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Group Tour - Natural World - Y Wladfa - Patagonia Day 1: Buenos Aires - City Tour and Tango Show Early arrival to Ezeiza International airport where you will be met by an Andes Celtig representative. As arrival is normally too early to be able to take you directly to your hotel, you will be taken on a morning “City Tour” of Buenos Aires. Amongst the places you will see are Avenida 9 de Julio, Teatro Colón, Obelisco, Congreso, Viejo Congreso, Manzana de las Luces, Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, El Caminito, Palermo and Recoleta. The excursion includes lunch at a restaurant in the fashionable port area of Puerto Madero. After lunch you will be taken to your hotel where you will have time to rest or stroll around the surrounding area. In the evening, you will be picked up to go to a Tango Show where you will see and hear how the traditional Tango is expressed nowadays. Listen to a Tango orchestra while watching a sophisticated choreography as you enjoy your meal. Day 2: Buenos Aires - Day on a traditional estancia in the Pampas Excursion (full day): Travel to a traditional estancia to enjoy a day with the gauchos. On arrival, you will be welcomed and received in a traditional building with empanadas (a kind of pasty), soft drinks and wine. You will then be escorted around the estancia and visit the main residence, the museum, the bakery, the stables and other building. You will be given an opportunity to be driven by horse and carriage, or ride your own horse. Following the equestrian activities will be a gaucho show and an asado (a feast of roast meats, vegetables, bread and wine). While you enjoy your asado, professional folklore dancers and singers entertain you with traditional Argentine dances and songs. In the afternoon, gauchos on horseback entertain you with their skills as they carry out their activities and games. This can be followed by a stroll around the lands of the estancia while enjoying the rural landscapes of the pampas. There are shops on the property where regional crafts are available. Day 3: Buenos Aires / Porth Madryn - Fly to Trelew, Disembarkation Museum You will be transferred to Aeroparque airport to board an early 2 hour flight to Trelew in the province of Chubut in Patagonia. You will be met by an Andes Celtig representative and transferred to Porth Madryn on the shores of the Bahía Nueva, a 1 hour drive, and taken to your hotel. Late afternoon you will be taken to Amgueddfa’r Glaniad (Disembarkation Museum) on the shores of the bay in front of where the first Welsh settlers disembarked from the clipper “Mimosa” in 1865. This historical centre interprets the early days of the Welsh colonists and has many interesting items to see, including the original caves that were used for temporary shelter.

Andes Celtig - Y Wladfa - Patagonia - Cymru

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Day 4: Madryn - Whale watching, Peninsula Valdés UNESCO World Heritage Site Excursion (full day): You will be taken to Península Valdés situated across the Bahía Nueva from Porth Madryn. The peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is famous for its biodiversity and for its Southern Wright Whales, the principal attraction. In the morning you will embark on a whale watching boat trip from Puerto Pirámides that should provide you with close encounters with the whales. In the afternoon you will be guided to other parts of the peninsula, including Caleta Valdés to see another spectacular animal, the Southern Elephant Seal. Other creatures that you may come across during this day are sea lions, guanacos, armadillos, rheas, foxes, vultures, maras (a Patagonian hare) and many birds of all colours. Day 5: Porth Madryn / Gaiman - Punta Tombo Magellan Penguin Rookery Free morning: enjoy Porth Madryn, a popular sea-side resort which has many attractions and services for the tourist. Excursion (pm): to Punta Tombo, a Magellan Penguin Rookery. Punta Tombo is the largest Magellan penguin in the world. The excursion presents a unique opportunity to become part of a community of over 1 million Magellan penguins. Walk amongst these small likeable birds, observe their activities, their funny walks and the way they tend to their nests and care for their chicks amidst the shrub. From Punta Tombo you will be transferred to Gaiman and taken to your hotel . Day 6: Gaiman - Chubut river valley, Moriah Chapel and Bryn Gwyn Palaeontological Park Excursion (am): in the morning you will visit Moriah chapel located on the outskirts of Trelew next to the river Chubut. The chapel, the third in the colony, was built in 1880 and the Reverend Abraham Matthews was its first minister. Unique amongst the Welsh chapels in Chubut, Moriah is the only chapel that has an adjacent graveyard. The chapel has been registered as a Provincial Historical Monument by the government of Chubut. During the journey to Moriah through the river valley, travelling though the areas of Bryn Gwyn, Drofa Dulog and Pont Hendre, you will see how the farmers prepare and irrigate their land to ensure a secure and measured flow of water depending on the use that is made of the land. Excursion (am): to Bryn Gwyn Palaeontological Park, the first park of its kind in Latin America. The park is located on the southern slopes of the Chubut valley in Bryn Gwyn near Gaiman. The park is a treasure trove of fossils and a number of very valuable fossils have been discovered there. Bryn Gwyn’s geological and palaeontological formations enable you to travel through 40 million years in the history of our planet. An interpreted footpath steadily ascends to the top of the valley though layers of sediment that correspond to the geological formations. The excursion is an opportunity to see exactly where and how fossils are discovered and to stand on the top of the valley’s slopes and enjoy glorious views of Bryn Gwyn and the surrounding area. You will return to Gaiman in good time so that you may stroll around and see its attractions.

