Viedma is the capital of Río Negro Province in the north-east of Argentina's Patagonia region. The city lies at the shore of Río Negro river. Across the river, there is the charming old town of Carmen de Patagones.
Understand
[edit]
Viedma is one of the oldest cities in Patagonia and was founded in 1779 under the name Nuestra Señora del Carmen. It included nearby Carmen de Patagones at the northern shore of the river, which was for a long time the main settlement, until 1878 when the Patagonia government was created, separating the twin towns. In 1987, a plan to move the capital from Buenos Aires to Viedma was approved by the government, but it never materialized due to financial problems.
The city is quiet, with all essential services and several accommodations. It doesn't attract many tourists despite of the beauty of the scenery at the river shore, with good beaches and a spectacular view of the old town of Carmen de Patagones, which can be reached by a small ferry or by bus.
Viedma is a gateway to a little-known series of beaches beginning at El Cóndor, 30 km SE of the city, which stretches west until San Antonio Este with important sea-lion and parrot colonies.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]- 1 Edgardo Castello Airport (VDM IATA) (7 km south of the town). The airport is small and only offers flights to Buenos Aires (Aeroparque), 5 times per week.
By bus
[edit]Viedma is connected with Buenos Aires, several times per day, Cipolletti (near Neuquén) and Bariloche to the West and Río Gallegos and all intermediate stations on RN 3 to the south.
Local buses to El Cóndor and La Lobería don't stop at the bus terminal but in Zatti street east of Álvaro Barros, just south of the city center, and can be paid in cash (about $1.50 to El Cóndor). Buses to Carmen de Patagones can be taken in Sarmiento street, with the most centric stop just south of 25 de Mayo street, and only can be paid with SUBE and Viedma Bus cards.
- 2 Terminal de Ómnibus Viedma, José María Guido 1600 (2 km south-west of the city centre). The bus station is located at one of the main boulevards south of the city center, in a somewhat poor neighborhood. Taxis are available.
By train
[edit]A weekly regular-service train (Tren Patagónico[dead link]) connects Viedma to Bariloche, San Antonio Oeste and several small cities on the meseta.
- 3 Train Station (Estación Viedma), Avenida Cardenal Cagliero 4000 (5 km south of the centre). Located at the southern end of the urban area.
By boat
[edit]
A cheap, small ferry connects Viedma to Carmen de Patagones. However, in periods of low tides, the boat only operates when the winds are not too strong. The operator announces service suspensions at a Facebook page.
Get around
[edit]Local buses are the main transportation means. The buses use two types of cards: SUBE, the same one like in Buenos Aires, and the Viedma Bus local card. Taxi stops are located at Plaza Alsina and at the bus terminal.
As the city is small, the central area can be perfectly explored by foot. A walk on the shore of the Negro river offers very beautiful sights. It can be also pleasant to explore the city by bicycle. Streets are wide, with only very occasional heavy traffic, and topography is flat, with one exception: if you want to visit Patagones which is located a bit higher. However, there is no public rental service, and only a few private options.
See
[edit]Most historic buildings are located between Plaza Alsina in the south, where the Cathedral is located, and Plaza San Martín in the north.
- 1 Cathedral, Yrigoyen 37. A picturesque neo-baroque temple with some parts built in the 19th century, while most of the building dates from between 1900 and 1979 when the towers were finally finished.
- 2 Ex Colegio y Torre Salesiana, Rivadavia 1-99 (south of the Cathedral). Nice building complex with a clock tower, an old school and an internal square. It hosts two museums with very limited opening hours, and an old chapel. Parts of the building are run-down, but the area around the square has been restaurated in the 2010s.
Do
[edit]
Bathing in the river is possible from November to March.
A catamaran offers tours at summer weekends. There are also operators organizing canoe tours.
Buy
[edit]The main shopping street is Buenos Aires, north of the centric Plaza Alsina until 25 de Mayo. Nearby streets also offer several shops and gastronomy.
