In the southern extreme of the Province of Chubut, over the San Jorge Gulf, the Italian Francisco Pietrobelli founded the city of Comodoro Rivadavia that is nowadays the Capital of Petroleum in Argentina, at the foothill of Cerro Chenque. From 1901 to 1905, after the Anglo-Boer War, the first South African colonists arrived. They immediately started to dig in search of fresh water, which, just by chance, led to the discovery of oil in 1907. These immigrants specialized in ovine cattle raising, achieving, shortly after, a great development of the activity by introducing improvements in the breeds. Their descendants are nowadays owners of some of the most important local estancias. The South African community keeps its old language (the Afrikaans) and its traditions; each February they celebrate the 'Sports', a festival with traditional games and activities directly related to their origins and religion. The finding of petroleum made arid and lonely place Comodoro Rivadavia one of the most important cities in southern Argentina.

In Comodoro Rivadavia it is interesting to visit the National Oil Museum, as well as the Museum of the old Astra Campsite. Also worth a visit is the remarkable the Cañadón Blanco (White Canyon) and the Geologic Interpretative Center within the Paleontological Museum, attractive to visitors because of its impressive assets, which reflect the historic relevance of the region. Comodoro Rivadavia is the starting point for different excursions. Several industrial firms, oil pumps, the aeolian park, and various archaeological, geologic and paleontological sites can be visited; it is also possible to enjoy some lake or sea game fishing, as well as diving, fauna spotting and game hunting.

Comodoro Rivadavia is also a gateway to different circuits of travel in the area of Patagonia. Westward, the Bi-Oceanic Corridor leads to the Pacific Ocean and across the lower sections of the Andean Cordillera. Also westbound, the mythical National Route 40 runs parallel to the mountains, permitting access to most assorted attractions. Southwards along National Route 3, it is possible to visit places that are immensely rich in native wildlife and over the ocean coastal area.

National Route 3
16 km (10 miles) south from Comodoro Rivadavia, the small city of Rada Tilly and her extensive beach stand by the ocean. The Punta del Marqués Lookout offers a panoramic view of the village and its one-haired sea lion colony. Its warm and quiet waters are perfect for nautical sports, game fishing and sub-aquatic activities. Continuing on south, the route travels across beautiful sceneries of Patagonian coastal cliffs artistically coalescing with the deep blue infinity of the ocean. Once in the Province of Santa Cruz, the route passes by the city of Caleta Olivia in the southern extreme of the San Jorge Gulf. 300 Km (188 miles) from Comodoro Rivadavia, the route finally reaches Puerto Deseado.

PUERTO DESEADO
The city developed around a port that lies at the mouth of the Deseado River, on the shore of the profound estuary known as Ría Deseado (Puerto Deseado Inlet) which is one of the world's most important marine reserves because of its great biodiversity. It is inhabited by an assortment marine birds, fish and huge marine mammals. Massive reddish stonewalls skirt the inlet, whose waters change from deep blue to emerald green. These rocky slopes are inhabited by more than 60 species of marine birds that settle their nests thereby. Among them, cormorants (the inlet is only place on earth where five species coexist, among them the 'King Cormorant'), penguins, seagulls, skuas and oystercatchers stand out, and can be spotted along the Cormorants' Cliff as well as sailing along the estuary.

During summer, the Reserva de Cabo Blanco (White Cape Reserve) houses one-haired and two-haired sea lions. Another interesting attraction is, undoubtedly, the beautiful black and white Commerson's dolphin that mates in the bay. From October to April the Magellan penguin arrives here to feed and mate.

11 nautical miles from Puerto Deseado, the Reserva Provincial Isla Pingüino (Penguin Island Provincial Reserve) arises at the mouth of the inlet. It was created in 1992 and was so-called because its population is mainly composed of yellow-crested penguins, and also a few Magellan penguins. It is a rocky irregularly-shaped key which is hard to reach because of the strong surrounding marine streams.

