Crossing onto Pavón Island

Pavón Island is accessed through the bridge across the Santa Cruz River in the outskirts of the City of Comandante Luis Piedra Buena. This is the largest of several small islets which represent a great historic attraction and excellent recreation options.

Commander Luis Piedra Buena, who defended the sovereignty of the country in the south of Argentina ever since 1859, used to reside at this spot. He was the first steady settler, along with other families who contributed their ideals and joined the great history of those days. We confirmed all this with the documentation displayed at the museum on the island, which operates inside the replica of his family house.

The island appears to have been named by Piedra Buena himself, who paid tribute to the battle won by General Bartolomé Mitre in 1861. One year later, the Argentinian flag was hoisted for the first time in the southern territories at this very site.

We crossed onto the island across the fantastic main bridge over the Santa Cruz River and before finding the secondary bridge, we noticed the length and width of the largest island and also of the smallest ones. The proximity of the water turns this zone into a very humid green place, with some beaches to take advantage of its banks.

It has a campsite, cabins and an inn to shelter angling enthusiasts, who also have the chance to land on the pier and go around the inner trails to make contact with outdoor life and native wildlife. There is also a rainbow trout farm open to visitors which provides information about the reproduction, breeding and planting processes of this species.

We enjoyed the short tour and took home the idea of the difference between sites like this and the Patagonian steppe. Literally, finding locations of this kind is like finding "a needle in a haystack".