Puerto Madryn Argentina Tourism & Travel Information Hotels Tours Airport Transfers

Puerto Madryn					Argentina

Puerto Madryn Travel Information

Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Madryn and Puerto Piramide

Peninsula Valdes includes the city of Puerto Madryn, the town of Puerto Piramide and the local attractions: Punta Norte, Caleta Valdes, Isla de los Pajaros and Punta Delgada. The peninsula is joined to the continent by the Isthmus Ameghino, where you can see Golfo San Jose and Golfo Nuevo (see map).

Peninsula Valdes has wide beaches that concentrate the most diverse sea fauna, including whales, orcas, Commerson's dolphins, penguins, sea lions and elephant seals, cormorants, seagulls and herons. It is one of the few places in the world where you can do whale watching.

Puerto Madryn is the the starting point for Peninsula Valdes tours. The city became a tourist center at the beginning of the 80's when its fantastic beaches were discovered as an alternative destination for summer holidays.

Puerto Piramide is a small town located in Peninsula Valdes, which used to be a harbor to ship the salt extracted from the area. By the end of the 70's, many whales adopted it as their reproduction site and so it started with whale watching tours.

Punta Tombo, located at a two-hour trip from Puerto Madryn, is the biggest continental Magellanic penguins colony in the world . It is open between September and April.

Puerto Piramide, Peninsula Valdes and Puerto Madryn Hotels

Puerto Madryn hotels are located in the downtown area and are mostly mid-category hotels.

Peninsula Valdes hotels are estancias (ranches) where tourists can stay and also do related activities such as shearing, milking and horse-riding.

Puerto Piramide hotels are few and have a limited infrastructure since they are located in a nature reserve.

Trelew hotels have good infrastructure. Trelew is a city located 65 Km from Puerto Madryn with the only operating airport in the area.

Trelew or Puerto Madryn hotel reservations made in advance are essential during the whale watching season and in January.

Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Piramide and Puerto Madryn tours

Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Piramide and Puerto Madryn tours are all oriented to watching southern sea fauna and specially to whale watching (see packages).

Peninsula Valdes is a 350 Km tour visiting Puerto Piramide, Punta Norte, Caleta Valdes, Punta Cantor and Punta Delgada (see map). During the tour, you can see the typical fauna of the region: guanacos, martinetas, ñandúes (South American ostrich), Patagonian piches, (armadillo), gray foxes, maras (Patagonian hare) and land and sea birds (see tips).

Puerto Madryn is the starting point for tours in Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Piramide, Punta Tombo, Punta Loma and Gaiman. Its beaches are a favorite place for diving.

Puerto Piramide is a small town whose main attractions are the beach in summer (visited mainly by local tourists) and the gathering of right whales. You can do whale watching from the coast or in boats that allow for closer contact. About 12 Km from Puerto Piramides, we find Punta Pardelas, where diving fans settle every year to enjoy its transparent waters.

Punta Norte is a breeding area for sea elephants and southern sea lions, which live in a beautiful natural environment (see pictures). It is the only continental breeding area of sea elephants in the world.

Punta Tombo, 200 Km from Puerto Madryn, is the biggest continental Magellanic penguins colony in the Patagonian coast.

Gaiman is a small town located 88 Km from Puerto Madryn. It is populated by Welsh descendents who keep Welsh traditions and customs intact.

Trelew Paleontology Museum, is located in the city of Trelew, 65 Km from Puerto Madryn. The museum holds dinosaurs and other prehistoric fossils found in the region.

You may purchase tours and airport transfers in downtown
Puerto Madryn. Find InterHabit in Ave Roca 353 (see map).

Puerto Madryn car rentals and airport transfers

Trelew or Puerto Madryn car rental is the recommended means of transportation for tourists who want to visit the area on their own. Distances are significant in the Patagonia and thus it is necessary to use at least four days to visit the region.

Trelew airport, located 60 Km from Puerto Madryn, is the local hub for Peninsula Valdes. From Trelew, there are transfers and buses to the different cities in the area.

Trelew and Puerto Madryn car rental companies have offices in the downtown area.

There are bus connections every day to the main destinations in Argentina such as Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Bariloche and El Calafate.

Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Piramide and Puerto Madryn Tourist Information

Puerto Madryn tourist information centers can be found downtown, on Av. Roca. Here, you will get information on Puerto Madryn hotels and tours.

Peninsula Valdes has fauna Interpretation Centers in Punta Norte and Caleta Valdes.

The best season to visit Peninsula Valdes is between September and December, when all species come to breed.

Prices in Puerto Madryn are similar to other tourist destinations in Argentina.