Southern Right Whale Watching

7 days - 6 nights

Day 1 - Puerto Madryn

Reception and transfer from Trelew Airport to the Hotel.

Option bus: This program can realise in bus, going out from Buenos Aires until Port Madryn, with an approximate distance of 1.450 Km and a length of 18 hs. In this case it has to go out the previous day near of the 12 or 13 hours to be arriving to the 8 of the morning of the following day.

Day 2 - Visiting Puerto Madryn, El Doradillo & Whales Coastal watching

Breakfast at hotel. Today we will visit the most representative places of Puerto Madryn. This wonderful city attracts visitors from all over the world who arrive at the diving capital wishing to know its principal attraction: the Southern Right whale watching. After knowing the city centre we set off to the protected Municipal Area El Doradillo, located only 12km to the north of Puerto Madryn. It is one of the few places located on the shore of Golfo Nuevo, where we will not have to move from the shore to watch the whales, a unique experience.

Year after year, from June to mid October, we will meet these fascinating mammals that reach the gulf to mate and raise their whale calves. It is a magnificent experience, where we will watch the Southern Right whale in its natural environment. Besides, we will visit the Las Canteras beach and the Punta Flecha lookout point, strategically chosen by the Natural Patagonia Foundation to be able to observe and protect the maritime fauna.

Day 3 - Península Valdés & Whale Watching

Breakfast at the hotel. We will have great excitement on this day. We will set out first thing in the morning towards Península de Valdés, which was declared Natural and Cultural World Heritage by the UNESCO for being one of the few places in the world where you can watch the Southern right whale in its natural habitat. In this place we can find the biggest concentration of sea animals in the entire Atlantic coastline.

We will visit the Interpretation Center in Carlos Ameghino Isthmus, and then we will head for the ecotouristic village of Puerto Pirámides, which is the only urbanized town in the Peninsula. In Pirámides, we will enjoy a spectacular experience watching the whales in their natural habitat, accompanied by whale specialized guides, biologists, and film and naturalist photography teams.

Before starting our voyage, we will provide travelers with a raincoat and a life jacket. We will set out on a motorboat tour around the crystalline waters of Golfo Nuevo (New Gulf) to see the Southern Right Whale. We will have a unique natural experience when the whales make their appearance moving, swiping their tails, blowing air through their holes and jumping. From the end of May to December, whales from Antarctica reach the coasts of Golfo Nuevo (New Gulf) to breed in the coastline of Puerto Pirámides.

Note about the whale watching: It is performed between July and November. Waterproof clothes and windbreakers are recommended. Before the trip, elemental advice is provided. This adventure is available for adults as well as for children.

Day 4 - Trelew & Gaiman: Discovering the Rio Chubut & Valle Inferior

Breakfast at hotel. We begin travelling to Trelew a bit more than 70km away. This city arose at the sides of the railway in 1886 and as years went by, it became the principal commercial and industrial centre in the zone. It is the principal woollen textile pole in Argentina and it is where more than 90% of the wool is commercialized.

We also visit the San Luis Town Regional Museum, where we will be able to enjoy and go into Welsh history and principal inhabitants in more depth. Before leaving Trelew, we will visit one of the most important museums in South America: The Egidio Feruglio Paleontologic Museum  (MEF), which conserves the remains of the Patagonian paleontologic patrimony.

Before returning to Puerto Madryn, we stray off to the west, towards the Cordillera de los Andes (Andes Mountain Range), to go to the geographic centre in the Rio Chubut lower valley: Gaiman. This small town is one of the most important benchmarks of the Welsh colonization in Argentina. It looks as if history was halted in time, as its inhabitants try to keep the traditions and history of each Welsh immigrant who arrived at the Puerto Madryn shores in 1865 giving a great boost to Patagonia. We will enjoy the famous Welsh tea in one of the most prestigious Tea Houses in the place.

Optional: Ameghino Dam

Breakfast at hotel. We will set off to the Florentino Ameghino Dam, hydroelectric reservoir formed by the dam and the tourist village, supplying with energy to most of Patagonia, together with the hydroelectric power station Futaleufú. It is on the Chubut river. It started working in 1963, being a pioneer in Patagonia. The aim of building it was to protect the lower  valley from floods as well as to give electricity to the region. We will enjoy pleasant views during the trip. We then return to Puerto Madryn.

Day 5 - Punta Ninfas lighthouse: Elephants & fossils

Breakfast at hotel. We start the excursion at the southernmost point of Golfo Nuevo, where Punta Ninfas is located, an excellent place to enjoy the panoramic view of the whole gulf. Visitors know this place for the lighthouse  with the same name. This antique lighthouse in Punta Ninfas has been the principal shelter for elephant seals since over a century. We will be able to see the place history through the marine fossils. If you want to see other excursion options in Puerto Madryn, click here: Tours in Puerto Madryn.

Day 6 - Puerto Madryn

Breakfast in the Hotel. Free day to rest or realise optional activities.

Kayac in Golfo Nuevo

The day begins with a pure maritime adventure, the marine kayak is an ideal means to know the Atlantic coasts getting an excellent contact with nature. We make an incursion into the calm waters of Golfo Nuevo enjoying a coastal diversity of fauna and flora. This gulf on the Atlantic Ocean, has an extraordinary microclimate for many species habitat. The trip is rather short and always accompanied by sea lions swimming next to the kayaks. We leave Puerto Madryn towards Paraná Beach, where there is a sunk vessel. We start rowing towards the South to the Punta Loma Reserve. We can practise snorkelling, depending on the month of the year we are in. The Cerro Avanzado appears in sight, easy to recognize for the zone characteristics with sedimentary hoardings which preserve fossil remains. We go down trekking the hill and then we go back to Puerto Madryn.

Note: To have previous rowing experience is not necessary.

Diving in the gullf´s waters / Discovering Snorkel

Today we will have the opportunity to live an interesting experience: to dive in the gulf´s waters. We prepare for this by wearing wetsuits of 5mm thick neoprene to protect ourselves from the cold. Once ready we board the speedboat to go to the diving zone. We start descending guided by a professional. We find autochthonous marine flora and fauna such as salmon, groupers, starfish, sea urchins, winkles, crabs and mollusks at the bottom of the sea. We also watch sea lions, dolphins and whales. We can also dive with snorkel as another option. This activity is safe and easy to learn, previous training is not required and you don´t need to be well fitted. We start discovering how sea life is, learning about the flora and fauna we will find in the depth. Once with the suits on and on board, we go to the descending area. In the water we receive advice of how to swim with flippers and how to breathe with snorkel. We use compensation techniques.

Note: If you have a diving licence you can ask to dive in the gulf´s waters, a complete diving equipment is provided.

Day 7 - Return to Buenos Aires

Breakfast in the Hotel. Transfer to Trelew Airport. End of our services.

Option bus: This program can realise in bus, going back to Buenos Aires from Port Madryn, with an approximate distance of 1.450 Km and a length of 18 hs. In this case it has to go out near of the 12 hours to be arriving to the 8 hours of the morning of the following day.