Puerto Madryn
Maritime connection in Patagonia
The Chubut city of Puerto Madryn is known for the spectacular marine fauna sighting it offers.
It is located right in front of the Nuevo Gulf, which guarantees that the giant mammals of the ocean can reach their reproductive stage, since in these calm waters they find enough food and the right environment for the growth of their offspring.
Although it does not have a great tourist infrastructure, it is a great destination for diving lovers and family groups with children, which practically guarantees the experience of seeing animals up close and in their habitat.
We took advantage of a long holiday in October, so as to combine the end of the southern right whale season (June to December) with the beginning of the Magellanic penguin season (September to April).
We chose the excellent La Posada hotel, boutique type, with few rooms and more customized. In fact, it was Brenda, the cordial receptionist, who advised us on available activities and tours.
The rooms are not very large but are comfortable. The garden, with its heated swimming pool, and its restaurant, run by the Salta chef Pablo Blanco, stand out, offering a varied menu, ideal to enjoy after a day of touring, one of the most exhausting ones.
After checking in, we walked along the waterfront to the city center.
That night we chose the Náutico Bistró de Mar, for an early dinner, enjoying a beautiful sunset overlooking the sea. Obviously, we ordered the very typical and fresh seafood of the area.
The next day, the eagerly awaited tour to El Pedral to interact with penguins awaited us, taking advantage of the breeding season.
The transfer to the camp is a bit tedious as it is a gravel road that takes almost two hours.
First we stopped at Punta Ninfas, for a monumental panoramic view of the entrance to Golfo Nuevo, with its high cliff, the colossal elephant seals frolicking below on the beaches and its historic lighthouse. The scenery is breathtaking.
From there, a short trip to the estancia El Pedral to take the more than one hour walk to discover the penguins in their reproductive stage. The birds come out of the sea and look for the best place for their eggs on the beach. The tour is recommended because the groups are small and the penguins do not bother the visitors.
Every September, a colony of Magellanic penguins settles on the coast of the estancia. They build their nest in the bushes, so they end up surprising the visitors when they appear with their curious look and their long beak.
At the beginning, only a few, but as you get closer to the beach they increase in number.
Already on the stony beach the scene was unforgettable. Very nice, these specimens come out of the sea and start their walk to the nests. Yes, they came out and went in, composing a panoramic view in that desolate landscape of the Argentinean sea coast, with the sound of the waves breaking.
Soon Rita, the guide, urged us to return, which was inexplicable for us, since that place invited us to stay a long time contemplating so much beauty in silence. It was undoubtedly the best part of the day.
Back at the estancia, a typical regional lunch awaited us, very well orchestrated by Alfredo, a Salta native.
To start with some meat empanadas, followed by chorizo, as a prelude to the famous Patagonian lamb a la cruz and various salads. Mr. @tripticicty_, a carnivore at heart, judged Alfredo's work to be anthological. Well washed down with red wine from Mendoza, the menu dessert was fruit salad.
Then we visited the manor house, converted into a hotel, built at the beginning of the 20th century by pioneer settlers who established themselves in the area. After tea, including Welsh cake, we returned to Puerto Madryn to take advantage of the hotel's facilities and rest before dinner at its restaurant, some scallops au gratin with béchamel sauce, mini pickled octopus and breaded prawns. Very, very good tapas.
When we woke up, after breakfast, a cab took us to the city center. At the Fiorasi Rent a Car shop, in front of Madryn's promenade, we took our rental car to visit Península Valdés.
It is worth highlighting the agency's work, since @tripticity_’s experiences with car rental were not always satisfactory. In the case of Fiorasi, we highlight the clarity and above all the good sense and good predisposition of its staff.
It is necessary to anticipate time for the entrance to the protected area, as it requires the previous payment of a ticket, which can delay the unwary in high season. Although in our case it was quick, we were told that it can cause delays and loss of excursions.
First, we made a quick stop at Isla de los Pájaros, viewpoint, which according to local legend was the inspiration for the famous illustration of the boa that swallowed an elephant in the book The Little Prince. The fact is that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry lived for a while in Argentine Patagonia, during his time as a post office pilot, and the outline of the island is very similar to that illustration, which, although at first glance looks like a hat, for The Little Prince it was the terrifying image of the boa with the elephant in its stomach.
After crossing the peninsula, through a rather nondescript landscape, typical of the steppe, we arrived at the Elephant Seals Viewpoint and the Penguins Viewpoint in Caleta Valdes. Nice, but after the previous day's experience in El Pedral we didn't feel it was spectacular by any means.
We returned along the same road towards Puerto Pirámides. We had booked -well in advance- the whale watching tour with Southern Spirit. This is the company that offers this excursion on board a semi-submersible, the Yellow Submarine.
The tour was delayed because the whales were farther away than usual, so we took the opportunity to walk around the small town from where all the tours depart and we went to the Sunset Viewpoint, from where we could see a mother whale playing with her calf in the distance.
Once on board the Yellow Submarine, we began the fun process of entering the water.
The boat allows us to observe the whales submerged in their natural habitat. It is easy to tell the story, the problem is to get it... that is what the tour operator is for. In this case, the boat has an underwater cabin, with windows, to watch them underwater, and an upper cabin, on the deck, for traditional whale watching.
It is a very nice experience, although the ticket is expensive, the minute or minute and a half that the boat allows you to be face to face with the cetaceans is worth every penny.
We started our return trip just as the sun was setting on the horizon, offering us a spectacular sunset. We had dinner reservations at Cantina el Náutico, Madryn's classic bodegón for more fresh prawns, in their garlic and rice variant.
On the morning of the last day, before leaving for Trelew y Gaiman, we went to Playa Parana, at high tide, to see the whales approaching the coast. But they stayed far away so the view was reduced. We took the opportunity to have a refreshment at Brava, a cafeteria with a somewhat limited menu and unusual opening hours, but with an extraordinary view of the bay.
Saying goodbye to the whales from above we said goodbye to Puerto Madryn.
