Full day tour to Peninsula Valdes

Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Free Cancellation. Read More
Overview
Duration
12h
Languages
English, Spanish
Voucher type
mobile
What To Expect

We leave from the city of Puerto Madryn to the North, following provincial route Nº2 until arriving at the CONTROL POST where the entrance fee is paid (approximately 40 km from Madryn). From here we begin to discover the enchantments of the Peninsula, its landscape, its flora and fauna.

At this point we are on the CARLOS AMEGHINO ISTHMUS which is narrow land strip of land that connects the Peninsula with the continent. Our first stop is at the “CARLOS AMEGHINO INTERPRETATION CENTER”, which offers information on the ecosystem of the Peninsula, the Patagonia land animals, the species of marine fauna that are concentrated in great numbers surrounding the Peninsula, the flora and history of the region. It is also possible to see the complete skeleton of a whale, some animals and little history from the first settlers of the Peninsula.

The interpretation center has a tower, where it is possible to see and appreciate the narrowest part of the isthmus to the South, the waters of the Gulf Nuevo and looking north the waters of the Gulf San Jose. We can also see the Birds Island. It lies 5 km North on the Gulf San Jose. The island is an important nesting site for marine birds. This entire island is a protected area and visitors are not permitted.

Our next stop is PUERTO PIRAMIDES, the only village on the Peninsula and the only place for starting the marine fauna boat trips. The beaches are surrounded by cliffs that resemble pyramids, hence its name.

We leave Puerto Pyramids continuing with the excursion on the Provincial route Nº2. On the way we pass by the GREAT SALT LAKE and SMALL SALT LAKE, the most important depressions of South America. They are, respectively, to 42 and 35 meters below sea level. Depending on the hour and the cloudiness they appear with a pink coloration, due to its chemical composition and the incidence of the solar light. Heading to the Southeastern end of the Peninsula we arrive at PUNTA DELGADA which is an old naval station.

The Lighthouse dates from year 1905. One of the greatest concen-trations of elephant seals in an area can be observed with the great cliffs standing behind. By the west coast we go to new viewpoint where we can see more elephants seals little be more close. After few kilometers we travel to at CALLETA VALDÉS, an exceptional geologic formation consisting of a thin strip of land which runs parallel to the coast locking up a portion of sea. Connected through a small mouth to the surrounding sea its calm waters and naturally isolated beaches of the calleta and steep cliffs make an excellent place for the elephant seal. From a scenic viewpoint we can contemplate the place and descend the cliff by stairs to observe the elephant seals on the beach.

The calleta also has a Magellan Penguin colony of several hundred individuals. Between the months of October and March, depending on the condition of the roads and the migrations of the fauna, we visit PUNTA NORTE, a breeding elephant seals and sea lions. With high tide it is possible to see Orcas (killer whales) in the months of February, March and April. During these months the Orcas feed on the young Sea Lions. The Orcas can also be seen in September, October and November off the coast of Calleta Valdes feeding on the young Elephant Seals. After this we return to the city of Puerto Madryn.

The time and order of places could be change, depending on the season, weather or group interest.

Duration: 12 hs pick up: 8:00 am Seasons: all year

What to remember

Important info

Take comfortable shoes and warm clothes

Sunglasses

This activity is not wheelchair accessible.

Roundtrip transportation is available from most centrally located Puerto Madryn hotels.

Please be ready and waiting in your hotel lobby 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.

included
What's included
included-item
Guided tour of Peninsula Valdes Roundtrip transportation to and from your centrally located Puerto Madryn hotel Live tour commentary provided in English & Spanish
excluded
What's not included
excluded-items
Lunch Gratuities National Park entrance fee
Cancellation Policy
can-cancel You can cancel your tour until a day in advance
Provider
Qwerty Travel Argentina