Located 150 km (94 miles) west from Puerto Deseado, one can visit the Monumento Nacional Bosques Petrificados (Petrified Woods National Monument) also know as Jaramillo Petrified Woods. With a surface of 10,000 hectares, is one of the largest existing petrified forests. It was created in 1954 with the objective of protecting the largest petrified araucaria woods in the world. It contains fossilized trunks of araucarias and even some palm-trees that reach a length of 30 meters (100 feet) and a diameter of almost 3 meters (10 feet). The area, which some 130 million years ago was covered by a lush jungle, is nowadays a barren land where only xerophile vegetation can survive.

PUERTO SAN JULIAN
Some 250 km (156 miles) further south, along Route 3, the small city of Puerto San Julián, is located on a land tip that pierces into the bay by Cabo Curioso (Curious Cape) and Punta Desengaño (Deception Point). From this point some interesting visits can be arranged including a boat trip to the island called Banco Cormorán, habitat to an assorted colony of Magellan penguins, cormorants, seagulls, Antarctic seals, swallows and oystercatchers, among others. Another tripcan be made to the small island of Banco Justicia, or Bird Island, where cormorants and many other birds nestle. It might be also interesting to visit, 10 km (6.25 miles) away from San Julián, the ruins of Nueva Colonia de Floridablanca. The small settlement was founded centuries ago to honor the Count of Floridablanca, who was a minister of the Spanish King Charles III during the times of the Viceroyalty.

Estancia La María, situated 150 km (94 miles) away from Puerto San Julián, is well-known because of its rupestrian paintings that can be admired in its numerous caves; 25 of which exhibit an important variety of paintings that date back to some 2,000 to 10,000 years ago and belonged to a local aborigine culture called 'Casapedrense'.

Atlantic/Pacific Bi-oceanic Corridor
A 156 km (100 mile) westbound drive from Comodoro Rivadavia leads to Colonia Sarmiento, a small town located in the middle of the fertile valley that stretches between lakes Musters and Colhue Huapi. This is one of the oldest Patagonian cities founded by Welsh and South African settlers. Here it is possible to visit the Anthropological and Indian Culture Museum, known as the Museum of the Dinosaurs, where fossilized remains of these extinct animals as well as an exhibition of objects that reflect the Patagonian aborigine culture development (paintings, woven clothes, pottery) can be appreciated.

The José Ormachea Petrified Wood is located 30 km (19 miles) from Sarmiento. The fossils of ancient petrified 65-million years old araucarias lie surrounded by multicolored hills with shades of green, red, yellow, ochre and gray, produced by the action of volcanic ashes deposited in the area for millennia. A few kilometers to the east is the Szlapeliz Petrified Wood, whose difficult access has left the forests pretty much intact. Successive geologic folds and volcanic eruptions caused the extinction and eventual fossilization of the trees. Many of the trunks found were still standing on their roots, profoundly fixed in the ground. The ashes that covered the wood for centuries protected these huge stone monuments from the erosion of the strong Patagonian wind, explaining the remarkable preservation of the forest.

Further to the west, 230 km (144 miles) from Colonia Sarmiento the road leads to Huemules Pass, entrance gate to Chile and its Puerto Aisen National Park, notable for its most particular vegetation, unusual for this latitude: the Valdivian Forest, with its vines, huge ferns, cascades and rivers. And from there you can directly arrive at Puerto Chacabuco, on the Pacific Ocean.

National Route 40
On the southeastern cost of Lake Buenos Aires stands the tiny town of Perito Moreno. Surrounded by cattle ranches and farms that produce fine fruits (strawberries, raspberries and cherries) and vegetables, it is also an attractive spot for tourism because of the natural beauties featured by the Patagonian landscape. Perito Moreno was founded in 1927 by Francisco P. Moreno, and was named after him. He was an important patriot who contributed to strengthen Argentine sovereignty in these far away lands.

