Trevelin

The pretty village of Trevelin, 25 km southwest of Esquel, was once an offshoot of the Welsh colony Gaiman on the Atlantic coast , when the Welsh travelled west to find further lands for growing corn. The name means Town (tre) of the Mill (velin) in Welsh, you can still hear Welsh spoken here, and there is plenty of evidence of Welsh heritage in several good little museums around the town. With a backdrop of snow- capped mountains, the village is an appealing place to rest for a few days, to go fishing and rafting on nearby Río Futuleufu, or see the beautiful waterfalls at the reserve of Nant-y-fall.

Sights

Trevelin remains a quiet village with a strong sense of community, and its history is manifest in several sights. The Welsh chapel of 1910, La Capilla Bethel, can be visited, with a guided tour to fill you in on a bit of history. The fine old flour mill of 1918 houses the Museo Histórico Regional, which has fascinating artefacts from the Welsh colony. The Museo Cartref Taid is another great place for exploring the Welsh pioneer past. It's the house of John Evans, one of Trevelin's first settlers, and filled with his belongings. There's another extraordinary and touching relic of his life in La Tumba del Caballo Malacara, a private garden containing the grave of his horse, Malacara, who once saved his life.

Eisteddfods are still held here every year in October, and you'll be relieved to hear that Té Galés, that other apparently traditional Welsh ritual, is alive and well in several tea rooms, offering a ridiculous excess of delicious cakes. (After extensive research it has been ascertained that Nain Maggieis, in fact, the town's best.) There are good day walks in the region, in idyllic scenery around the town. Get directions on routes from the tourist office. It's also a good area for horse riding or mountain biking.

For a gentle outing with quite the best insight into the Welsh history in Patagonia, visit the rural flour mill Molino Nant. This beautiful flour mill was built by Merfyn Evans, descendant of the town's founder Thomas Dalar Evans, as an exact replica of the first mill built the town in 1899. Merfyn's fascinating tour (in Spanish, but English booklet available to read) recounts a now familiar tale of the Argentine government's persistent mismanagement of natural resources and industry, through the suppression of the Welsh prize-winning wheat industry. It's a beautiful spot, and Merfyn tells the rather tragic story in a wonderfully entertaining way. On the same road, but 5 km earlier the Nant-y-fall Falls, 17 km southwest of Trevelin, on Route 259 heading to the Chilean border, before you reach Molino Nant Fach, are a series of spectacular waterfalls reached by an easy 1½-hour walk along a trail through lovely forest.

Fishing is popular in many local rivers and lakes, most commonly in Río Futuleufú, and Corintos, and Lagos Rosario and Corcovado. The season runs from the end of November to mid-April, and the tourist office can advise on guides and where to go.