Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

Air Travel. The best way to get to Atlantic Patagonia is to fly from Buenos Aires. Aerolíneas Argentinas (www.aerolineas.com.ar) flies (along with its subsidiary Austral) from Buenos Aires to Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavía. From Trelew, Aerolíneas also flies direct, with varying frequency, to El Calafate and Ushuaia in southern Patagonia. LADE (Líneas Aéreas del Estado www.lade.com.ar), connects Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Comodoro Rivadavía to other parts of Patagonia, including Bariloche, El Calafate, and Ushuaia. Some of LADE's flights are on small propeller planes, and many routes only run once or twice per week. Andes Líneas Aéreas (www.andesonline.com) now has direct flights from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn.

Bus Travel. Buses connect every city in Atlantic Patagonia, and if you have the time and patience you can get just about anywhere in the region except the isolated coastline from Punta Tombo to Bahía Bustamante. Use local tour operators rather than municipal buses for day excursions to Península Valdés.

Car Travel. The towns of Trelew and Gaiman are fairly self-contained, and the central area of Puerto Madryn can be walked easily, but unless you plan on a series of day excursions with tour operators, your best access to Atlantic Patagonia is with a vehicle. Rent a car in Puerto Madryn or Trelew. Renting a vehicle is the easiest way to see Península Valdés and the coastline along RP1, and gas is 30% cheaper in Chubut than in the rest of the country.

Be cautious on the two-lane highway Ruta 3. There are no passing lanes. Also minimize or avoid driving in larger cities such as Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavía. Reduce your speed on dirt roads, as the ripio, or gravel surface, is deceptively loose. If you're planning to drive remote coastal roads, take extra food and water (ideally, camping gear as well). Should mechanical problems arise you'll be a long way from help and out of cell-phone range. Stay with your vehicle; a tour-bus or estancia worker will come by eventually. Flat tires are common, but so are gomerías (mechanics) who charge about 10 pesos to patch a tire.

Finally, consider paying for a remis (car with driver) for a less stressful, if pricier alternative.