Bosques Petrificados [Petrified Forests] National Park
In Jaramillo, feel the excitement of walking on land which was buried by lava during the Cretaceous period.
Imagine this land one hundred and fifty million years ago: the Andes Mountains did not exist at that time. Instead, there was the sea. And here, in this huge eco-region of the Patagonian steppe, there were green forests with giant trees covered by volcanic lava and, thus, were petrified. Today, this historical place invites you to live an adventure full of emotion.
Get close to the remains of those legendary trees and open up your eyes to their petrified logs, which are three meters thick and over thirty meters long. Tour a paleontological path and discover the strength of nature that, in such inhospitable place, made a forest grow, with plenty of araucaria trees, pine trees, ferns and other species. Watch the local fauna: rheas and long-tailed meadowlarks, lesser horned owls and burrowing owls, guanacos and Patagonian foxes. Live your own adventure at Bosques Petrificados National Park.
Geographic location: 220 km from Caleta Olivia, province of Santa Cruz.
How to get there: By car, from Comodoro Rivadavia –from the North- or from Puerto San Julián -from the South-, via Ruta Nacional 3 and Ruta Provincial 49 (320 and 230 km respectively); the junction is at km 2074 of Ruta Nacional 3. Other means of transportation: there are daily flights from Buenos Aires to the city of Comodoro Rivadavia (province of Chubut) and it is possible to rent a car to visit the natural monument. In Caleta Olivia (province of Santa Cruz), 220 km away, there are travel agencies that offer tours.
Area: 63,543 hectares.
Climate: Dry and cold.
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days.
What to do: Hiking, fauna watching, photo safari.
Tips: Before visiting the National Park, make sure you have enough drinking water, food and fuel, since the nearest city is 220 km away.