Because public transportation is almost nonexistent on RN 40 between Gobernador Costa [1] and Perito Moreno [2], only self-propelled southbound travelers normally see the crossroads town of Río Mayo; in fact, few vehicles of any kind use the dull but spine-jarring gravel section that intersects RP 43, the paved route between Comodoro Rivadavia [3] and the Chilean border, 124 kilometers to the south. Despite having little to see, it’s a stopover for cyclists, bikers, and motorists, as well as southbound safaris from Bariloche [4].
Living primarily off the wool trade, though petroleum is making a comeback, Río Mayo (pop. 2,940) is 224 kilometers south of Gobernador Costa [1], and 274 kilometers west of Comodoro Rivadavia [3] via paved RN 26 and RP 20. There is westbound public transportation on RN 26 to Coyhaique, Chile; some buses take the slightly longer route via RP 55.
Río Mayo’s modest Museo Regional Federico Escalada (Avenida Ejército Argentino s/n, tel. 02903/42-0400) is open 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. Monday–Friday.
Featuring sheep-shearing contests and horseback races, early January’s Festival Nacional de la Esquila is the principal festival.
Camping El Labrador (Belgrano and Sarmiento) charges US$3 per vehicle. Modernized Hotel Aka-ta (San Martín 640, tel. 02903/42-0054, hotelakata [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] ar, US$27 s, US$47 d) has rooms with private baths and an improved but cramped restaurant with Internet access.
Reservations are advisable for Hotel El Viejo Covadonga (San Martín 573, tel. 02903/42-0020, covadonga_hotel [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] ar, US$15 pp, US$22 s, US$40 d), which fills with safari passengers on the RN 40 circuit between Bariloche [4] and El Calafate [5]. Though the previous owners absconded with its classic Old West–style bar, this spruced-up hotel has gracious management and it is also the best place to eat.
Schedules are subject to change from Río Mayo’s Terminal de Ómnibus (Fontana and Irigoyen). Transaustral (tel. 02903/42-0167) has daily eastbound services to Comodoro Rivadavia [3] (4 hours, US$8), and westbound buses to Coyhaique, Chile [6] (6 hours, US$26), leave at noon Wednesday and Saturday (reservations are essential as these often fill up in Comodoro).
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/northern-patagonia/interior-chubut-province/gobernador-costa
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/southern-patagonia/interior-santa-cruz-province/rn-40-north/perito-moreno
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/southern-patagonia/coastal-chubut-province/comodoro-rivadavia
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/northern-patagonia/the-lakes-district/san-carlos-de-bariloche
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/southern-patagonia/interior-santa-cruz-province/el-calafate
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/northern-patagonia/coyhaique