Las Grutas to relax

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One of my students had suggested we make a stop at Las Grutas, so we did. Arriving in the drizzle didn’t bode well and we felt like tourists from Yorkshire arriving for their annual holiday in Cleethorpes!

At the bus station a cute little stray dog latched onto us and followed us faithfully around as we sought a hotel. The sandy roads had turned to deep mud and we eventually gave up trying to find the place we had decided on. We trekked around town and along the seafront for about 40 minutes, always with our tiny friend in tow, before making a dash for the Tourist Information Centre. They were surprisingly efficient and before long we were round the corner and checking into the Hotel Casa Iberia Sol. At 50 pesos a night we were amazed to have a massive room, access to an enormous kitchen (which we utilised a lot!) and the beautiful garden.

Las Grutas is the beach resort for Patagonia and a stroll along the sand showed how true this was. It was packed with families sunbathing and playing a game similar to petanque. The sea was cold and I only put my toes in for a few minutes before giving up. How some brave souls were managing to swim I don’t know! We picked up another stray dog (!) and walked for miles along the sand (and seaweed).

It was truly a place to relax and, after a miserable start, turned into a terrific weekend.

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