From Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo

Puerto Madryn is the most important coastal city in Chubut. It is also the National Capital of Diving: in the crystal-clear waters of the San José and Nuevo Gulfs, underwater baptisms are carried out to discover the fascinating sea world, as well as snorkelling with sea lions tours. It offers a wide variety of hotels and gastronomic options. In the surrounding area, the Paraná Beach, Lobería de Punta Loma Reserve, and Cerro Avanzado Beach are some of the places you can visit.

This city is the entrance gate to the Valdés Peninsula (a World Heritage Site), a protected natural area with cliffs, bays, islands, and sand beaches. You can sail along the gulfs and watch whales, penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals.

If you want to learn about Puerto Madryn’s history, visit the Museo del Desembarco in the Punta Cueva Historical Park, which shows the encounter between the native communities and the Welsh, and the Juan Meisen Ebene Museum, which stands in the old train station.

Find more information on Puerto Madryn here, a must-visit destination

Puerto Madryn is the most important coastal city in Chubut. It is also the National Capital of Diving: in the crystal-clear waters of the San José and Nuevo Gulfs, underwater baptisms are carried out to discover the fascinating sea world, as well as snorkelling with sea lions tours. It offers a wide variety of hotels and gastronomic options. In the surrounding area, the Paraná Beach, Lobería de Punta Loma Reserve, and Cerro Avanzado Beach are some of the places you can visit.

This city is the entrance gate to the Valdés Peninsula (a World Heritage Site), a protected natural area with cliffs, bays, islands, and sand beaches. You can sail along the gulfs and watch whales, penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals.

If you want to learn about Puerto Madryn’s history, visit the Museo del Desembarco in the Punta Cueva Historical Park, which shows the encounter between the native communities and the Welsh, and the Juan Meisen Ebene Museum, which stands in the old train station.

Find more information on Puerto Madryn here, a must-visit destination

After 13 kilometres along Provincial Route 42 (gravel road), you will reach the El Doradillo Natural Area, the perfect place to watch southern right whales from the beach as they visit Chubut’s coasts between June and mid-October. This visit is free.

Tip: to watch them more closely, go to La Cantera beach.

After 13 kilometres along Provincial Route 42 (gravel road), you will reach the El Doradillo Natural Area, the perfect place to watch southern right whales from the beach as they visit Chubut’s coasts between June and mid-October. This visit is free.

Tip: to watch them more closely, go to La Cantera beach.

Forty-four kilometres from Puerto Madryn, on Provincial Route (RP) 2, there is a checkpoint where you need to pay to access the Valdés Peninsula (although cards are accepted, we recommend you to bring cash due to the poor signal in the area).
 
To plan the visit, it is important to take into account the fauna calendar, weather forecast, and tide times.

Find more information about the Valdés Peninsula here, a must-visit destination

We suggest you make a stop at the Istmo Carlos Ameghino Visitor Centre to get information on the best way to explore the peninsula, its fauna and flora, and history. There are self-guided rooms, regional item sales, snacks, hot water, drinks, and toilets.

You can go up to the tower/viewpoint to enjoy a panoramic view of the Nuevo and San José Gulfs. There is also a 15-minute adapted tour, called Patagonian Steppe.

Through a 5-kilometre gravel road, you can visit Isla de los Pájaros. On this island, there are viewpoints to watch all kinds of birds, such as cormorants, flamingos, kelp gulls, oystercatchers, and great egrets, and black-crowned night herons (sunrise and sunset are the best times of the day to see them).

In this place is the replica of the chapel of the fort of Candelaria, the first Spanish settlement in Patagonia.

Before arriving in Puerto Pirámides, there is a 5-kilometre gravel road on the right that leads to the Punta Pirámide viewpoint. You can see South American sea lions and some shore birds, and it is also a great place to admire the sunset.

Before arriving in Puerto Pirámides, there is a 5-kilometre gravel road on the right that leads to the Punta Pirámide viewpoint. You can see South American sea lions and some shore birds, and it is also a great place to admire the sunset.

Located on the Nuevo Gulf, it is the only city within the Valdés Peninsula. It has some accommodation and gastronomy offers, a petrol station, and an information office.

Boats to watch whales depart from here (the best time is from June to December). In summer, its clear waters are ideal for enjoying the beach and activities such as diving, snorkelling with sea lions, and kayaking.

Located on the Nuevo Gulf, it is the only city within the Valdés Peninsula. It has some accommodation and gastronomy offers, a petrol station, and an information office.

Boats to watch whales depart from here (the best time is from June to December). In summer, its clear waters are ideal for enjoying the beach and activities such as diving, snorkelling with sea lions, and kayaking.

Going on for 82 kilometres along the gravel RP 3 and 52, you reach Caleta Valdés. There are two viewpoints here: from the first one, you can see Magellanic penguins, and from the second one (5 kilometres to the south, called “Punta Cantor”), you can see sea lions at the mouth of the cove, elephant seals, and orcas. In this place, you will also find a park ranger post, toilets, and a bar that offers quick meals.

It is important to take into account the fauna calendar, weather forecast, and tide times to plan your visit.

Going on for 82 kilometres along the gravel RP 3 and 52, you reach Caleta Valdés. There are two viewpoints here: from the first one, you can see Magellanic penguins, and from the second one (5 kilometres to the south, called “Punta Cantor”), you can see sea lions at the mouth of the cove, elephant seals, and orcas. In this place, you will also find a park ranger post, toilets, and a bar that offers quick meals.

It is important to take into account the fauna calendar, weather forecast, and tide times to plan your visit.

