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Viedma
Crafts on the river - Photo: Viedma Tourist Office
Viedma is located 30 kilometers from the mouth of the plentiful Negro River, which separates it from its neighboring city: Carmen de Patagones.
The capital of the Province of Río Negro is strategically located as the entrance gate to the Patagonian coastline and littoral.
The historical legacy it shares with Carmen de Patagones dates back to 1779, when the fort and settlement
Nuestra Señora del Carmen were founded. As a consequence of the floods that hit the area that year, the fort was moved to the North, thus giving origin to Carmen de Patagones.
It was not until after the Conquest of the Desert, in 1879, that Governor Alvaro Barros called it Viedma.
At present, both cities form the tourist shire of
Viedma–Patagones, which is joined by a road bridge and a railway bridge, settled in 1931. Also, passenger ferries cross the river to connect both cities.
Viedma is a modern administrative city with various attractions. At the Gobernador Eugenio Tello Museum, one of the most important libraries as regards Patagonian matters, as well as the Provincial Historical File, may be visited.
The Water, Soil and Irrigation Museum, unique in the country, shows the historical evolution of these natural environments in a didactical way.
In the lower valley, the farms make regional products which they sell to visitors.
About 30 kilometers away, the village and bathing resort called El Cóndor has beautiful large beaches to enjoy the summer. There is also the possibility to practice sport boat fishing or scuba diving at Caleta de los Loros.
Its temperate weather with scarce rainfalls offers average annual temperatures of 16º C. In the summer, the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean tempers the hot days.
Situated 960 kilometers from the
City of Buenos Aires, this site is reached along National Route 3, a paved road in good condition. The Patagonian train crosses the Province of Rio Negro from East to West and various airlines offer domestic flights to the local airport.