A Day on Unión Beach

Lying on Engaño Bay, next to Port Rawson and the mouth of the Chubut River, Playa Unión (Union Beach) is a quiet seaside resort just 6 kilometers away from the City of Rawson. Its vast beaches of gravel and fine sand are characterized by their cleanliness and lack of algae and they are bathed by strong waves due to their position in front of the open sea.

The typical high temperatures of the Patagonian coast in the summer are milder at Playa Unión due to a constant breeze that gives visitors the chance to go on long walks and enjoy the sea.

It was named after the Italian boat called Unión, which wrecked in front of the bay after facing a strong tempest in 1876.

Due to its strategic location, thousands of tourists choose this destination in order to enjoy various activities offered by this region. Besides, it connects the major tourist attractions in the area, including Trelew, Gaiman, Valdés Peninsula and Puerto Madryn.

Patagonian Surfing

Playa Unión is an ideal destination for lovers of boards due to its particular geographic and climatological features.

Surfers come up in search of the so-called 'fat' waves from February to late April. These waves can reach an average height of 1.5 meters and a mild slope and they start threefour hours before the low tide. On the other hand, the waves known as 'hollow' run with off-shore winds and high tide and they may be found in the area called la Curva (the Bend) and the Port of Rawson.

Besides surfing and windsurfing, visitors may practice all kinds of sport activities on the beach, such as soccer, beach volleyball and beach tennis. Another great attraction at Playa Unión is the chance to practice angling. The South Atlantic Festival and the Southern Anglers National Festival are held in January and they summon all enthusiasts of this discipline in the region.

Playa Unión offers one of the most significant natural shows in the area: the chance to watch Commerson's dolphins. Watercrafts set sail from the Port of Rawson into the Atlantic Ocean in search for this dolphin. This is one of the only places in the world where this mammal may be watched in its natural habitat. In addition, the photo-biological station may be visited at the port. This site is devoted to researching the effects of solar radiation on different organisms.