Comodoro Rivadavía

Argentina's answer to Houston, Comodoro Rivadavía is the town that oil built. Argentina's first oil discovery was made here in 1907 during a desperate search for water because of a serious drought. It was an event that led to the formation of Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF), among the world's first vertically integrated oil companies. After YPF's privatization in 1995, however, thousands were laid off, bringing hard times to Comodoro's 130,000 residents. Surrounded by barren hills and sheer cliffs off the Golfo San Jorge, Comodoro looks dramatic from a distance. Up close, it's frayed around the edges. The main commercial streets, where you'll find most restaurants and bars, are San Martín and Comodoro Rivadavía. A relative urban newcomer, Comodoro has little of the old-world charm found in colonial Latin American cities, and it lacks a main central plaza with a traditional church. Residents congregate around the port, with its promenade, park, and basketball and volleyball courts.

Because visiting oil workers occupy rooms for long periods of time, there is a nearly constant shortage of hotel rooms. Do not plan to stay here overnight without a hotel reservation made in advance.