Florentino Ameghino Dam

On a very sunny day, we set out towards Florentino Ameghino Dam in the company of Mario, the guide from Flamento Tour, an expert at the area. We got away from the sea and the steppe. We took Route 3, crossed the District of Trelew and followed our way towards the hamlet known as Las Chapas. At that point, we took a detour that led us straight to our destination. With Mario’s help, we had spotted some petrified trees on the way. They are clear vestiges of prehistoric Patagonia. We went on a short hiking tour to the site where several logs turned into stone were resting. Once at the dam, we got off the van and observed the reddish ravine that gave way to a great deal of beautiful green willows. To both sides of the Chubut River, we saw several local houses. We could listen to the sound of silence. Eventually, we went down the slope to the village through a staircase used by the settlers. Mario, on the other hand, drove the van along the dam road. We reached our destination and were speechless to admire such wonder. Florentino Ameghino Dam is 255 meters long and was planned by engineer Antonio Pronsato in 1943. It was inaugurated twenty years later.

We toured around the camping area and then followed the course of the river to the kaolinite mines, a pale pink mineral used to make ceramics. At that moment, the men were working; therefore, we could not access the facilities. We remained sitting at that spot as we enjoyed everything around. We mapped a great deal of native Patagonian wildlife: guanacos with their young known as chulengos, choiques and Patagonian hares, mainly. Lunchtime was near and Segundo’s dining-room turned out to be the ideal site to rest and taste delicious empanadas. Afterwards, we spent some time chatting and guitar-playing followed. Then we went towards the dam wall, crossed several tunnels that open up through the rock until we reached the top of the concrete wall. We took some pictures of the reservoir and the village. We kept that image: the image of quietness.