Peninsula Valdes is a world heritage site primarily about the fauna you can find on the peninsula. You get to see whales, penguins and sea lions. With a little luck you may also stumble across an Orca swimming near the shore line. The landscape is very similar to Patagonia overall with the noted exception of the sand cliffs and beaches.

To explore the peninsula I booked a tour. The island is way too large to do any exploring by foot or by bike and the sites too far apart. You end up spending loads of time driving across the island to get to the different view points. Our guide estimated that a round trip from Puerto Madryn is about 450km, a good part of it on gravel roads.

To really get to see all the animals you will probably need multiple days and tries. On my day trip I saw penguins, sea lions and whales, but no Orcas. Also, the whales didn’t come that close to our boat. If you plan going, make sure to check the season and the presence of the animals.

Getting There

The hub for Peninsula Valdes is Puerto Madryn. There is a local airport, but most flights go via Trelew. There is a shuttle service from Puerto Madryn to Trelew (Transfer PMY) which you can preorder online or in your hotel and it provides a connection to all flights, even the early ones. However, they forgot my reservation and I only caught my flight because another couple had ordered via the hostel. So, in the evening have your hotel call the shuttle service to confirm.

Puerto Madryn also offers many bus connections. You can travel along the coast to Rio Gallegos if you want to get to El Calafate and Los Glaciares “fast”. Or you can turn inland to Esquel (recommended for Los Alerces and Cueva de los Manos) and travel along scenic Ruta 40. To connect to Buenos Aires by bus is possible, but seems rather painful.

Getting In

Peninsula Valdes is huge. Please check the distances yourself. There is no way you can explore this by foot or by bike. So either you rent a car or go with a tour. If you rent a car, get full insurance (LDW). This applies to all of Argentina.

Tours are offered all around town; it’s easiest to ask in your hotel. Prices were around 70 USD for the tour and another 70 USD for whale watching. You are not guaranteed to go whale watching, so this part is optional on their and your part. Please consider staying on land if you know to be susceptible to sea sickness.

While You Are There

There is a sea lion colony just south of Puerto Madryn that can be reached by bike. Puerto Madryn also has a beach. If you rent a car you can also visit one of the largest penguin colony of the world at Punta Toma. Finally, Trelew is another Welch immigrant town.