Trelew

Trelew is an industrial city in Chubut Province in northeastern Patagonia, about 10 miles (15 km) from the Atlantic coast. The city spreads along wide, grid-patterned streets lined with low-rise buildings, parks, and occasional taller structures around Plaza Independencia.

Welsh settlers founded the city in 1886 as a railway terminus linking the valley to the coast. The name honors Lewis Jones, a pioneer of the Welsh colony that took root in the region from 1865 onward.

The name blends Welsh roots with local identity: tref means village, lew refers to founder Lewis Jones. Today you can still spot the Welsh imprint in brick buildings along Avenida Fontana, where tea rooms sit next to Argentine grill houses.

The city center is easy to explore on foot, with most sites within a few blocks around Plaza Independencia. For trips to museums or the airport, taxis and buses run from central stops.

The paleontology museum houses one of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever found, the Patagotitan mayorum, discovered in the surrounding area. A visit reveals the scale of these ancient giants through striking reconstructions built from local fossils.

Location: Rawson Department

Inception: October 20, 1886

Elevation above the sea: 11 m

Website: http://trelew.gov.ar

GPS coordinates: -43.25312,-65.30944

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:48