History of Puerto Madryn

In 1865, around September, the Mimosa landed on what today is known as the beaches of Puerto Madryn. The colonists who were on board this ship were surprised to find a population made up by wooden huts that were used as shelter by 41 women and 61 children. Their previous refuges had been caves carved in the cliffs limestone.

These early huts and shelters have been attributed by historians to the area of Punta Cuevas. It was not until 1886 that the railway was built and the town of Madryn started to develop by Derbes Lagoon. At the moment, port activities abandoned Punta Cuevas as their main center and moved to Puerto Madryn. As a result, these two activities -railway and port- became the essential pillars of growth for Madryn.

The panorama became stabilized and progress continued until in the 1950s, when Compañía Mercantil del Chubut disappeared, the Patagonian Railway was closed and the Customs franchises were terminated. Only ten years afterwards, the zone witnessed the birth of a new industry: textile. However, the latter lasted for a few years, until the complete decrease in production.

In the mid 1970s, an aluminum plant was settled down in Madryn and a significant tourist activity began to develop. This would be the center of all local activities and would see a continuous growth until today, with an eye to the future. Tourism lured industry and viceversa. This vicious circle encouraged the increase of the population number and turned Puerto Madryn into the head of the region. Later on, this metropolis would feature an environmentally friendly profile par excellence.


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