Hi there,
Today I am going to tell you about a beautiful place in Argentina that I have been lucky enough to go to, several times.
Puerto Madryn is a city in the northeast of the province of Chubut, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It is considered the gateway to the Valdés Peninsula and in 1999, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the most touristic sites in the country and is considered the national capital of diving.
It was founded by Welsh people and its name is due to Love Jones Parry who was Baron of Madryn in Wales.
In this city we can see the southern right whale, killer whales, sea lions, Magellanic penguins and many other typical species of Patagonia such as guanacos, maras and rheas.
The first time I went I made the two most typical visits:
Sighting of the southern right whale. We went to Puerto Pirámides (the only populated center on the Valdés Peninsula) by car and there we took a boat that went into the sea to see the whales more closely. When it is season, even from the beach you can see them, although not as well as from the boat.
Visit to the Punta Tombo Penguin Colony. This is a fauna reserve on the Atlantic coast and one of the main and most numerous continental breeding colonies of the Magellanic Penguin. It is a protected area, and the penguins are free. There is a path marked for tourists, which obviously you cannot leave, and the penguins are crossing from one side to the other.
When I went with my mom in 2011, we went to Punta Ninfas to see the sea lions. We went down a cliff, holding on to a rope and walked along the beach seeing the sea lions in their habitat. After this visit, I was super euphoric with love for these little animals.
We also snorkeled with sea lions, and this has been one of the best experiences of my life. You have to put on your wetsuit and cover everything, even your hands and feet, because the sea lions are like puppies, and they bite you everywhere. By boat you go to a reserve, where only a certain number of boats can be at a time, and there you get into the water and wait for the females to come and play.
They bite you, jump on you, swim around you… Without a doubt, an unforgettable experience.
As I have been several times, I have done all possible excursions. Puerto Madryn is an incredible and ideal place for nature lovers. Its inhabitants are very respectful of nature and animals; in addition, the tourist is taught to be. So far, it’s one of my favorite places.