57 km (91 miles) west of Perito Moreno, the small village of Los Antiguos nests at the foothill of the protective Andean walls. It is also situated on the southern margin of Lake Buenos Aires and by the river of the same name. The town name, "Antiguos" stands for "old" or "ancient", and named after the local aborigines who came here to spend their last days before death. It is surrounded by the attractive landscape that the lake and the snowed Andean peaks provide. Its excellent climate and its abundant vegetation are the perfect frame to the village, creating a microclimate which renders the area ideal for growing cherries, strawberries and raspberries, as well as apples, walnuts and honey, out of which jams, marmalades and other specialties are locally produced. Antiguos has also numerous small factories devoted to the industrialization of trout and salmon that are obtained from the lake. On the lake shore there are several good options for accommodation.

Los Antiguos is located just by the Chilean border and has a frontier pass known as Los Antiguos-Chile Chico. The latter being the name of the small Chilean town cradled on the banks of the huge lake that spreads from Argentina into Chile, where its name changes to Lake General Carreras. There are several lookouts that make it possible to observe the Chilean side of the border from Los Antiguos. It is also interesting to visit nearby Mount Cevallos whose extended slopes are the perfect place to enjoy some easy hiking expeditions across the Patagonia forests.

Perito Moreno is the gateway to the National Route 40, down into the Province of Santa Cruz, along which it is possible to stay at various Patagonian estancias, that offer plain but comfortable accommodations, excellent home-made food, and a chance to get in touch with outstanding natural beauties that is otherwise inaccessible. Once on Route 40, 26 km (16 miles) to the south of Perito Moreno, the road crosses the Page and Telken Creeks, continuing beyond the entrance to Estancia Telken, and goes on for 120 km (75 miles) up to the tortuous detour to the Cave of the Painted Hands on the Pinturas River Gully. Found by a Salesian priest, Father D'Agostini, in 1941, the caves and eaves hidden on the reddish stonewalls of the 170-meter (565-feet) deep gully are one of the most important expressions of the American rupestrian art. These paintings offer a unique testimony of the habits and beliefs of the ethnic groups that used to live here in ancient times. These 3,000 to 9,000 year old works were designed in assorted color and consist of hands painted in negative, anthropomorphic figures and 'guanacos' that perform hunting scenes. The human body is normally featured with a lateral view of the legs, a front view of the trunk and unrecognizably-shaped heads.

Continuing southbound along Route 40, one passes the imposing massif of Mount San Lorenzo (3,706 m./12,340 ft.) It is the highest peak of the Southern Andes, and provides a dominating Himalayan-like image on the surrounding landscape. To approach its base, it is necessary to detour west at the hamlet called Bajo Caracoles, towards the tiny village of Hipólito Yrigoyen, also known as Lake Posadas Village. This is the gateway to Hostería Lagos del Furioso, settled between the pebble stone moraine left by the latest advance of the glaciers, which separates the waters of Lake Posadas and Lake Pueyrredón. Nearby, the Oro River Valley is reached through a secondary dirt road that ends at 'Estancia Los Ñires'. Walking on some 15 km (9 miles) Mount San Lorenzo foothill is reached, a scenery composed of high peaks, glaciers, lakes and woods, ideal setting for adventure expeditions including trekking, climbing, horse-back riding, and a 2 to 7-day long expeditions involving the conquest of Mount San Lorenzo summit.

An excellent choice for trekkers is to combine the journey with one to Parque Nacional Perito Moreno (Perito Moreno National Park) along an almost unexplored and surprisingly attractive path. The way from Mount San Lorenzo up to the park Visitors' Center is about 30 km (48 miles) long. Though, going from one place to the other by car, makes the way 300 Km (480 miles) long, which is nevertheless an excellent choice for those not willing to face such a demanding expedition on foot. The natural beauties of the park will reward the effort. The national park was created in 1937 with the aim of protecting a singular flora, fauna and lake ecosystem, so far untouched because of its difficult access. Within the park, Estancia La Oriental, a typical Patagonian ranch, offers accommodation; and there are also several campsites. There are different interesting sites within the park, such as: Mount León, Lake Burmeister, and many other places of unbelievable scenic beauty, continuously accompanied by numerous herds of 'guanacos', which reproduce healthily within this protected environment.