Trevelin

Trevelin

This small town of 10,000 inhabitants located in the province of Chubut, very close to the city of Esquel, has wonderful landscapes and tourist attractions of international quality that have led it to be selected among the most attractive in the world on several occasions.

My son and his family left the great city of Buenos Aires earlier this year to settle in Trevelin, which by the way means "Mill Town" in Welsh and you may wonder why Welsh, well, because in the 19th century there were an important immigration of Welsh people to Argentine Patagonia, in the first instance they settled near the sea, in the vicinity of what is now known as Trelew, they founded Gaiman, a few kilometers further to the east, a place that became famous for the visit of Lady Di in the 1990s and then they carried out expeditions in search of more fertile lands, thus they reached the foothills and in two valleys in the area they founded this bucolic town, many settled in Esquel and there are also many "galenses" there as It is usually called the descendants of those first settlers of the British Isles.

The center of the town is very beautiful and there are some important tea houses of Welsh origin that are one of the attractions that attract the most tourists. It is normal to see a line of people waiting to enter these places when 5 in the afternoon approaches. , iconic tea time according to British custom.

The mill is actually not one, there were several that were installed at that time, although currently only one remains and more as a tourist attraction than as a grinding mill and flour supply, although some bakeries in the area advertise that their breads are made with flour from that place. However, its production is barely enough for that. You can visit it and see how it works, its energy is taken from a stream that spins the blades that then transfer it to the mechanism that spins two large stones between which the ears of wheat are ground until they become flour, pure magic watching it work.

But the mill, in addition to giving the town its name, is not the only attraction, we have the tulip fields, the Nant & Fall waterfalls, the vineyards, the Baguilt fish farm, the fine fruit plantations, the dragon that throws fire in the tourist house in the central square, the tea houses and as if all this did not reach the Los Alerces National Park with all the beauty and charm of its rivers with crystal clear waters, immense lakes, snow-capped mountains and much more.

For all that and for the peace of mind, they decided to move. They live in a new development called Altos de Trevelin and although it is located less than 8 blocks from the center of town, it seems much further away. It is just beginning and there are many houses under construction as well as empty lots but most with the "sold" sign which ensures that over time the place will be filled with houses. They have water, gas, sewer, and lighting services, that is, everything necessary for modern life even in a remote, although wonderful, area of Patagonia.

Without asphalt streets, although many prefer it that way, only the internet service for now is weak and that means they have to use extreme resources to work remotely as is the case these days, there are promises of installing fiber optics for next year, let's hope that are fulfilled.

I leave you several photographs of the place, mixed with some of the rivers and lakes in the area, I cannot forget that I am passionate about fly fishing and it is one of the main reasons why I go there so much, for more than 25 years. Now I have a perfect additional excuse, my grandson is waiting for me and when he is old enough, I have already made him a promise to teach him how to fish and take him with me.