Visit to the Querandí Lighthouse

In order to leave on this excursion from Mar de las Pampas, Eduardo Ferrari from Turismo Aventura should be contacted in advance so as to arrange the time and place where the trip will start, or else, wait for him to pass by the venue located opposite the archery shop on Lucero Avenue between Roca Street and Virazón Street.

On board the truck make Man, model 635, we leave behind the forest crowded with cypresses, acacias, pines and eucalyptus that spreads along Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul. Almost without noticing it, we enter the first Dune Reserve in the country, specially created to preserve the ecosystem of coastal dunes in constant movement, along with the local flora and fauna species.

The excursion is led by a provincial park ranger, who provides all explanations about the ecosystem before us. As we move on, Eduardo is extremely careful, as he knows that we can come across the offspring or the eggs of the local bird fauna.

As we pass by this place, we can watch hundreds of seagulls, oyster beds, ducks and chimangos. Among the mammals, it is possible to come across some European hare, vizcachas and, if we are lucky, even some red fox.

Our sight gets lost in the coastal horizon as a dose of adrenaline invades us when the truck swung from one side to the other.

Soon, the moment for sandboarding arrives. In order to practice this activity, we have to climb the dunes and then slide down on the board. After some trials, we manage to stay longer on the slider and enjoy the vertiginous adventure.

After some descents, the tour continues. Our final destination is the Querandí lighthouse - the first building at the present district of Villa Gesell, located 30 km from the village.

In the distance, its slender silhouette gives evidence that it has been working for years.

We soon reach the historical lighthouse, where the guide explains its main features. The Querandí lighthouse is 54 m high, its spiral staircase has 276 steps and its light scope is of 18 nautical miles. It started working in 1922 and, as a result of the ocassional maintenance works done on its construction, it is still working.

In order to enter the perimeter of the lighthouse, a ticket must be paid, which enables the visitor to access the inside of the tower and to go up the spiral staircase till the lighthouse itself is reached.

The panoramic view is multiplied by one thousand. The wind on our face and the roar of the waves as they crumble in the vastness of the sea will remain forever in our senses. All this with a single visit to the lookout of sailors - the legendary Querandí lighthouse.