Matthew Barker

Argentina Travel: Puerto Madryn and the Valdez Peninsula

Puerto Madryn is a pleasant town on the Atlantic coast in northern Patagonia. It is famous for it stunning wildlife and Welsh culture. Read from the the perspective of a Argentina Travel Expert.

Puerto Madryn is a pleasant Atlantic seaside town famous for its close proximity marine wildlife and easy access to it. Located in the north east of the Patagonia region of Argentina, it can be called the gateway to Patagonia. Puerto Madryn is the main town in the Valdez Peninsula, a natural axe shaped cove that comes inland from the Atlantic Ocean.

What makes Puerto Madryn so unique is its Welsh heritage, including the use of the Welsh language in some places along side Spanish. The reason for this being that the town was originally settled by immigrants from Wales in the UK.

It attracts many visitors because of its premium location for Whale watching in the Atlantic and wildlife watching on the coast. Valdez peninsula is marked by its vibrant coastline, stunning array of tall cliffs, rocky reefs, and exotic marine mammals. Many animals line the shore such as the southern elephant seal, sea lion, and southern right whale. Year after year, animals return to these calm, protected waters to mate and raise their young. Large colonies of sea lions, magellanic penguins, and elephant seals lay side by side along miles of coastal beaches, while southern right whales harbor in the gulfs.

Puerto Madryn itself has a attractions for visitors other than the range of nearby wildlife. You are able to take a coastal stroll to El Indio, a statue to mark Welsh gratitude to the natives of the region to aided in the towns survival in the Early years. There is also a local natural science and oceanography museum as well as a small centre for people with an interest in the study of the Welsh in Patagonia.

Whale tours can be taken from places such as the Puerto Piramides. Boat tours start along the coast before heading out to sea to look for whales. Boats will normally stop out in the ocean and cut the engines, silence reigns except for the interruption of a few seagulls. Usually the whales appear, providing a fantastic sight and experience. Seeing these fantastic creatures in the wild is truly an experience.

You can visit all year round to see all the wildlife along the coast. Remember that Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere so summer here is December to February. It begins to go cold around April as the region prepares for the snow season in the Mountains. You are relatively close to the Antarctic so the winter months require warm clothing. During the breeding season (September to December) you can usually get much closer to the whales, penguins and seals.

Getting to Puerto Madryn is relatively easy, but remember that the Patagonia region is huge. The distances between towns are vast so plan a good route. Short and long distance buses operate from Puerto Madryn to other places around Patagonia as well as Argentina. The same also applies to flights, but they are less regular. The most regular flights are in and out of Trelew, 60km south. Flights also need to be continually confirmed as domestic routes tend to be overbooked or delayed. Argentinean buses are a good option and many long routes offer night services with surprising comfort.

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