Argentina Guide
Patagonia
Gaiman
GAIMAN, 16km west of Trelew along RN-25, sits amid lush pastures and poplar trees, making the place feel more like a Monet watercolour than Patagonia. The most eminently "Welsh" of the area's settlements, thanks to its numerous casas de té, or teahouses, and various monuments to the settlers, Gaiman is a pretty village made fascinating if you get the locals to talk about their Celtic roots.
The main attraction is working your way through a mountain of cakes over afternoon tea at one of the village's casas de té, some of which are owned and run by descendants of the original Welsh settlers. They open daily from around 2pm and serve similar arrays of cake, toast, scones and home-made jams ($20–25 per person); the most typical cake of all is the torta negra (Welsh black fruit cake), which was traditionally given at weddings, to be eaten on a couple's first anniversary. Ivy-clad Ty Nain, H. Irigoyen 283, is one of the most authentic, and bang in the centre, next to the plaza; take your tea surrounded by the owners' collection of tea- and Welsh-related artefacts. The warm welcome guests receive at Plas y Coed, east along Irigoyen, at no. 320, is mirrored in the generous portions served there, while at nearby Ty Cymraeg, Abraham Matthews 74, a descendant of the pioneers serves tea in the original family home.
If you intend to stay here, try the homey Plas y Coed on Irigoyen 320 ( 
02965/15697069, 
gplasycoed@yahoo.com.ar; Price: $75-90 with a huge, and very sweet, breakfast); there's a spacious living room for guests. The Hostería Gwesty Tywi, at Miguel Jones 342 ( 02965/491292, gwestywi@yahoo.com.ar; Price: $75-90), is a clean, perfumed B&B, while the larger Ty Gwen, 9 de Julio 111 ( 02965/491009, tygwyn@tygywn.com.ar; Price: $90-150), has compact wood-floored rooms with partial views of the Río Chubut.
For a more substantial meal than tea and cakes, head to El Vieja Cuadra, an inviting restaurant on the corner of Jones and Tello (Mon– Sat 8pm– midnight, Sun noon–3.30pm) that serves sizeable pizzas.