Avellaneda Department

In Avellaneda Department, the stories of the Río Negro meet wine experiences, museums and festivals. Each town has its own focus: in Luis Beltrán, wineries and the history of irrigation take center stage; Lamarque combines agriculture with palaeontology and literature; and in Darwin, a railway museum recalls the history of trains in the Río Negro’s Valle Medio. The theme that interests you most can help guide your choice of location for a vacation rental.

Wine and water in Luis Beltrán

Luis Beltrán is part of the Caminos del Vino, a network of wineries that welcome tourists and offer experiences for visitors. One example is Bodega Videla Dorna, where the offering includes a guided tour of the winery grounds that ends with an asado in the countryside. Bodega de los Salesianos is also located in Luis Beltrán and has been recognised as a provincial historic monument. If you’re interested in wine and the history of a place, consider Luis Beltrán when searching for a vacation rental.

Water also features in some experiences. The 14th Fiesta de los Canales de Riego in Luis Beltrán included inflatable boat races, kayaking and the “Camino del Agua” (Water Trail), a tour with an educational focus. The Regata del Río Negro is an annual canoe marathon held during the first days of January: over seven days, the route covers 300 km and also passes through Luis Beltrán and Choele Choel. Along the entire course of the Río Negro, swimming spots, recreation and water sports are among the river’s tourist activities.

Fossils, literature and railway history

In Lamarque, the municipal Museo Paleontológico is devoted to unique fossil species, many of which were found in the Bajo de Santa Rosa area. The museum also displays a replica of the globally unique fossil Tuarangesaurus Cabazai, discovered in fields near Lamarque. If palaeontology is among your interests, Lamarque may be a natural choice when searching for a vacation rental.

Another point of interest in Lamarque is the Casa Natal de Rodolfo Walsh, the house where the writer was born, which also contains the room where he was born. The house is on an estancia and is surrounded by orchards, woods and expansive scenic fields. Visitors looking to combine literary history with an agricultural landscape will find a distinctive theme here.

In Darwin, the Museo Ferroviario preserves the history of trains in the Río Negro’s Valle Medio. The exhibits include vehicles used to transport railway employees between stations, English lanterns and tools belonging to the Material Remolcado Department’s repair crew. Uniforms worn by train conductors and objects from the railway medical room are also part of the collection. These details make the museum a special stop for anyone interested in the everyday and working history of the railway.

Festivals, landscapes and distinctive towns

The Fiesta Nacional del Tomate y la Producción is held every March in Lamarque. The programme includes music festivals and a so-called “tomatina”; the festival also features fruit-packing competitions. The town’s agricultural character is also reflected in the fact that Lamarque is an oasis irrigated with water from the Río Negro. In this area, the river forms a group of islands.

In Chimpay, the Santuario y Parque Ceferiniano commemorates Blessed Ceferino. It was established in 1967 by a resolution of the Chimpay Town Council, Act No. 433, and covers about 4 ha. The Semana Ceferiniana, held every August, begins with a mass that is repeated for seven days. In Pomona, the river, parks and gardens are among the natural attractions described. And around Choele Choel, nearby rural properties offer agrotourism: visitors can spend a day or stay overnight to get a closer look at country life.

More department pages: Bariloche Department, General Roca Department, Adolfo Alsina Department, Pichi Mahuida Department, Pilcaniyeu Department, San Antonio Department.

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