Andes Celtig - Y Wladfa - Patagonia - Cymru

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Day 7: Gaiman / Steppe - Patagonia Steppe following the Trails of the Martyrs Transfer/excursion (full day 500km): following the river Río Chubut and the Trail of the Martyrs to far away places on the steppe of Patagonia. Travelling over the steppe is normally a highpoint and an opportunity to marvel in amazement at the astonishing and striking scenery, set in an ambience of silence and tranquillity, while gazing at infinite horizons. The steppe abounds in history - in the history and place names of the old Welsh colonisers that ventured into and pioneered the steppe. Feel the thrill of finding ruts and grooves worn down by the old wagons, or a piece of chunky coloured glass, shards of old pottery, a horseshoe or a rusty piece of metal once belonging to an old bridle. En route you will visit sites of special Welsh interest including Rhyd y Beddau in Dyffryn y Merthyron, Rocky Trip in Dyffryn yr Allorau, and Piedra Parada. You will stay overnight in a village on the steppe. Day 8: To Trevelin – continue through the Steppe following the Trail of the Rifleros Transfer/excursion (200km): following the river Río Teca and part of the Trail of the Rifleros. En route you will visit sites of special interest including the furthermost camping site of the Martyrs before the turned back for the Chubut valley, and the monument at Nant y Pysgod. You will arrive at Trevelin during the afternoon. Day 9: Trevelin - Nant y Fall Nature Reserve and Melin Nant Fach museum Free morning: enjoy Trevelin and the views of Gorsedd y Cwmwl mountain. An opportunity to stroll around and visit some attractions. Excursion (pm): to Nant y Fall Nature Reserve. Nant y Fall, meaning a stream of waterfalls, is a series of sparkling waterfalls that flow over a number of rock ledges in the midst of a cypress forest. The reserve is 24 kilometres (15 miles) from Trevelin and is 540 metres (1,750 feet) above sea level. It is replete with the region’s typical fauna and flora. The footpaths are about 1,600 metres (1 mile) in length and lead to viewpoints over Bro Hydref, Cwm Hyfryd, and across to Gorsedd y Cwmwl mountain and the remainder of the Andes chain of mountains. You will then visit Melin Nant Fach Mill. This museum is on the ranch of the Evans family some 13 kilometres (8 miles) from the border with Chile. The museum was created by Mervyn Evans to record the history of the various flour mills that existed in the colony. The millstones, dating from the 1930's, are turned by a water wheel. It will be possible to see how the mill functions and see flour being ground while listening to the history of the Welsh colonisers and the family of Mervyn Evans. In and adjacent room to the mill it is possible to see historical items associated with the Welsh colonisers including musical instruments, old agricultural machinery and original wagons.

