The Dinosaur Valley

Here starts our journey into the past. Along Route 22 we will pass the cities of Plottier and Senillosa. This area is famous for fruit production. We will start travelling Route 237 where we will see the Heavy Water Plant.

Only a few kilometers from there, we will start travelling back in time to drive across the natural environment of the largest and voracious creatures that ever lived in this planet.

We will arrive at Villa El Chocón, where we`ll visit an amazing canyon called Cañadón Escondido. Inside its majestic 88 meters high walls we will appreciate different geological Ages. There are dinosaur footprints as well as other impressive attractions. After 1,30 hour walk, we will continue with the Dinosaur footprint Museum which is situated on the shores of Lake Exequiel Ramos Mexía. This majestic water mirror has a surface of 816 square kilometers.

We will continue travelling towards Villa El Chocón, a picturesque colony founded in the late 60s by the construction of a Hydroelectric Dam called "Chocón Cerros Colorados" .

We will visit the Ernesto Bachman Paleontological Museum, where we will observe the magnitude of the biggest meat-eating dinosaur ever founded: Giganotosaurus Carolini.

Finally and to conclude with our circuit we will visit the Hydroelectric Dam, constructed to generate water for the irrigation of 650.000 acres, and energy for great part of the country.

The Southern Margin

Around 8:30 am, we will start our journey back into the past. Following a long dirt road, we will enjoy a fantastic experience while observing how history and tectonic movements modified the Patagonian landscape to form one of the most fertile valleys on earth.

We will first navigate to cross Black River`s caudal waters on board of a raft towards the Southern Margin. At this point will start our fascinating tour. We will see the confluence of rivers Neuquen and Limay, and how settlers modified the environment, creating towns and cities which contrast with the peaceful and isolated landscape of the Patagonian plateau and Steppe. We will stop at Las Perlas, a small stranded town hidden within the plateau walls. That will be our last glimpse to civilization. Next stop will be at the majestic amphitheatre in the middle of a deserted moony landscape. These cliffs form part of a great tectonic movement dating from the Cretaceous Period which shows us how our land looked like at those times and the changes that the planet has gone through history. This visit will also show us how wind and water erosion formed 4 grooves in the ground that today look like 4 huge canyons that form this impressive amphitheatre , and one of the biggest deposit of terrestrial and marine fossils which inhabited this territory million of years ago.

Once we finish this trip, we will continue travelling towards Puesto Carus Petrified Forest, where we could see huge samples of petrified trees that form part of the vegetation in the past. They remain intact during the slow process of petrifaction. This is one of the wonders of the Southern Margin..

On our way back we will be able to observe the local wildlife and natural Patagonian flora.