Viedma

Information

It is the capital of the Argentine province of Río Negro, in the northeastern corner of the Patagonian region and on the banks of the Negro River, about 30 km from where it flows into the Argentine Sea. A bridge separates it from Carmen de Patagones, which lies on the other side of the river that serves as the interprovincial boundary and already belongs to the province of Buenos Aires.

It has a variety of services such as a tourist information office, shops, restaurants, a petrol station, ATMs and hotels. Its central area is around Alsina and San Martín squares. In front of Alsina Square is what would be considered Manzana Histórica de Viedma (Viedma's Historic Block). There you can find Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Our Lady of Mercy) Cathedral and the Cardenal Cagliero Salesian Museum with exhibits related to the history and Salesian presence in Patagonia.

Along the riverfront, throughout the city there is an avenue that runs parallel to the water and at a short distance from it, which name changes from south to north: it is successively called Francisco de Viedma, Villarino and Raúl Alfonsín. Along the river it is almost always accompanied by a pedestrian path located just a few meters from the water and surrounded by parks. In some areas, such as the northern part of the city, these spaces are very large. At one point along the route is the Plazoleta del Fundador (a square), where there is a monument to Francisco de Viedma.

How to get to Viedma:
— By bus: it has a bus terminal with services arriving from Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, El Cóndor, Las Grutas, Puerto Madryn, Rosario, San Carlos de Bariloche and Trelew.
— By car: it can be reached via National Route 3 which runs along the edge of the city.
— By plane: it has an airport with direct flights from Buenos Aires on some days of the week and connecting flights from many other places.
— By train: the Tren Patagónico runs once a week on the Bariloche-San Antonio Oeste-Viedma route. Check whether the regular train service between both stations is currently being offered.