Eat
[edit]Most restaurants are located at the Río Negro shoreline, with also some in 25 de Mayo street. In the surroundings of Plaza Alsina there are only a few options.
- 1 Roma Parador Costera, Av. Villarino 799-899, ☏ +54 2920 47 4364. Daily 09:00 - 00:00. Casual restaurant with outdoor and open-air spaces providing river views. Food is well prepared with several vegetarian options and a full bar serving cocktails. Full breakfast menu available in the mornings.
- 2 Achavil, Av. Villarino 207, ☏ +54 2920 42 9371. Lunch 12:00 - 15:00; Dinner 21:00 - 00:00. Upscale riverfront restaurant serving hearty Argentinian fare including steaks, lamb, pasta, and fish. Generous portions and homemade quality. Family friendly. AR$30,000.
- 3 El Bodegon, Artémides Zatti y Colon, ☏ +54 2920 61 0424. Lunch 12:00 - 15:30, Dinner 20:00 - 00:30. Neighborhood tavern serving hearty Argentinian food like big steaks and racks of lamb. Generous portions and friendly atmosphere. Occasional live music (usually a guy playing guitar). AR$20K.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Tres de Copa, 25 de Mayo 1136, ☏ +54 2920 53 2768. M-Sa 19:00 - 23:00, closed Su. Artesanal craft brewery serving their home brewed ales, which they categorize as basic (simples), special (especialidades), or hoppy (lupulados). They do an excellent Scottish ale that's suitably malty but at 6.3% alcohol, a touch bigger than a traditional beer drinker from Scotland might like. Their "hoppy" beers are well-hopped, but even the biggest IPA with an IBU of about 50, might be sneered at by true hop-heads. Great place for a pint in the evening.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Nijar, Mietre 490, ☏ +54 2920 30 0880. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with small rooms furnished with only minimal basics. No pool or gym. On-site garage provides secure off-street parking. US$75.
- 2 Hotel Austral Viedma, Villarino 292, Costanera del Rio Negro, ☏ +54 2920 42 2615. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Moderate business-oriented hotel with spacious rooms containing dated furnishings. Most rooms have good views, looking over the river. Rates usually include breakfast in the morning. US$100.
- 3 Hotel Casino del Rio, Av. Francisco de Viedma 1451, ☏ +54 2920 29 7359. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Modern upscale hotel with casino games on the ground floor and hotel lobby and guest rooms on upper floors. Rooms are spacious, clean and well-furnished with upscale toiletries. On-site restaurant available. US$150.
- 4 Hotel Cristal, Av. Francisco Leloir 1882, ☏ +54 2920 42 8771. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms. On-site restaurant serves a full continental breakfast with cold cuts, cheers, breads, and fresh fruits. On-site garage provides secure off-street parking.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]
- Balneario El Cóndor (originally called La Boca, still in use by locals). A seaside resort 30 km. south-east of the city near the mouth of Río Negro into the Atlantic Ocean, with a very wide sandy beach which never gets too crowded, and a rocky hill at the southern end with an old lighthouse and a big parrot colony. The central beach tends to be windy, while the more southern ones are better protected. Waters are warm.
- Balneario La Lobería and Punta Bermeja. A very small resort with a rocky, picturesque beach and a sea lion colony, 60 km south of the town (via El Cóndor). Very few basic services, the only accommodation is a camping ground. One daily bus from Viedma and El Cóndor.
- Balneario Bahía Creek, a newly developed resort on a very large, wide and sandy beach in a big bay with blue waters, accessible by a gravel road. Only basic accommodation and services.
- San Antonio Oeste, 150 km west of the city. The port town has very interesting surroundings and nice beaches. The most well-known beaches are at the suburb of Las Grutas, Patagonia's most visited seaside resort, with rocky and sandy beaches with caves, good services and plenty of accommodation, gastronomy and night life, although it tends to be expensive and crowded in summer.