To get to Punta Norte from Caleta Valdés, you must take again Provincial Route 52 for 33 kilometres, and then Provincial Route 3 for about 37 kilometres to the north (FYI: Provincial Route 47 is impassable for now).

In this place, you can enjoy views to the sea and a hut-viewpoint to see elephant seals, sea lions and seals. From February to April, orcas can also be watched intentionally stranding to hunt sea lion pups. From December to February, there is a great spectacle: sea lions “fighting” during the breeding season. In addition, in the San Lorenzo estate, you can visit one of the world’s largest continental colonies of Magellanic penguins (you must pay a fee to enter with a guide).

Punta Norte has an interpretation centre, a park ranger post, toilets, and a café. It is essential to take into account the fauna calendar, weather forecast, and tide times to plan your visit.

You can also get to Punta Norte directly from Puerto Pirámides, without visiting Caleta Valdés, through a 77-kilometre journey (click here to see the map)

To get to Punta Norte from Caleta Valdés, you must take again Provincial Route 52 for 33 kilometres, and then Provincial Route 3 for about 37 kilometres to the north (FYI: Provincial Route 47 is impassable for now).

In this place, you can enjoy views to the sea and a hut-viewpoint to see elephant seals, sea lions and seals. From February to April, orcas can also be watched intentionally stranding to hunt sea lion pups. From December to February, there is a great spectacle: sea lions “fighting” during the breeding season. In addition, in the San Lorenzo estate, you can visit one of the world’s largest continental colonies of Magellanic penguins (you must pay a fee to enter with a guide).

Punta Norte has an interpretation centre, a park ranger post, toilets, and a café. It is essential to take into account the fauna calendar, weather forecast, and tide times to plan your visit.

You can also get to Punta Norte directly from Puerto Pirámides, without visiting Caleta Valdés, through a 77-kilometre journey (click here to see the map)

It is the second-largest city in Chubut. You can visit the Laguna Cacique Chiquichano Municipal Natural Reserve, where you will find greater flamingos, Mascovy ducks, and black and white necked swans.

Also, the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum, a unique centre of scientific activities in South America, is worth visiting. Its interpretive tours tell the story of Patagonia’s millenary |inhabitants. Some of the findings you can see there are the smallest and the largest dinosaurs in the world (its artistic reproduction is in the northern access to the city).

In addition, in the Trelew Astronomical Centre, you can explore the spectacular Patagonian skies. The digital projections, visual exhibition room, outdoor theme park, and night and solar observatories take you on a great space trip. There are guided tours available.

To learn about the history of the city, its cultural heritage, and the imprint of Welsh culture, you can book guided tours and tourist walks.

It is the second-largest city in Chubut. You can visit the Laguna Cacique Chiquichano Municipal Natural Reserve, where you will find greater flamingos, Mascovy ducks, and black and white necked swans.

Also, the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum, a unique centre of scientific activities in South America, is worth visiting. Its interpretive tours tell the story of Patagonia’s millenary |inhabitants. Some of the findings you can see there are the smallest and the largest dinosaurs in the world (its artistic reproduction is in the northern access to the city).

In addition, in the Trelew Astronomical Centre, you can explore the spectacular Patagonian skies. The digital projections, visual exhibition room, outdoor theme park, and night and solar observatories take you on a great space trip. There are guided tours available.

To learn about the history of the city, its cultural heritage, and the imprint of Welsh culture, you can book guided tours and tourist walks.

Rawson is the capital of the province of Chubut. The history of this city, located a few metres from the sea, is marked by Welsh immigration. You can’t leave without visiting the Playa Unión beach resort and watching Commerson’s dolphins (or Patagonian dolphins) on boats all year round.

As it is at the mouth of the Chubut River, Rawson is a great spot for sport fishing. Surfing and kitesurfing are also practised in Playa Unión.

Gaiman is a Welsh colony located in the middle of the steppe. Amid rose bushes and poplars, you can see chapels and houses made of grazing bricks and rocks, irrigation canals accompanying a river, and tea houses where you can taste the legendary torta negra pastry. You can also explore cultural circuits, agro-tourism, museums, and a paleontological park.

Gaiman is a Welsh colony located in the middle of the steppe. Amid rose bushes and poplars, you can see chapels and houses made of grazing bricks and rocks, irrigation canals accompanying a river, and tea houses where you can taste the legendary torta negra pastry. You can also explore cultural circuits, agro-tourism, museums, and a paleontological park.

In a scenery combining steppe and sea lies Punta Tombo, the world’s largest continental colony of Magellanic penguins. This place can be explored walking along a 3-kilometre trail surrounded by penguins that go from their nests to the sea searching for food. There are also viewpoints from where you can enjoy the landscape.

Through thematic rooms, Tombo Centre invites you to learn about these animals’ lives and the great biodiversity of the protected area.

The penguin watching season goes from September to April, when they breed and incubate their eggs. In November, the first chicks are born to later change their feathers, another unique spectacle worth seeing.

In a scenery combining steppe and sea lies Punta Tombo, the world’s largest continental colony of Magellanic penguins. This place can be explored walking along a 3-kilometre trail surrounded by penguins that go from their nests to the sea searching for food. There are also viewpoints from where you can enjoy the landscape.

Through thematic rooms, Tombo Centre invites you to learn about these animals’ lives and the great biodiversity of the protected area.

The penguin watching season goes from September to April, when they breed and incubate their eggs. In November, the first chicks are born to later change their feathers, another unique spectacle worth seeing.