This area was navigated, explored and mapped by the famous Malaspina Expedition in 1789. In the years to follow, it became a land of guano harvesters, hunters of whales, sea lions and penguins. Their blubber was extracted for commercial reasons. The area was flown over by the great Antoine de Saint Exupery (who wrote The Little Prince) and inhabited by Europeans escaping the World Wars in search of a more promising future.
In the 1950s, the Spanish immigrant Lorenzo Soriano started a road trip in an old jeep from Buenos Aires to Patagonia, along route 3, which was a dirt road back then. It was a desperate trip. The imports of certain main products had been banned in Argentina and he suddenly had the need to replace the gum he used to manufacture Malvik, his brand of hair gel. He was told seaweed could be a viable option.
Harvesting seaweed in the 1960´s
At that time, what is now Bahía Bustamante Lodge, was known as “Rotten Bay,” despite being one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. But in those years, the enormous amount of seaweed accumulated on its shore exuded a strong smell.
Upon reaching these lonely shores, Soriano came upon this large amount of seaweed. This inspired him to start a new business, and he founded a seaweed harvesting village that was unique in the world. Soriano created work opportunities for more than 500 families. He also built a school and a church. In the village, people lived and worked in pristine nature.
More than 12 types of usable seaweed were discovered in the area. Gracilaria was the “golden” seaweed that gave true life and economic vigor to this property. In the form of fine hairs, Gracilaria is the algae from which agar-agar is obtained, an essential product in the food industry. The seaweed was dried in the steppe sun and then transported to Gaiman, the picturesque Welsh town of Chubut, where it was processed in a factory that employed 100 people. And from Gaiman it was exported to the world!
Lorenzo Soriano, the pioneer who founded what today is Bahia Bustamante Lodge
Thanks to the presence of seaweed and the beautiful rugged geography, Bahia Bustamante is a true sanctuary of marine life. Of the 16 seabirds that breed on the Argentine coast, 13 of them choose Bahía Bustamante as a nesting site. It is also a resting and feeding area for many migratory species. Over the years, the seaweed company gave way to a nature sanctuary with a Lodge, created by Matias Soriano, Lorenzo's grandson. Today the property does regenerative sheep farming, wine making, fruit production and hospitality on the coast of the Atlantic.
The seaweed business was replaced by regenerative sheep farming, wine making and food production to supply the Lodge: lamb, pure honey, apples, quinces, cherries, pears, walnuts and almonds, olive groves and vineyards, as well as a biodynamic vegetable garden. It was turned into an oasis between the steppe and the sea.
Bahia Bustamante Lodge is managed by its owners, accompanied by a passionate and trained team. Matias Soriano, grandson of the founder Lorenzo, has lived and worked in Bahia Bustamante since the year 2000. With his efforts in re-founding his grandfather's legacy, he has placed this remote area on the world map of conservation and nature travel.
Matias Soriano
Multipurpose Merino Sheep with lambs
La Nación
«Bahía Bustamante, un santuario de fauna marina que cambió las algas por los viñedos»
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Reservations: +54 9 11 4156 7788
Lodge: +54 9 280 497 5105 (from October to April)
