Travel Guide Palena

The natural heritage is combined with a strong cultural heritage: this is the land of the gaucho! Palena was founded by Nicolas Mascardi, a Jesuit explorer. This natural setting reminded him of his native land, Italy. The first settlers arrived at the beginning of the 20th century, most of them from Argentina, and after trying their luck on the other side of the Andes, they decided to settle in the valley. Here, the local culture is stronger than the borders, as you will notice during the Encuentro Binacional de las Tradicones festival. This border area is a good example of friendship between the two neighbouring countries.