Esquel. Photo: Juan Castro

With almost 40.000 inhabitants, Esquel is a quiet, clean and tidy city. It's located on a plateau, at the feet of the andean range. It's known abroad because of its train station, where arrives the historic steam train "La Trochita". La Hoya ski center and Los Alerces National Park, distant 35 Km., are the main tourist attractions.

Brief history

The argentine history of Esquel ("Esguel Kaik", in tehuelche language) begins in the last years of XIX century, with the 16 de Octubre Colony, embracing the fertile valley of several rivers up to Corcovado town. The first not tehuelche coming, were welsh people from other colonies located by the Atlantic ocean. They settled on the south of Esquel, founding Trevelin. In 1902, when it was necessary to define the limits between Argentina and Chile, the people of Trevelin was invited to decide what country they wanted to belong to, by means of a plebiscite. At the occasion, they determined to be argentine.
The official foundation of Esquel was in 1906. Throughout the following years, it received a lot of immigrants coming from Chile and different countries of Asia and Europa. When the steam train arrived in 1945, Esquel became connected to the net of argentine railway.

Argentina: Norte Neuquino, Caviahue - Copahue, Villa Pehuenia, Aluminé,

Junín de los Andes, San Martín de los Andes, Villa Traful, Villa La Angostura,

Bariloche, El Bolsón, Lago Puelo, El Hoyo, Esquel, Trevelin.

Chile: Pucón, Villarrica, Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto Montt - Puerto Varas.