Villa Traful

History and Legends

The name Traful comes from the Mapuche word "Travül", which means union, in reference to the confluence of the rivers Traful and Limay in the place where Confluencia Traful is today.
Its origin goes back to the end of 1800 and beginning of 1900, when from different points of the region arrived the first settlers, mainly Mapuche, and some American, like the Taylor family, to raise cattle and cultivate the land, given the geographic characteristics of the place and its weather.
In 1934, the first school was built with the help of settlers and the support of Consejo Nacional de Educación, completely made of trunks, and still visible today. The first director of the Escuela 111 was Mr. Eugenio Maciel.
On 30th November 1936 the village was created by ressolution of Dirección de Parques Nacionales, with an authorization to divide the land into lots and sell them. It was then when the first European colonists started to arrive and dispense the first touristic services.
Many years passed before the province of Neuquén decided to create the Comisión de Fomento, with the aim of fostering touristic development in the village, which included electric supply, health centre, Police department, school lodge, etc.

The village is inserted in a National Park, but in 1994 it was disaffected by national law 24302. After this event, a plan was traced to build a village based on sustainable development, with a very low density of population.
At present Traful has some 300 inhabitants and a plan for touristic development. Both authorities and settlers have a common aim: the development of Villa Traful in harmony with the landscape and free from any type of contamination.