Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn: gateway to the whales, penguins, the Valdes Peninsula and Welsh traditions

When arriving to Puerto Madryn via National route 3, this city amazes the tourist right at the very first sight. Madryn is one of the fastest growing cities in Patagonia, with a beautiful coast avenue, the Almirante Brown Boulevard, the residential area where the houses have got an unbeatable view to the Atlantic Ocean within this huge natural amphitheater, constituted by the Nuevo Gulf.

Its port has got deep waters, and is one of the best in Argentina. But Madryn is also an industrial city, mainly focused on aluminum production, fishing and tourism. In order to read a historical brief of the city, please click here.

Sightseeing and Activities

Puerto Madryn is the starting point in order to visit many interesting sites that are unique in the world, some of them declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO: First of all the Valdes Peninsula where you can join the boat excursions that enable whale watching. It is a privileged bird and sea fauna reservation, whose peak attraction is the Southern Whale that every year between May and December comes to these coasts in order to breed.

The Valdes Peninsula is a geographical accident resembling an island and attached to the continent by a narrow part which is only 35 Km. wide, named Istmo (isthmus) Ameghino.

Once in the Peninsula, you will have the chance to tour its coasts populated by sea lions and sea elephants as well as a great assortment of birds. Within Valdes Peninsula, Puerto Piramides is the peak tourist attraction. It is a small, cozy town with lodging facilities as well as restaurants.

180 Km. south from Madryn it is also possible to reach the Punta Tombo Natural Protected Area. At this place the most important continental colony of Magellanic penguins is located, with half a million of these charming animals coming year after year. They are named like this because of Ferdinand Magellan who spotted them during his expedition.

Also when touring the area, you can't miss the city of Trelew, which is the most important around due to its commercial activity. It also features the must-visit Paleontologic Museum Edigio Feruglio.

And at last, Gaiman: the Welsh town. This place conserves the architecture, tradition and even the language of the first Welsh settlers. You simply cannot skip the visit to one of the many Tea Houses that are available in order to taste the famous Welsh Tea served by descendants of those first settlers.

And finally, very close to Gaiman and Trelew, you might want to pay a visit to Rawson, an administrative city which is the capital of the Chubut Province. Attached to it there is a beach resort, Playa Union, from where dolphin watching excursions depart.

A walk around the city of Puerto Madryn

Madryn itself deserves a city tour, where you will find many historic and tourist sites. A good option is to start at the coastal Boulevard at the corner of Wales Avenue, where a helix and other remainders of the Transporte Villarino ship which sank near the city in 1880 are kept. From there take a stroll along this long coastal avenue up to the end where, to your left and on the beach, there are lots of services: windsurf, submarine baptisms, scuba-dive and of course rental of sun umbrellas, tents and all you need in order to enjoy a perfect day at the beach. To your right you will find lots of hotels, residentials and beautiful rental houses.

Close to the end and climbing the cliff, the council campsite is located. Right there you can see the monument to the Tehuelche aborigine, a perfect lookout point to the whole of the city and the Nuevo Gulf. You are now at Punta Cuevas, the place where the first Welsh settlers disembarked at. It is possible to observe the caves that constituted these people's first "houses".

You will spot the modern Ecocenter a bit far ahead. This sort of museum enables the discovery of the mysteries and marvels of the Patagonian sea, in a venue intended for the interpretation of sea ecosystems.

Back to the center of the city, at the crossing of 28 de Julio and Mitre streets, the St. Martin's Square is located surrounded by the council houses, the church and antique buildings. It is also advisable to visit the Provincial Oceanographic and Natural Sciences Museum, situated at the Pujol Chalet, very close to the Luis Piedrabuena pier.

As you can see, Puerto Madryn has got it all to become a must-visit destination in Patagonia.

Scenery and climate

The characteristic of the region is the contrast between the green of the Patagonia plateau, with its tones of brownish green and gray, and the green-blue of the sea seen at the base of the giant cliffs that show the last of the steps of the valley. From there on, beaches of soft sand and gravel slopes get gently into the sea.

In the summer months it's very hot during the day, temperatures rising up to 40 grades centigrade, but it always gets cool at night, so do not forget to bring a jacket, sweatshirt or sweater for these circumstances. Also remember that the closer we get to the polar circle of Antarctica, the less protected we are by the ozone layer, therefore the harming effects of the sun can be sensed clearly. So it's always better to bring with you, along with your swimsuit, your sunglasses and solar protection.

In winter, temperatures are low, though there's no snow since we are by the ocean, a great climate controller. There is much wind, so you have to bring not only warm clothes according to the season but also a good jacket, appropriate shoes and a cap.

Average Temperatures

May: 15ºC / 59ºF
June: 12ºC / 54ºF
July: 10ºC / 50ºF
August: 12ºC / 54ºF
September: 15ºC / 59ºF
October: 13° / 56ºF
November: 16°C / 61ºF
December: 19°C / 66ºF
January: 20°C / 68ºF
February: 20°C / 68ºF
March: 18°C / 65ºF
April: 15ºC / 59ºF

Fauna Seasons

Birds in general: All year long
Whales: May to December
Sea Elephants: All year long
Sea Lions: All year long
Penguins: October to March
Commerson's Dolphins: All year long
Dark Dolphins: December to March
Orcas: January to April and October to December
Martinetas, Choiques, Guanacos, Hares and Gray Wolves: All year long

How to get here?

For those who travel by car, the national route N° 3 is the way if coming from the north of the country. This route joins Buenos Aires City with all Patagonia up to Tierra del Fuego. In the Province of Chubut this route goes very near the coast, and this fact permits a fast and easy ride to the different beaches and villages. Remember that fuel is 35% cheaper, starting at Sierra Grande, in Rio Negro.

If coming from the north via Route 3 there are several places worth the while visiting:

- The Comarca Viedma-Carmen de Patagones, with its beautiful beaches and historical places and tours.

- San Antonio Oeste and Las Grutas, in order to dive into warm, crystal clear waters and visit the deep waters port.

- Sierra Grande, with its adventure trip to the old coal mines.

For air transportation, the city of Trelew (60 Km. from Madryn) has got a modern international airport, with regular flights from several companies in Argentina. The airport at Puerto Madryn is smaller, with a low amount of traffic. Please note that most planes fly into Trelew instead of Puerto Madryn. This is the reason why many travel agents abroad think that there is no way to fly to the area of Madryn and Valdes Peninsula. But they are wrong.

You can also get there by bus. The trip from Buenos Aires takes 17 hours approximately.

Distances in kilometers from/to Puerto Madryn:
Bariloche 745
Buenos Aires 1389
Comodoro Rivadavia 429
Córdoba 1394
El Calafate 1388
Gaiman 81
Neuquén 882
Trelew 67
Punta Tombo 180
Puerto Pirámides 104
Ushuaia 1800
Viedma 447

Where to stay?

You can sleep either at Puerto Madryn (best), Trelew or Rawson. See our database of hotels.

See Also: Orca Project - Curiosities on the Whales - The Kingdom of Whales