Discovering Valle de los Altares

Setting out at the City of Trelew, travelers must go west through the high plateau to cross the famous place known as Valle de los Altares (Altars Valley), a unique site whose geographic features can take us back to the Jurassic period.

After covering 281 kilometers along National Route 25, which borders a large portion of the Chubut River, we reached this singular tourist attraction considered by many as one of the great treasures of the Patagonian scene.

During the journey, visitors may observe various sites that used to be dwelled by the Welsh colonists. Some of these are Gaiman, Dolavon and Valle de los Mártires (Valley of the Martyrs).

Valle de los Altares is a rock formation that resembles giant altars (thus its name). It is hard to put into words what we felt while beholding these cliffs. The mass of stone from time immemorial is so fascinating that no one should miss a photograph or even a video of this vast location.

The valley features sandstone formations called “clastros” with multiple orange layers well defined by the corrosion and erosion of the water and the wind. Their physiognomy resembles that of totems looking at the sky, as if they had been carved by man.

The cliffs acquire various shapes that let visitors play with their minds. Therefore, they are given names by the guides and the locals, so as to identify the different figures.

A rock painting site lies a few kilometers away. It is under the surveillance of the Culture Provincial Department. Among other things, it presents an Indian painting measuring 93 per 53 centimeters. It dates back from the tenth century and is made of mineral pigments mingled with organic matter.

After enjoying this place, we visited the small district known as Las Plumas (the Feathers). Besides having a meal and relaxing, we bought some souvenirs, such as the arrow points, made by the local craftsmen, descendants of the Tehuelche natives.