Autódromo Mar y Valle

Autódromo Mar y Valle at a glance

Location

Trelew, Chubut

Type

road course

Length

3.916 km (2.433 mi)

Turns

12

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1986

Owner

Asociación Mar y Valle

Address

Ruta Nacional N.º 3, Km 1459, 9 km southeast of Trelew

Phone

+54 280 15-483-6409

Track map and layout

Autódromo Mar y Valle sits on Ruta Nacional 3 about 9 km southeast of Trelew, on Chubut's Atlantic Patagonian coast, and takes its name ("sea and valley") from the region's mix of coastline and the fertile Lower Chubut Valley. A 2010 remodel widened the track to 16 metres around most of the lap and over 22 metres through the corners, reshaping it into the current 3.916 km, 12-turn configuration used for national racing today; earlier layouts ran to 4.010 km with 16 turns (1992-2009) and, originally, just 1.986 km with 8 turns (1986-1991). Like other Chubut circuits, it is exposed to the strong Patagonian winds that sweep in off the Atlantic and can affect handling and visibility on race weekends.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Turismo Carretera last raced here regularly through 2002, returning for occasional visits after the 2010 remodel, alongside Súper TC2000, Turismo Nacional and Top Race V6, which together with local Chubut and Patagonian regional categories keep the circuit busy through the racing season. There is no single fixed annual date; the exact rounds and categories visiting depend on each series' calendar for the year.

Getting there and parking

Trelew has its own airport with regular domestic flights, the most practical way for most visitors to reach this part of Chubut, with the circuit a short drive southeast of town on Ruta Nacional 3. Long-distance buses also connect Trelew to Buenos Aires and other Patagonian towns, though journeys run well over 20 hours by road.

• Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (Trelew) (REL) · about 20 min drive

Trelew is also the usual gateway for visiting the Punta Tombo penguin colony and Península Valdés wildlife reserve, both popular add-ons to a Patagonian motorsport trip.

Hotels and camping near Autódromo Mar y Valle

Trelew is a mid-sized Chubut valley town with a reasonable hotel supply for a regional race weekend, generally sufficient without the scale of Argentina's bigger cities. Many visitors combine a stay here with side trips to nearby wildlife attractions such as Península Valdés or the Punta Tombo penguin colony.

Where to look

Central Trelew has the area's main hotel and guesthouse choice, a short drive from the circuit on Ruta Nacional 3.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There is no commercial track-day operator offering public sessions at Mar y Valle; it is a competition venue used for organised regional and national race meetings run by the Asociación Mar y Valle and Argentina's motorsport federations, with no public drive or ride-along programme outside those events.

Lap records

Spectator guide

Spectator facilities are modest general-admission areas around the circuit's perimeter rather than large grandstands, in keeping with the venue's regional status. Strong Patagonian winds are a near-constant factor, so warm, windproof clothing is worth packing whatever the season.

Seating

General-admission banks and fencing around the main straight and principal corners.

Best places to watch

Vantage points near the main straight give the clearest view of the widened, higher-speed sections added in the 2010 remodel.

Weather

• Dec-Feb (summer): mild but windy, highs around 22-25°C with frequent gusts
• Jun-Aug (winter): cold, highs around 8-10°C, occasional frost

History of Autódromo Mar y Valle

A valley-and-coast circuit in Chubut

Ground was broken on Autódromo Mar y Valle on 23 May 1985 southeast of Trelew, in Chubut's fertile Lower Chubut Valley near Argentina's Atlantic Patagonian coast, and the circuit opened on 16 March 1986 with a compact 1.986 km, eight-turn layout. Its name, meaning "sea and valley," reflects the surrounding landscape of coastal steppe and irrigated farmland that distinguishes this part of Patagonia from the drier country further south. The Asociación Mar y Valle, which still owns and runs the facility, built the track to give the Trelew area a home for regional and national motorsport.

Growth, decline and a 2010 rebirth

The circuit was significantly extended in 1992, reaching 4.010 km over 16 turns and attracting Turismo Carretera, Argentina's premier touring car series, which raced there regularly until 2002. A period of reduced top-level activity followed before a major remodel in 2010 reshaped the track into its current 3.916 km, 12-turn form, widening the surface to 16 metres around most of the lap and over 22 metres through the corners to modern safety standards. The rebuild brought Turismo Carretera, Súper TC2000 and Top Race V6 back for occasional visits, alongside a steady programme of Turismo Nacional and local Patagonian regional racing.

A regional hub today

Mar y Valle remains an active if not permanently fixed stop on Argentina's national calendar, hosting rounds as each series schedules its season rather than on a set annual date. For visitors, the circuit sits conveniently close to some of Patagonia's best-known wildlife attractions, with Trelew serving as the usual gateway to Península Valdés and the Punta Tombo penguin colony, making a race weekend here easy to combine with broader Patagonian travel.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Autódromo General San Martín · 341 km · road course
• Autódromo Parque Provincia del Neuquén (Centenario) · 550 km · road course
• Autódromo Juan Manuel Fangio · 844 km · road course