The Valdes Peninsula is a dramatic landscape of vast bays and gulfs, and an ideal place to see large numbers of sealions, Southern right whales, dolphins, orca, Magellanic penguins and huge colonies of bird species.
Located in the northeastern tip of Patagonia and jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, the peninsula is only linked to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Centuries of erosion have created perfect natural shelters for marine mammals and birds, and the mixing of the warm Brazilian current with the cold Malvinas current encourages plankton, algae and shellfish – the basis of the food chain for many species of marine wildlife.
The landscape of the Peninsula Valdés is - for the most part - dry and desolate, with the prevailing vegetation the tundra-like Patagonian Desert steppe. Some 130 plant species from 41 families have been recorded, with 38 being endemic to Argentina. From the scrubby interior to its sand dunes and salt flats, land mammals found on the peninsula include guanaco, lesser rhea, grey and culpeo fox, mara, cavy, Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunk, pichi and large hairy armadillo. Over 400 kilometres of coastline attracts not only migrating Southern right whales, Commerson’s and dusky dolphin, but residents too, such as South American sea lions and Southern elephant seals who breed at Punta Norte and Caleta Valdes. Orca have honed their ‘intentional stranding’ hunting technique at both locations, so time your visit between October and November or March and April to be in with a chance of witnessing this incredible phenomenon. Magellanic penguins nest and raise their young between September and April, and seabird colonies exist in abundance in the towering sedimentary cliffs and along wave cut platforms.
To stay on the Peninsula Valdes itself, the small town of Puerto Piramides offers limited options. Overlooking Gulfo Nuevo, the town comes alive during whale-watching season (June to December, peaking in September) when breeding adults fill the bay and boat trips depart regularly. In terms of other accommodation options, most hotels are located either in Puerto Madryn or Trelew, 1–2 hours away, with day trips offered to explore the peninsula’s wildlife riches.
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