Playa Unión

Playa Unión is the seaside extension of Rawson, a long beach of pale sand with a promenade of apartment blocks and seafood restaurants, busy with Chubut families through the summer. Its distinctive attraction leaves from the fishing port at the river mouth next door: boat trips to watch Commerson's dolphins, small piebald animals of around a metre and a half, black and white in sharp blocks, which live in these cold coastal waters and routinely ride the bows and wake of the boats. Trips last about an hour and go out several times a day in season. The port itself is worth a look for the shrimp fleet, and the restaurants along the front cook what the boats bring in.

What you actually see

• Commerson's dolphins - small black-and-white dolphins riding the boat wake.
• The fishing port - the shrimp fleet working out of Rawson.
• The beach and promenade - the long sandy front and summer scene.
• The seafood restaurants - places serving the local shrimp and fish.

When to go

December to March for the dolphin trips and the beach; boats run mainly in the warm months and depend heavily on sea conditions. Mornings are calmest. Outside summer the town is quiet and many trips do not operate.

Honest expectations

Trips are frequently cancelled by wind and swell, sometimes for days at a time. The sea is cold and the wind constant. Sightings, while usually good, are not guaranteed, and the boats are small and rough in a chop.

Nearby

Rawson is the neighbouring provincial capital; Trelew and the Welsh valley lie inland.