Welsh Patagonia

Fuelled by the hope of starting a new colony in Patagonia in which they could preserve and develop their culture and language, a group of Welsh set out from Liverpool in 1865, arriving in what is now Puerto Madryn. They went on to establish the first Welsh Argentine settlement, 'Y Wladfa', in the Chubut Valley. It was headed by the congregationalist minister, Michael D. Jones, who, after witnessing the difficulties faced by newly emigrated Welsh communities in America, championed an independent Welsh settlement free from English influence

In many ways the early settlers were not prepared for the reality of the environment that they were to discover, however, they worked the land and through successful irrigation were able to create fertile wheat fields; that, incredibly, remain so today. After a gradual flow of more settlers who further developed the irrigation, the official granting of the land by the Argentinean government in 1875 prompted another key flow of Welsh migrants. In transforming the area through farming, the Welsh changed this previously uninhabitable land beyond recognition.

Visiting the area today you'll still hear the Welsh language spoken by around 5,000 locals, as you navigate streets, villages and towns with bearing distinctly Welsh names. Each year, a number of Welsh events have an important place in the local calendar. The Trevelin Eisteddfod and Plebiscite Anniversary is held at the nearest weekend to 30 April, consisting of competitions Thursday through Saturday, town dinner on Saturday night, and Cymanfa Gunu, the Welsh hymn singing festival, on Sunday. 

At the end of July, events commemorating the Gŵyl y Gland, the landing of the first Welsh in Argentina, are held in Gaiman, Trelew and Esquel. Shows and concerts take place, traditional tea is served in the Welsh chapels, and, on 28 July, the landing is recreated by the harbour of Puerto Madryn. At the same time, the winter brings with it opportunities to ski, snowboard and snowshoe in Esquel. Later in mid-September, Gaiman hosts another Eisteddfod, before the biggest Welsh cultural festival in Patagonia, 'Chubut Eisteddfod', in the third week of October – a bilingual (Welsh and Spanish) event with international competitors.

We recommend incorporating visits to a few of the towns in the valley with the nearby wildlife and marine life highlights. Take a walking tour of Gaiman, visiting the oldest tea shop in Welsh Patagonia and witnessing the lush, fertile land starkly contrasting the sterility of the desert – the continued manifestation of the first settler's hard work. You'll find the mark of the Welsh printed throughout the culture of Trelew, where you can walk through the region's past both at the regional museum at Paleontological Museum.

Seek out the incredible ecological diversity of Puerto Madryn and head to Peninsula Valdes for encounters with penguins, seals, dolphins, orcas and whales. Paddle alongside sea lions kayaking around Puerto Pyramides, walk among Magellanic Penguins at Estancia San Lorenzo, and see Southern Right Whales give birth (August–December) and teach their young to swim in El Doradillo.

Of course, the best time to visit will depend on what you're most eager to see and do. Spring time, from October to December, is the busiest period for wildlife and also the time of the year in which the important Welsh festival takes place. Spring paints the landscapes in rich shades of green, emerging amidst the still snow-covered mountains, while warmer temperatures make their way in. 

Southern Right Whales can be seen from June to December, with October the best month for sightings, and orcas from September to April. Therefore, outside of the Spring there are many opportunities for wildlife encounters in the Valdés – particularly with sea lions, elephant seals, Commerson's dolphins and many bird species all being year-round members of the community.