Follow in the footsteps of the cast of Patagonia in Wales

Visit Wales 3 January 2011

Directed by Welsh-born director Marc Evans and starring Matthew Rhys alongside Grammy Award winning singer Duffy, Patagonia is tipped to be one of the hot British films of 2011. With sweeping panoramas of both Wales and Argentina, Patagonia is a road movie that tells the parallel stories of two women as one travels through Wales in the springtime and one journeys through a Patagonian autumn. The Welsh parts of the film feature locations throughout the country, starting at St Fagans National History Museum in the Vale of Glamorgan, travelling through the Welsh countryside towards a heartbreaking finale at Llyn Gwynant Campsite in Snowdonia.

Welsh action in the film Patagonia
When the film starts, Gwen is living in Cardiff with her photographer boyfriend, Rhys and working at nearby St Fagans National History Museum. When Rhys is sent to Welsh Patagonia on a photography project, Gwen decides to accompany him. At the same time, Cerys, an elderly diabetic Argentine who lives in the southern Andes is planning a trip to Wales to find the farm where her mother lived, before she was sent to live with relatives in Snowdonia after falling pregnant with Cerys. She tricks her nephew Alejandro into joining her on this intrepid journey, as they travel together through Wales trying to find the farm.

Llyn Gwynant Campsite
The setting for the emotional ending of the film, Patagonia is not the first film that Llyn Gwynant has starred in, with appearances in Tomb Raider 2, the 1997 film Merlin and its sequel Merlin of the Crystal Cave. The campsite is set to reopen in March 2011, just in time for the release of Patagonia. Located beneath the base of Snowdon, the campsite offers the ideal setting for a proper Welsh holiday and it is possible to walk directly up Wales' highest mountain from the campsite. There is no need to pre-book to camp at the site, as it has more than 400 pitches. The campsite also offers two large Grade II listed stone barns available for large camping groups, as well as a rural caravan, known as Nutshell, with room to sleep four. Prices for Nutshell start from £175 per week, accommodation in the stone barns starts from £10 per person per night, and camping starts from £7 per adult per night.

St Fagans National History Museum
The opening shot of the film is of Gwen, played by Welsh actress Nia Roberts, at work in traditional costume at St Fagans National History Museum, one of Europe's leading open-air museums and Wales' most popular heritage attraction. Standing in the grounds of St Fagans Castle, a late 16th Century manor house, over forty original Welsh buildings from different historical periods have been erected in the 100-acre parkland, among them houses, a farm, a school and a chapel. Craftsmen demonstrate traditional skills in workshops at the museum, and their produce is usually on sale. Admission is free.

Cardiff
When Cerys and her nephew Alejandro first arrive in Wales, they spend the night in Cardiff. A modern, vibrant city, there is a wealth of attractions on offer, whether you want to experience culture at the Millennium Centre, travel back in time at Cardiff Castle, get up close and personal with the props and costumes from Doctor Who at the permanent exhibition in Cardiff Bay, explore the varied shopping arcades for unique gifts or sample the range of shops in the modern St David's shopping centre. There is a wide range of accommodation options in the city for all budgets; those with cash to splash might choose to spend a night overlooking Cardiff Bay at the five-star St David's Hotel & Spa, or those on a more modest budget can lay their heads at the big sleep hotel, part owned by John Malkovich. For a real Welsh sense of place, spend the night at Jolyons boutique hotel in Cardiff Bay, or enjoy the luxury on offer a little further out of town at Holm House on the Marine Parade in nearby Penarth.

Aberystwyth
As they travel up the country, Cerys and Alejandro visit the coastal town of Aberystwyth, enjoying the views of Cardigan Bay from a bench on the seafront. A popular town for tourists, as visitors approach from the south, they cannot help but notice the iron-age fort atop Pen Dinas, as it dominates the skyline, and a journey on the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway is definitely worthwhile to enjoy the panoramic views as far as the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire to the south and the mountains of Snowdonia to the north. Guests at Gwesty Cymru on the main promenade can enjoy luxury five-star accommodation, with traditional Welsh interior design featuring alongside contemporary luxuries. Each of the eight rooms is colour coordinated, with artwork commissioned by Welsh artists, and diners can enjoy seafront views from the terraced restaurant.

Penmachno, near Betws-y-Coed
Whilst searching for her mother's farm, Cerys and Alejandro visit Pant y Bedw Farm near Penmachno. The farm itself is not open to visitors, so why not stay at nearby Tŷ Newydd Organics instead; a 22-acre organic smallholding specialising in organic egg, chicken and lamb production set above Penmachno. Guests can choose to stay in the farmhouse, which has room to sleep 4-5 people, or the nearby holiday cottage that sleeps 2-4 people, with prices from just £30 per night.

Blaenau Ffestiniog
Another stop on their journey, Blaenau Ffestiniog was once the capital of the slate mining industry in Wales, but is probably now best known as the starting point of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. Following years of speculation, the two railways will finally be joined together to create a 40-mile long narrow gauge railway though Snowdonia in April 2011, making it easier than ever to cross the national park without a car. Run entirely by volunteers, the Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the world, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832. the railway closed to traffic in 1946 but was reopened for tourists in 1954.

For more information on attractions and accommodation across Wales visit www.visitwales.co.uk or for more information on the film Patagonia visit www.vervepictures.co.uk/patagonia.
- Ends -
For further press information on Wales contact:
Contact Ruth Haffenden / Susie Aust at bgb
rhaffenden@bgb.co.uk / saust@bgb.co.uk
Tel: 020 7902 2990

For more information on the film contact:
Caroline Henshaw / Sophie Roche at Rabbit Publicity
caroline@rabbitpublicity.com / sophie@rabbitpublicity.com
Tel: 020 7299 3685 / 3686

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