Península Valdés.

Whales, sea lions and the Patagonian coast

Three nights

Península Valdés is a wide, windswept knob of steppe on the Atlantic coast, joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Its sheltered gulfs are a nursery for southern right whales, which come close enough to hear breathing from the shore. Elephant seals and sea lions haul out on its beaches.

A group of Magellanic penguins walks across wet sand at Punta Tombo, their bodies reflected in the shallow water.

Base yourself in Puerto Madryn, or in tiny Puerto Pirámides on the peninsula itself, where the whale-watching boats launch. Down the coast, Punta Tombo has a very large colony of Magellanic penguins, and the Welsh-founded towns of the Chubut valley serve afternoon tea.

Getting there: 2 h flight from Buenos Aires
How long: Three nights: a day on the peninsula, a whale-watching morning, and a day for Punta Tombo.
Best time: Whales are usually present from about June to December, at their peak in September and October. Penguins are at Punta Tombo roughly September to April. Spring (October and November) gives you both.

What to see.⁽⁰⁴⁾

01
Whale-watching from Puerto Pirámides

Licensed boats go out in season; the whales often come to them.
02
Punta Norte and Caleta Valdés

Sea lions and elephant seals, and in some autumns, orcas hunting along the beach.
03
Punta Tombo

Walk among the burrows of a very large Magellanic penguin colony.
04
Gaiman

A Welsh-founded village in the Chubut valley, known for its tea houses.

From Península Valdés.

Straight-line distance and typical door-to-door time to every other stop.

How we work these out

Distances and times from Península Valdés
To	Distance	Door to door	How
Iguazú	2,134 km	about 10 h	2 flights via Buenos Aires
Salta	2,000 km	about 10 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires
Purmamarca	2,115 km	about 11 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires
Mendoza	1,148 km	about 10 h	2 flights via Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires	1,076 km	about 5 h	1 flight
Bariloche	549 km	about 10 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires
El Chaltén	947 km	about 14 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires, El Calafate
El Calafate	1,006 km	about 11 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires
Ushuaia	1,358 km	about 11 h 30	2 flights via Buenos Aires

Practical.

The things to know before you add Península Valdés to a trip.

Getting there

Fly from Buenos Aires to Trelew (REL) or Puerto Madryn (PMY), about two hours. Distances on the peninsula are long and mostly on gravel.

When to go

Whales are usually present from about June to December, at their peak in September and October. Penguins are at Punta Tombo roughly September to April. Spring (October and November) gives you both.

How long to stay

Three nights: a day on the peninsula, a whale-watching morning, and a day for Punta Tombo.

Watch out for

This is wildlife, not a show: whale and orca sightings vary. The peninsula has a park entry fee and almost no services, so fuel up in Puerto Madryn.

Where to stay

See the kind of place we look for on our stays page.