TRELEW is second only to Comodoro Rivadavia as an industrial and commercial centre in the province of Chubut, though it's a more attractive place, with fewer high-rises and less heavy industry. It's also the self-proclaimed "Capital of the Penguin" - not because it has any of these birds (it isn't even on the sea), but due to its relative proximity to the famous penguin colony at Punta Tombo.
The Town
Trelew's name, in Welsh, means the "Village of Lewis", in honour of Lewis Jones, its founder. The settlement rose to prominence after the completion, in 1889, of the rail link to Puerto Madryn, which allowed easy export of the burgeoning agricultural yields. The railway has since disappeared, and the old station, on 9 de Julio and Fontana, is now used to house the Museo Regional (Mon-Fri: March-Nov 7am-1pm & 2-8pm; Dec-Feb 7am-1pm & 3-9pm; $2). One of two fine museums in Trelew, it contains some illuminating exhibits on the coexistence of the Welsh and the Tehuelche; a vast bellows for the local ironworks; some gruesome photos of the sea lion hunt at Punta Norte on the Península Valdés; and items on the Eisteddfod festivals. Across the road is the excellent modern Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio , Fontana and Lewis Jones (Mon-Fri 8.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 1.30-8pm; $4), one of South America's most important paleontological collections, which claims to describe "300 million years of history" and contains rarities like beautifully preserved clutches of dinosaur eggs and skeletons from the region.
Trelew's urban centrepiece is its beautiful main square, the Plaza de la Independencia , with flourishing trees and an elegant gazebo, built by the Welsh to honour the centenary of Argentinian Independence. In the second half of October, the most important of the province's eisteddfods is celebrated, when two prestigious awards are made: the Sillón del Bardo (The Bard's Chair), for the best poetry in Welsh, and the Corona del Bardo (The Bard's Crown), for the best in Spanish.
