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Explore Patagonia’s Welsh heritage

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Discover the legacy of the formidable Welsh community in Patagonia - teas, museums, choirs. 

The huge, wild expanses of rough grasslands and desolate, arid hills inland from the Atlantic Ocean in Argentine Patagonia, along with a harsh climate, was enough to put off European immigrants in the early years of colonisation.  But from mid 19th century onwards, hardy farmers from the UK, especially Wales, observed similarities with their homelands and moved into the valleys and plains to farm and to rear sheep.

Seeking religious freedom, the Welsh aimed not only to sustain themselves through agriculture but also to create a “little Wales beyond Wales” away from the pernicious influence of the English.

The Patagonian landscape here really does recall the Cambrian mountains; tree-sheltered-farmhouses; disused railways; chapels and cottages could have been transported wholesale from present-day Wales. For the Welsh visitor, a stay here is imbued with nostalgia, for the rest of us, it is a monument to courage and an enterprising spirit.

There is little remaining of Welsh culture in Puerto Madryn and Trelew, the pleasant main port and principal town of the region. But smaller settlements such as Trevelin have jealously preserved their Welsh heritage,  taking pride in the determination of ancestors, with Welsh choirs, museums, cemeteries and, famously, Welsh teas, served in the picturesque village of Gaiman, which hosts an annual Eisteddford in October.

Holidays Explore Patagonia’s Welsh heritage

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Ibera Wetlands in Argentina

Private Journeys

Argentina

Argentina Wildlife: Tropical wetlands and Patagonia

12 days from £6,850pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Rainbow over the Tierra del Fuego

Private Journeys

Chile / Argentina

Patagonia cruise: Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn

13 days from £5,450pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Papagaio

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

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    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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