Rawson travel guide

Rawson, Argentina

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Rawson

Introduction

Rawson is the capital of the Argentine province of Chubut, in Patagonia, and serves as the chief town of the Rawson Department. If you are travelling through this part of Patagonia, the city works as a provincial capital stop rather than a major destination in its own right.

Before you go

Rawson is a small Patagonian city founded by Welsh immigrants in the nineteenth century, and that heritage still shapes its character. It is compact enough that you can orient yourself quickly, but it is not a resort town, so arrive expecting a working provincial capital rather than a tourist centre.

Check current conditions and services before you travel, and treat the city as a base for exploring the surrounding region rather than a destination with a long list of sights.

Getting there

To reach Rawson by air, fly into Trelew, the nearest city with an airport, though flights there are infrequent. From Trelew you can take a bus into Rawson, or, since the two are close together, simply use a local taxi or a shared van.

From Puerto Madryn, several bus lines run to Rawson on an infrequent schedule, typically once or twice a day. The trip takes about an hour and a quarter, and the service is operated by Andesmar, Viatac and Tramar. Buses to other cities in the region leave from Rawson's main bus terminal on Gregorio Mayo, which has few traveller services and is generally run-down; its restrooms are best avoided if you can, as running water and toilet paper are both unreliable and many stalls lack doors or seats.

Getting around

Rawson is compact, and most of what you need day to day sits within a walkable downtown core where shops, services and the main streets are close together. Treat walking as your default in the centre. Beyond it, distances open up quickly: the La Unión beaches lie well outside downtown, far enough that you'll want a vehicle rather than a stroll. There is no rail, metro or tram network, so getting around means road transport.

For anything beyond the centre, rely on taxis and remises. Remises are private hire cars that work much like a ride-hailing service but charge a fixed rate for a given route rather than a metered fare; the usual way to use one is to call a central dispatch number, which then sends a car to you. If you don't have the number handy, your hotel can call a car on your behalf, and in the city centre you can generally flag down a taxi directly. For regional travel, buses leave from the Terminal de Omnibus on Gregorio Mayo, which is open daily from early morning until midnight but is basic and run-down, with very few traveller services and notoriously poor bathroom facilities, so don't plan on lingering. Buses run in from Trelew, the nearest city with an airport, and from Puerto Madryn; the Puerto Madryn services are infrequent, typically only once or twice a day, take roughly an hour and a quarter, and are inexpensive, operated by companies including Andesmar, Viatac and Tramar. From Trelew you can also take a local taxi or shared van, a practical alternative to waiting for a bus connection given how close the two cities are.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Rawson is limited, and the beach areas of Playa la Union are where you'll find several Airbnb-type apartments if you prefer a self-catering stay near the sand.

For a more traditional option, Hosteria Sampedro on Belgrano is a small guesthouse with spacious, comfortable and clean rooms at affordable rates, and breakfast is included.

Food & drink

For a casual meal, head to Constantino, a traditional coffeehouse that serves lattes, cappuccinos and americanos alongside basic Argentinian light food. Fried seafood dominates the menu, but the local favourite is the seafood rice. Sanber is another option, with burgers, seafood and pasta served at both lunch and dinner.

Rawson has a small craft beer scene worth seeking out. CerVeza Artesanal Fuerte Viejo typically offers four beers on draft, along with charcuterie boards and artisanal cheese. Rijavec Cerveceria makes a handful of ales, including a golden ale, a red ale and an IPA, with a darker, maltier beer such as a stout occasionally available; you can also take beer away in growlers.

What to see and do

Rawson’s museums reward a little planning. The Museo de los Soldados del Malvinas is a military history museum focused on the Malvinas conflict, and it keeps weekday hours only, so weekend visits aren’t possible. The Museo Regional Salesiano, housed inside a school, is closed most of the time and opens only by prior appointment; if you arrange a visit, you’ll find artifacts tracing the area’s first settlers, the Welsh colonists and the Salesian missions, along with exhibits on local flora and fauna and antique weaponry.

For the outdoors, Playa Union draws people with its wide stretches of sandy shoreline. At Playa de las Esculturas you can see figures of people and the area’s animals carved into the rocks and cliff face by local artist Milton Frintt over several years up to 2016. Reach them by parking at Playa Los Cangrejales and walking south: the path is usable only at low tide, and the incoming tide gives you a limited window to view the carvings before you have to head back. From Puerto Rawson, whale- and dolphin-watching tours set out to see schools of bottlenose dolphins.

Three days in Rawson

Day one: Base yourself in Rawson, the capital of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia, and settle into accommodation in town — options range from a hostería to Airbnb listings. Once you're oriented, head to Playa Unión, the coastal resort area nearby, for a first look at the Patagonian shoreline. In the evening, eat like a local: fried Argentinian food is the order of the day, and La Unión is a good place to start.

Day two: Take a day trip to Trelew, the neighbouring city in Rawson Department, which is easy to reach from Rawson. Buses run between the towns, and companies such as Andesmar, Viatac and Tramar serve the routes; from Trelew you can also connect onward to Puerto Madryn. Check schedules at the terminal before you set out, and use remises for local trips once you're there.

Day three: Spend your last day closer to Rawson. Explore the town centre around Belgrano and Constantino, then return to Playa Unión if the weather is warm and you fancy the coast again. If you're heading onward, buses from Rawson connect to Puerto Madryn and beyond, so check departure times at the terminal and arrange a remise if you're carrying luggage.

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