Andes Celtig - Y Wladfa - Patagonia - Cymru

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Day 10: Trevelin - Old Patagonian Express, Trail of the Rifleros and Pentre Sydyn Museum Excursion (am): You will be taken to Esquel to board the La Trochita steam train. One of the characteristics of the railway that the Trochita train runs along is the narrowness of its gauge of only 75 centimetres (29.5 inches). This railway has changed little since 1922 and a there are a number of unique steam engines. The train will run to and from Nahuel Pan, some 200 metres (650 feet) higher up through a ravine where you will see magnificent views of the steppe, baked from the activity of ancient volcanoes, and of Nahuel Pan mountain (Mynydd Llwyd). The author Paul Theroux in his book ‘The Old Patagonian Express’ describes his journey form Boston, USA, to Esquel and his arrival on the Trochita. The whole journey takes about 4 hours. 4x4 Excursion (pm): this half day 4x4 excursion is an opportunity to follow part of the journey of the Rifleros. You will visit the historical museum at Pentre Sydyn in the Aber Gyrraints valley, which records the events of the 1902 plebiscite that helped to solve the territorial claims of Argentina and Chile. You will also see the Holdich Stone, Pigyn Thomas, Lago Cronometer and see Afon Cwtsh, Hafn John Henry Jones and Mynydd Llwyd before returning to Cwm Hyfryd. On this unforgettable journey, you will see magnificent views and stand on a high point that divides the waters that either flow to the Atlantic or Pacific. You will also see the typical wildlife of the Patagonian steppe, possibly including a condor or two. Day 11: Trevelin - Los Alerces National Park and Lake Safari Excursion (full day): to the Los Alerces National Park for the day. The Park is one of the largest in Argentina and has a land area of 263,000 hectares (650,000 acres – about the same size as the county of Gwynedd in North Wales). The park’s characteristic feature is the Alerces forests. There are very few traces of human activity and the park is bursting with magnificent landscapes, lakes, rivers and numerous waterfalls, all surrounded by the Andes mountains swathed in thick forests. The Alerce tree is a Patagonian cypress and some examples in the park approach 3,000 years of age and 70 metres (230 feet) in height. You will embark on a lake cruise, where you will be able to take pleasure in the spectacle of the Torrecillas glacier as you navigate the numerous inlets of these beautiful lakes. On the distant shore of Lago Futalaufquen is a footpath that you will be guided along to see examples of the Alerce tree. Day 12: Trevelin - Lago Bagillt Nature Reserve Excursion (full day): to Lago Bagillt Nature Reserve. Lago Bagillt is located 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Trevelin in Cwm Hyfryd. The reserve sits below the Cerro Cónico mountain that forms the limit with Chile. The journey to the lake is exciting and usually requires a 4x4 vehicle to travel from the access, off the main road, to the reserve. A distance of 18 kilometres (11 miles). Cerro Cónico’s glacier is the source of the transparent waters of Lago Bagillt, which lies at an altitude of over 1,000 metres (3,280 feet). Because of the altitude, the fauna and flora of the reserve differs to those of other lakes surrounding Trevelin and those of the Los Alerces National Park. The best way to benefit from this attraction is by wandering leisurely around the reserve and lake shore.

Andes Celtig - Y Wladfa - Patagonia - Cymru

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Day 13: Trevelin / Buenos Aires - Travel to Bariloche, Leleque Museum and El Bolsón Transfer/Excursion (300km): to Bariloche Airport. This is a 4-5 hour drive northwards through the Andes region and its spectacular scenery. En route it will be possible to visit the Indigenous Museum at Leleque and also stop at El Bolsón, a beautiful village set in incredible surroundings. Your flight (approximately 2 hours) will take you to Buenos Aires where you will be met by one of our representatives and taken to your hotel. Day 14: Buenos Aires Today, depending on your flight times, you may be able to enjoy the city of Buenos Aires and all that this beautiful city has to offer. Take a stroll along the pedestrianised areas or through the riverside parks of the River Plate. Ask our representative for information. At the appropriate time you will be transferred to Ezeiza International Airport and our representative will accompany until you until you arrive at passport control.

Andes Celtig - Y Wladfa - Patagonia - Cymru

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