Cultural & Historical Tours

There’s More Than Just Fishing In Patagonia

Exploring Patagonia, Argentina, offers a captivating journey through its rich history and vibrant culture. We can introduce you to interesting sights and share tales of regional characters and local history, as our region is steeped in stories of discovery and resilience.

Our local culture reflects a unique blend of indigenous traditions and European influences, celebrated in local festivals, traditional music, and hearty cuisine. Whether visiting charming towns like Esquel or learning about the Mapuche people, we invite travelers to connect deeply with our area’s past and present.

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Tours From El Encuentro Lodge

  • The valley of the Rio Futaleufu and the community of Trevelin were settled by Welsh pioneers in the 1860s. A strong wheat-growing and flour-milling industry was developed, supplying grains and flour for much of Argentina in the early 1900s. To understand this history, we will take you to the Museo Regional Molino Andes and to a historic flour mill, the Museo Molino Nant Fach. Reconditioned in 2019, it gives a partial picture of how life was for the first Welsh settlers. The building was the first cereal mill in the region, established to process exceptionally high-quality wheat.

    To complete the day, we will take you to a traditional Welsh tea house, where you can enjoy tasty homemade breads, cakes, pies, and a cup of delicious tea.

  • Take a half-day ride with your guide on one of the only narrow-gauge trains still operating in the world.

    Departing from Esquel, the train heads east to the small station at Nahuel Pan, an indigenous community, located 20 kilometers east of Esquel. The round trip takes about 3 hours. Enjoy a variety of landscapes combining the native forests and the steppe.

    In Nahuel Pan, you can visit a small museum about the indigenous cultures of the region. Be advised that the seats are not especially comfortable!

Tours From Carrileufu Valley Lodge

  • The environment of this museum, apart from its careful collection, is one of its most striking characteristics. Leleque Historical Museum is located in the steppe, 100 meters from the Trochita tracks and at the foot of the Andes, almost in the same environment that the indigenous people lived centuries ago. Its name comes from the southern Tehuelches, who named a shrub in the region. This place was the scene in 1888 of the last confrontations between the Tehuelches and the national troops. For this reason, the museum’s current exhibition seeks to rescue the historical value of the Tehuelche people.

  • In 1901, Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and their companion settled on the banks of the Blanco or Cholila River, where they built a North American-style cabin. They lived in the Cholila valley for 4 years and were considered “honest ranchers” and good neighbors. To such an extent that in 1904 they hosted the Governor of the National Territory of Chubut in their cabin.

    Although Butch and Sundance were not the perpetrators of a nearby bank robbery in 1905, the Police suspected them of protecting the robbers. Aware of this, they decided to leave Cholila on May 1, 1905 and headed to Lake Nahuel Huapi, where they embarked to Chile.

Let’s Start Planning

We are excited to craft an unforgettable Patagonia vacation for you and your group.