The Mountain Range Shire

Sierra de la Ventana

This district, founded in January 17, 1908, venue for the Wise Men Provincial Festival, is situated 50 kilometers from the City of Tornquist, 248 meters above sea level. It can be reached through Provincial Route 72, or else, by train through the Coronel Pringles branch.

Sierra de la Ventana offers multiple options to be enjoyed at any season by visitors of all tastes and ages. Some of them include the recreation venues located on the banks of the Sauce River (El Dique, La Hoya, Los Angelitos), the casino, located on the first floor of Hotel Provincial and the traditional craftsmen promenades where the local crafts and workshops can be seen.

Rainbow trout fly-fishing is another attraction in the rivers and creeks of the shire.

The Parque Golf residential neighborhood has a unique kind of beauty. Its 18-hole golf course with par 72 is another attraction in Sierra. Also, Mount Ceferino, also known as Mount of Love, located opposite the municipal bathing resort called El Dique, from where an excellent panoramic view can be enjoyed.

Villa Ventana

It was founded in July 25, 1947 and is the seat for the Swallow Provincial Festival. The village is accessed through Routes 76 and 72, towards the district of Tornquist, lying only 17 kilometers from Sierra de la Ventana.

This small village, which resembles the forests of Cariló and Mar de las Pampas, as well as the Patagonian mountain range area, unveils its unpaved streets, its large trees, cabins, inns, camping sites, museums and tea houses, which contribute with harmony to the quietness typical of this spot.

Some options to enjoy the benefits of Villa Ventana include: the Municipal Recreation Venue -located on the left bank of the Belisario Creek-, the former Club Hotel -one of the first casinos in Argentina, inaugurated in 1911 and destroyed in a fire-, the crafts workshops, the Museum of local history as well as the facilities of the former Club Hotel de la Ventana and the private estancias that invite tourists to spend a day in the countryside.

The Ernesto Tornquist Provincial park lies 5 kilometers from Villa Ventana, on Provincial Route 76. The Natural Reserve and the Forest Nursery may be visited there on an 8-kilometer guided tour, ending at the Toro caves where there are cave paintings. Furthermore, Mount Bahía Blanca may be climbed from here, whose top offers a precious panoramic view of the famous dale.

Mount La Ventana, situated on Route 76, is famous for the ascent excursions leaving from its base towards the Hueco de la Ventana (the Window's Hole), after which the mountain range is named.


The City of Tornquist

This may be the most ancient city in the area. It is the head of the district bearing the same name. Founded in April 17, 1883, the Ernesto Tornquist Square stands in its core, opposite the Rodolfo Funke Municipal Theater, from where the Santa Rosa de Lima church and the artificial lake may be observed. Right there, on the square, the Tourist Information Office provides information about all local attractions.

Another interesting option to see the city is the Tornquist Cultural Center, which works in a house built in 1905. The city museum houses archeological remains, as well as the evolution of the town until the mid XXth Century. Temporary shows are also presented.

Only 3 kilometers away from the city stands Mount Calvary, on the neighboring hillsides. The stations of the Via Crucis may be seen there and a large white cross with a crucified Christ may be observed on the summit. The Holy Sepulcher shows Christ lying down on a stone in the middle of an impressive cave. A short distance away, the Norman style castle which used to belong to the Tornquists may be observed.

Mount Tres Picos, “the roof of the Province of Buenos Aires”, which reaches a height of 1,239 meters, is the place chosen to practice countless outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding, rock-climbing, mountain biking and circuits for 4-wheel driving.


Villa Serrana La Gruta

Founded in December 2, 1970, it stands 35 kilometers away from Sierra de la Ventana, on Provincial Route 76, on the road to the City of Tornquist and a few minutes away from the base of Mount Ventana.

Villa Serrana La Gruta offers one of its typical spots, the chapel of Our Lady of Fátima, where annual pilgrimages are organized to pay tribute to the Virgin.

Visitors to this place may go on horseback or bicycle rides around the outskirts of the village, appreciating the benefits of the local scenery as well as the train cemetery, where the remains of the very cars that once gave life to the entire shire by communicating it with other districts, such as Bahía Blanca, lie abandoned.