Travel and get to know Peninsula Valdés, Argentina

It is located in the province of Chubut. This peninsula is linked to the continent by the Carlos Ameghino isthmus that divides the sea into two gulfs: San José to the north and Nuevo to the south. Located in Atlantic Patagonia, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 for hosting very important habitats for the conservation of marine mammals. The peninsula is the habitat of various species of seabirds, killer whales, sea lions, sea elephants and above all, the southern right whale. The protected area includes, among others, the fauna reserves of Puerto Pirámides, Punta Tombo, Isla de los Pájaros, Punta Norte, Punta Loma and Caleta Valdés.

Puerto Madryn

The city of Puerto Madryn is located on the shores of the Golfo Nuevo, surrounded by enchanting natural landscapes and characterized by the contrast of colors and steep cliffs interrupted by extensive beaches. From the main avenues of the city you can see whales jumping, or traveling near the coast. In Puerto Madryn there is also the Ecocentro, the first interpretation center in Argentina dedicated to the marine ecosystem, which in an original proposal combines science with education and artistic expressions.

Puerto Piramides

This small town is located on the Valdés Peninsula, 97 km from the city of Puerto Madryn. It is on the New Gulf, and has a population of approximately 200 inhabitants. Its environment is a desert landscape, typical of Atlantic Patagonia. It has a beach protected by pyramid-shaped cliffs (hence its name) and one of the greatest attractions in Patagonia, the Southern Right Whale comes every year in groups to give birth to its calves in these crystalline and protected waters. From Puerto Pirámides embarked excursions depart for whale watching (it works from June to November). They can be seen from the coast, but when doing it on board, such an approach is achieved that it becomes a unique and overwhelming experience.

180 km from Puerto Madryn and 120 km from Trelew is the largest Magellanic penguin colony in the world, with more than 250.000 pairs each year. In this wildlife reserve you can walk among these elegant birds, observe their way of life, closely follow their steps, watch how they preserve their nests and young in the bushes, and see how they swim in the sea. The birds arrive annually at this place to nest, mate, have their young and mutate and then undertake the return trip to the northeast of South America and cyclically return the following year. Visitors are surprised to see how they move from here to there looking for their nests or running after their chicks. ?Penguins are seabirds. They have wings, but they do not fly: they are adapted for swimming. It is that these birds spend most of their life in the water, they even sleep in it. When swimming, they are capable of reaching a speed of 8 km per hour, although jumping over the water in short stretches, they exceed it. An adult penguin is about 50 cm and weighs about 5 kg. The plumage that characterizes the species is a white breast, a black back and a double black and white collar.

gaiman

It is located 17 km from the city of Trelew, in the province of Chubut. It is known primarily for its Welsh tradition manifested in the Welsh Tea Houses. It was the first municipality of Chubut and for decades the most prestigious center of the colony for its agricultural production.