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| Peninsula Valdes (PENINSULA VALDES) |
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About 1,400 km from Buenos Aires 末 in a peninsula that juts out to the Atlantic Ocean, is a wild animals paradise.
Peninsula Valdes is connected to the continent by a strip of land about 5 km wide. It looks like a small island hanging from the continent.
In the Patagonia coast, there are a lot of preservation districts where marine animals are protected. Among them, exceptionally many animals live in Peninsula Valdes.
To the north is The San Jose Gulf(Golfo San Jose). To the south is The Nuevo Gulf (Golfos Nuevo). There is a circumferential dirt road around the peninsula from where you can watch closely the penguins, whales, orcas, elephant seals, otaries (sea lion family), seabirds, and more as the season permits. |
Main Attractions
Whale Watching
(EL ENCUENTRO ANUAL DE LAS BALLENAS)
Every year, from June to December, in The Nuevo Gulf (Golfos Nuevo) and The San Jose Gulf(Golfo San Jose), southern right whales (scientific name: Eubalaena Australis) gather for breeding. During this time, you can make out sprays of water from the whales blowholes from offshore.
Many sightseeing cruise ships are available from Puerto Piramide, a town in the peninsula, during the whale season. Many tourists jump off from here to go whale watching.
The ship for whale watching leaves from Puerto Piramide.
Otaries and Elephant Seals
(LOS LOBOS Y LOS ELEFANTES MARINOS)
About 800 otaries live in the water under the cliff of Punta Loma. Between December and February, about 1,500 move to the Punta Piramide Nature Reserve (la Reserva Natural Punta Piramide) to breed.
Elephant seals live in the Nature Reserve of Punta Norte (La reserva de Punta Norte). The nose of a male elephant seal is similar to the trunk of an elephant.
Outside of Punta Norte, many elephant seals can also be seen on the coast of Punta Delgada.
Penguins (LOS PINGUINOS)
1.5 million Magellan penguins, scas, sea gulls, Inca seals, and seabirds such as cormorants live in Punta Tombo.
In Punta Tombo Nature Reserve, tourists can observe animals on foot.
You can approach penguins up to a distance where you can snap a photo from up close. However, you are not allowed to touch them because if a man touches penguins, the human odor sticks to them and they can no longer return to the nest as the rest of the flock would not recognize them anymore.
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| Punta Tombo/Peninsula Valdes |
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| Whale watching in Peninsula Valdes |
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| Punta Tombo Nature Reserve |
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Activities
In Puerto Madryn, the water temperature is low but scuba diving is still possible.
Moreover, you can enjoy sport fishing in the Argentine Sea.
Gourmet
There are many Welsh residents in Gaiman and Trevelin. You can drink Welsh tea, and eat jam and cakes associated with Wales.
Country dishes include Welsh cakes, jam, confections, seafoods, and fruits.
Gaiman
http://www.gaiman.gov.ar/turismo/comollegar.htm
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| Province: |
Chubut |
| Nearest Airport: |
In Trelew
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| Tourist base: |
Puerto Madryn |
| Position: |
1,420 km from Buenos Aires City to Trelew
65 km from Trelew to Puerto Madryn |
| Access: |
By plane:
Two flights a day from Buenos Aires to Trelew
By bus:
Available from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn, Trelew, Rawson, and Comodoro Rivadavia |
| Season: |
June to December for whale watching.
September to April for penguin watching.
Whole-year round for otaries and elephant seal watching. |
| Climate: |
It is comfortable at daytime, but it is cold in winter, and very windy in spring.
The annual precipitation is about 178 mm. It rains an average of 12 mm to 20 mm throughout the year. |
Accommodations are concentrated in Puerto Madryn. Along the main street (Av. Roca) in the coastline, there are hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
There are also various types of accommodations in Trelew.
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