North Patagonia Ports

Port general description

In this región of the country the Pampa grasslands blend into the arid Patagonia. Two important rivers flow east across the area: Rio Colorado and Rio Negro. The Atlantic Ocean is on the east and there the port of San Antonio Este is used to transfer cargo to and from the región. The area potentially served by this port covers about 11% of the countrt´s area. The provinces which integrate this región are Neuquén and Rio Negro and almost 1.184.000 people live here (approximately 3% of the country´s total population), with cities line Neuquén (291000), San Carlos de Bariloche (108.000), General Roca(86.000) and Cipolletti (79.000).

The highway network is simple but sufficient to communicate the main centers of production and consumption with the ports of San Antonio Este, and even with Bahia Blanca and others in the South Pampa región. Both a highway and a railway line are being prepared to form a land bridge with the Chilean port of Talcahuano. There are two railway lines running east-west that connect in Bahia Blanca with the rest of the country´s network. There are two international airports (Bariloche and Neuquén), and 4 public paved airstrips.