Route 40, pure adventure
This mythical route runs along side the Andes from la Puna until reaching the Glaciers of the South. Its plan corresponds with the ancient travel routes of the first inhabitants of South America. These wise ancestors were knowledgeable about all of the different microclimates where a traveler could find fresh water supplies, the resource which enabled the development of the cities and towns of today.

The Orca Project
Among other activities, this program of observation and study of killer whales (Orcas) behaviour in their natural state has identified, named and coded each Orca that it has observed in Valdes Peninsula. Later, the project became the ORCA FOUNDATION OF PATAGONIA-ANTARCTICA, whose motto is to develop the knowledge of the wild Orcas of Patagonia and Antarctica and to spread awareness that will prevent the capturing or slaughter of Orcas.

The New Patagonia Cuisine
We have been asked more than once if a defined Patagonia cuisine exists, and we have always answered yes, because we find distinct regional trademarks, such as the use of wild boar, trout and venison. This article is based upon the responses of a group of young chefs who are at the forefront of this culinary revolution.

Esquel says NO!
Recently, the inhabitants of Esquel overwhelmingly voted against a proposal to install a gold mine in the nearby mountains, an initiative proposed by the Canadian multinational Meridian Gold. The people of Esquel received the support of national and international organizations in their fight to preserve their land and way of life. Of all of the protests against the project, the one of Greenpeace was the most striking.

Curiosities on the Southern Whales
Did you know that the whales don't form couples but mating groups? Why are the whales the species with the biggest testicles in the animal Kingdom? Why can it be said that whales are giant water filtering machines? What are the formations similar to callosities the whales have on the upper part of their bodies? Find out all the answers in this interesting story.

Rock from Patagonia
Nación Evasora is a rock band from Patagonia, that grew upon their own passion and guts. They are celebrating their 10th year together and have released their first CD album: Señor Uno. Meet them and also download two exclusive tracks in high quality mp3 format!

Patagonia's Headlights
Despite the distance between Egypt's Alexandria and southern Argentina's Isla de los Estados, both have in common a singular project: the reconstruction of two of the most legendary headlights in the world. Patagonia, discovered, respected and even feared by seamen, conserves many of these artifacts. Learn all about them.

Touring the Andean Lakes
María Nieves Guevara, professional photographer, features this travelogue on one of the most charming areas within Patagonia: the Andean Lakes region that comprises part of Rio Negro and Neuquen provinces.

Will Tourists Take Over from Sheep?
A very interesting article by Joshua Goodman, originally published in BusinessWeek Online, about the glorious past and not so certain present of the Patagonian Estancias, now trying to reinvent themselves from a tourist approach.

An American in Patagonia
Mary Jean Odmark of Walnut Creek, California, USA, is a retired English and journalism teacher. She grew up in Pennsylvania and received degrees in English from Penn State and Harvard Universities. Always a curious traveler, philologist, and avid photographer, she now spends much time pursuing “off the beaten track” adventures. Her Southern Patagonia journey memoirs are here for you to enjoy.

A Classy, 'New' Tourist Train
This 1912 train has been refurbished with total respect for its original details. The locomotive, according to experts this train's "gem", was made in Scotland. It features a Presidential wagon, dining room, plus 20 coaches with antique luxury details. The service will be run by a company that invested more than a quarter million dollars in order to restore the train and bring it back to its splendor.

An act of Justice
During the forties, when the National Parks were constituted, the Mapuches were dislodged from their lands, their houses destroyed and their belongings, burnt. Now, more than sixty years later, they've been able to get back a portion of their identity: their "Rehue". You will enjoy this touching story as much as we did when putting the article together.

The Sea Lions Colony at Viedma
As usual, we show you new and unique places in our immense Patagonia. This time we present a surprising beach resort on the Atlantic which has also got a Sea Lion colony at its surroundings. The Punta Bermeja Fauna Reservation features a large catwalk bordering the high cliffs in order to be able to watch Patagonia's biggest Sea Lion Colony, with more than 3,000 of these animals populating the area.

The Airport at the Glaciers
El Calafate is the gateway town to the Glaciers National Park. It did not have its own airport until December 2000, reason for which it was necessary to fly to Rio Gallegos first and then combine with a bus that connected both cities, via Route 5. But all this has changed, and you can now fly into this town directly from Buenos Aires.

Burrowing Parrots in danger
A group of German researchers has closely studied the evolution of a very important colony of burrowing parrots at the El Cóndor beach, near Viedma, and discovered that its number is dramatically decreasing. One of the reasons is that local authorities do little or nothing to prevent cars from parking right on the beach. We must react before this particular species goes extinct.

The Cold Region Wines
In this article you'll learn about the best wine production areas in Patagonia and the special characteristics of their wines due to the particular climate of the region. As you get familiar with the names of many of the best wine varieties grown in the area, you'll also get ready for one - or more - tasting days on your next trip to these fantastic lands.

Patagonia's Satellite
The first argentine tele-observation satellite SAC-C is already orbiting. It was built at the Invap Labs, a company belonging to the Rio Negro government, with headquarters at the beautiful city of San Carlos de Bariloche.

Patagonian Landscapes
A unique, surprising and accurate view. Photographers Alberto Cortés and Eduardo Frías, both from the city of Viedma, Province of Río Negro, open this exhibition as a first step of a multimedia project dedicated to this land full of legends and almost uninhabited.

Gaiman, the Welsh town in Patagonia
The first settlers arrived in 1865, aboard the Mimosa sailboat. They were escaping from the English penetration in their native country as well as from the attempt of the latter to impose their culture to them. Huge and virgin Patagonia was the promised land and, since then, Gaiman is the symbol of Welsh colonization in Patagonia. Read the full story!

Driving in Patagonia: Tips for a safe journey
Traveling by your own car in Patagonia is a challenge many times. Roads and paths are not always well kept or there is no pavement, not to mention the solitude that characterizes the argentine south. Our collaborator Mariano Fernandez Soler writes two chapters telling us everything we have got to have in mind when starting our safe trip.

Trekking: Fall at Shelter Italia and Laguna Negra
Every season has its own particular charm and Fall is an outbreak of colors. Furthermore when it's about venturing a little into the heart of the Patagonic Andes. Let B.S. Melina Paoloni lead you through this Bariloche path....

Copahue: heated streets
Believe it or not, these streets will be never cold again, even if it snows. A unique street heating system is being deployed in the charming town of Copahue, near the famous hot springs. It uses natural resources in order to work, thus it is completely ecological.

Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid in Patagonia
These (in)famous bandits were in Argentine Patagonia in the beginning of the current century; such a legend has been debated in a symposium in Trevelin, town located in the Andean area of the Province of Chubut.

Mud Therapy at Copahue Hot Springs

Dr Hugo Torres tells us about mud therapy as a treatment for rheumatic and skin diseases. It is developed in the wonderful Copahue Hot Springs, in the north of the Province of Neuquén, a location that also offers many tourism activities.

 

One hundred years of the "La Estrella del Valle" rail express
The first of June, 1899 the first railway line to the city of Cipolletti, in the Alto Valle of the Río Negro was inaugurated. Certainly , for this region, the most important work of the century, together with the Contraalmirante Cordero Dam. Memories and testimony of a recent history.

Seven Patagonias
An essay on what the original project covered and what eventually happened with the geopolitical aspects of Patagonia.